Generals Swept In Montgomery

Montgomery, Ala. - Jackson's struggles against Montgomery continued Friday, as the Generals were swept in a doubleheader by the Biscuits. Montgomery used a big first inning to hand the Generals a 17-1 loss in game one before winning the nightcap 6-2. The Generals have now lost 12 of 17 meetings with the Biscuits this season.
After the losses, Jackson (23-24, 60-57) is five games back of Montgomery (28-19, 65-52) in the Wild Card standings with 23 games left in the regular season. The Generals have lost 10 of 14 games in their seven doubleheaders this season, three of which have come at Riverwalk Stadium.

Game One: Montgomery 17, Generals 1
A big first inning for Montgomery set the stage for what would wind up being the largest loss of the season for Jackson. The Generals struck first, but the Biscuits more than bounced back with an 11-run bottom of the first and handed Jackson a 17-1 loss. It was the second time in the past week that the Generals have allowed that many runs in a game.
Kevin Cron got the Generals off on the right foot in the opener. With two outs and the bases empty, he lined a home run off the foul pole in left field to put Jackson up 1-0. The home run was Cron's league-leading 22nd of the year, and it gave him 81 runs batted in as well.
The lead was short-lived, as Montgomery scored 11 runs in the bottom of the first inning and did not look back. It was the largest inning for a Jackson opponent this season. The Biscuits sent 16 men to the plate in the inning against three different Jackson pitchers. The 11 runs came on eight hits and five walks. Eight different Montgomery players scored a run, and seven recorded an RBI.
Ryan Atkinson (1-2, 7.15) only got one out in the inning. He was removed after walking four on 37 pitches. Atkinson would be charged with five runs, and Gabe Speier allowed six behind him. Speier retired just one of the eight men he faced before J.R. Bradley finally finished off the frame. It took the three Jackson hurlers a combined 76 pitches in an inning that lasted almost an hour.
Montgomery's Anthony Misiewicz (1-0, 1.80) earned the win in his first start since being traded from Seattle to Tampa Bay. The lefty allowed just one run on two hits over five innings. The Generals had just three hits, and the offense did not draw a walk in game one of the doubleheader.
The Generals issued a season-high 11 walks in the contest, and Montgomery largely took advantage. The Biscuits had more runs (17) than hits (14) in the contest, and went 10-for-17 with runners in scoring position. They scored in all but one inning, forcing Jackson to use five pitchers over six innings. Every Montgomery starter had a run scored and an RBI in the game.
Jackson also allowed 17 runs in a loss to Chattanooga on Sunday. Prior to that, the Generals had not allowed more than nine runs in a game. The 16-run margin was the largest of any game for the team this season.
Game Two: Montgomery 6, Generals 2
The nightcap was closer, but Jackson fell 6-2 to the Biscuits. For the second game in a row, the Generals were held to three hits with only one going for extra bases. Montgomery's Génesis Cabrera struck out nine in six innings to earn the win.
Montgomery once again struck in the first inning, though it was only for a run in game two. Andrew Velazquez, who did not start the first contest, smashed a home run to make it 1-0. The Biscuits added a pair in the second on a Brett Sullivan groundout and a Nathan Lukes single to go up 3-0.
The Generals cut the deficit to one with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Vladimir Frias and Kelly Dugan each singled to start the inning, Travis Denker followed with a grounder that Michael Russell couldn't handle at third, allowing one run to score. Victor Reyes got Dugan home with a groundout, making it 3-2.
That was as close as the Generals would get, as Montgomery used three hits and a pair of Jackson errors to score three in the fifth inning. Only one of the three runs in the frame was earned, but the Generals found themselves down 6-2. Ivan Pineyro (8-1, 3.39) suffered his first loss with Jackson, allowing six runs (four earned) in five innings of work.
Genesis Cabrera (5-2, 3.22) baffled Jackson's bats, striking out nine over six innings while allowing just three hits. Only one of the two runs he gave up was earned. The Generals went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the defeat.
The five-game set continues Saturday night in Montgomery. Righty Brad Keller (8-8, 5.22) starts for the Generals against Benton Moss (2-3, 3.25). First pitch from Riverwalk Stadium is set for 6:35 pm CT, and fans can catch all the action at 6:20 pm CT with the Pregame Show on Willie 94 FM & 1390 AM.
The Generals return home for their penultimate series in Jackson this season August 16. The series versus the Biloxi Shuckers features a Thrifty Thursday and a Leaders Credit Union Food Truck Friday! Saturday, August 19 is Big Bang Theory Night presented by Hunt Brothers Pizza with Postgame Fireworks! The Generals will be giving away t-shirts, and one lucky fan will win a trip to Wizard World Comic Con in Nashville! Jackson's special Superhero Jerseys will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to Ashley Furniture's A Hope to Dream Foundation!
The final Fireworks Show of the year is August 26! Jackson's annual SEC Night with Postgame Fireworks is sponsored by WBBJ and Jackson Sport & Fitness! The Generals will be giving away tickets to a number of SEC Football games throughout the night! Early arrivers will take home a trucker hat, and the Memphis Grizzlies Caravan will be at the game with former Kentucky standout Andrew Harrison!
Make sure to get your tickets now to see the 20th season of professional baseball in Jackson, and the first for the team as an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks! Call the team at (731) 988.5299, stop by The Ballpark or go online to jacksongeneralsbaseball.com to secure your seats now!