Generals win Southern League first-half title

It took a while, but the Jackson Generals are the Southern League first-half North Division champions. 

The Generals defeated the Mississippi Braves, 3-2, in 13 innings on Saturday at Trustmark Park to claim their first division title since 2012. And while manager Daren Brown couldn't be prouder of the way his team has played, he said he hopes this is only the beginning.

"It's important to win the title," the skipper said. "They deserve it. When you play the way we have all year it means everybody is pitching in. I hope it's the first celebration of many for them in their careers."

The Generals whittled their magic number down to one three games ago. And after watching his team lose, 10-5, to Pensacola in 14 innings on Thursday, then fall, 6-5, to Mississippi in 14 frames on Friday, Brown said he believes in the adage that the last win is the hardest to get. 

"Sitting in the dugout it's not the way, as a manager, that you'd like it to happen," he said. "Our magic number was one three games ago. We played 14 innings and got beat and then 14 again and got beat. And it took 13 tonight. That last one has been hard to get. We've played pretty good baseball the whole first half, and when you need that one last win, it's a grind, but the guys got it done tonight."

Mariners No. 10 prospect Andrew Moore allowed two runs on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts over seven innings. And while his line was impressive, the stars of the night for Jackson came out of the bullpen. 

Matt Anderson took over in the eighth and worked three perfect innings before handing the ball to Emilio Pagan (4-1), who fanned two while delivering two clean frames. After the Generals took the lead on an error in the 13th, Dan Altavilla pitched a scoreless inning for his sixth save. 

After Matt Lipka singled off Moore to lead off the Mississippi fifth, the four Jackson pitchers recorded 27 straight outs.

"Moore kept us in the game and then the rest of the guys really stepped up," Brown said. "Those guys understand what they do best as pitchers and go out there and try to be the best version of who they are."

While their clincher was all about pitching, the Generals have been buoyed by an offense led by Mariners No. 4 prospect Tyler O'Neill. In 59 games, O'Neill is slashing .318/.378/.559 with 12 home runs. Brown lauded O'Neill and first-year pro Guillermo Heredia, who's hitting .299 with 33 RBIs, for providing a consistent spark.

"Those two guys have been there for us every night," the manager said. "Obviously, what O'Neill has done so far is special and Heredia, in his first year of pro ball, is just fun to watch. But you can go right down the line and we've got a little bit from everybody. Our staff and the bullpen, anytime you play as well we have, it's hard to single out just a few guys."