Generals take series from Barons with 8-3 rout on Sunday
JACKSON, TENN. (JULY 13, 2014) - Jackson's (10-14, 41-52) offense showed up once again as the Generals notched double-digit hits for the seventh time in eight games in their 8-3 victory over the Birmingham Barons (12-11, 41-52). The win is the third in-a-row and clinched the second straight series win. Jackson collected 12 hits and had multi-hit performances from Ketel Marte (3x5, R, RBI), Dario Pizzano (2x4, R), Kevin Rivers (2x3, R, RBI, BB) and the seventh homer of the year from Dan Paolini (1x3, R, 2 RBI) in the rout.
Birmingham plated the first run of the game in the second inning as Jeremy Farrell singled to bring home Kevan Smith for the early 1-0 lead. The Barons could have scored more, but starter Tyler Pike (2-1, 3.20) backed out of trouble as he stranded runners on the corners to finish the half inning.
The Generals had their pitchers back in the bottom half of the frame as back-to-back-to-back singles by Pizzano, Steve Baron (1x4, R), and Rivers tied the game as Pizzano crossed the plate on Rivers base hit. Brock Hebert (1x3, R, 2 RBI, BB) picked up his first two Double-A RBIs as he followed with a double that scored Baron and Rivers. After a ground out Hebert was brought home by Marte's 20th double of the year and the Generals led 4-1 after just two innings.
Trayce Thompson tripled in the third for Birmingham and scored on a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 4-2, but that's the closest the Barons would get to Jackson.
The Generals added three more runs in the fifth as Leon Landry (1x5, R) singled and Marte doubled to start the inning. Pat Kivlehan (1x4, R, RBI) then hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Landry and Paolini followed with his seventh home run of the year, a two-run blast, that extended the lead to 7-2.
With the bases and no outs in the seventh, Baron grounded into a double play that scored Kivlehan to increase the lead to 8-2. Birmingham threatened in the eighth, but an RBI single from Rangel Ravelo that scored Trayce Thompson is all they would achieve in the inning as that made the score 8-3.
Tyler Pike pitched earned the win with 5.0 innings of work as he allowed just two runs on five hits and struck out three. Myles Jaye (1-8, 6.63) took the loss as he lasted just 4.2 innings and gave up seven runs on nine hits.
The Generals will look to take their fourth win a series for the first time Monday against the Barons. Jackson will have Matt Anderson (3-3, 4.37) on the mound as Scott Snodgrass (5-7, 4.21) will start for the Barons. The game will begin at 7:05 p.m. and can be heard on 96.5 ESPN, TuneIn Radio and jacksongeneralsbaseball.com.