Generals Quash Rally With Quartet Of Homers

Mobile, Ala. - It's not often that you weather a five-run rally, but the Jackson Generals did on Saturday, winning 10-6 in Mobile. Rudy Flores hit a tie-breaking three-run home run in the top of the eighth, and Daniel Gibson quieted Mobile's bats to record the Generals' fourth straight win. The streak is Jackson's longest stretch of wins this year.
Jamie Westbrook claimed the Generals' first grand slam of the season, staking Jackson to a 4-0 lead early on. Kevin Cron led off the third inning with a solo shot, and he added insurance with a two-run shot in the top of the ninth. All ten of Jackson's runs were scored on round-trippers.

Entering the eighth inning, the Generals (19-9) were working with a 5-5 deadlock after Mobile (11-18) got a solo home run in the sixth to tie the score. Colin Walsh tattooed a liner off the right field wall to get on base, held to a single because the ball rebounded so quickly to the right fielder. Cron followed with a walk, setting the table for Flores. The Corpus Christi, Texas native responded with a three-run goner over the right field wall, boosting the Generals into the lead.
After Gibson held Mobile scoreless in the bottom half, the Generals' bats stayed hungry in the ninth. Walsh started with a one-out walk, and Cron raked a Ronnie Muck offering way out to left field, marking Cron's second multi-homer effort of the season. Six of the Generals ten hits on the night came in the eighth and ninth innings.
Mobile spot starter Justin Kelly, debuting at Double-A, showed his inexperience by issuing a pair of walks to start the top of the first inning. After recording two outs, Kelly then walked another batter, laying the framework for Westbrook to do serious damage with a grand slam. Kelly retired three of the next four hitters, but Cron's one-man monster mash in the third helped chase Kelly after just nine outs.
Left-hander Josh Taylor started for the Generals, working through the first three frames without allowing a run to score. Taylor ceded four runs to the BayBears in the fourth on five base hits, allowing Mobile to climb back within one at 5-4. Taylor then hustled through a 1-2-3 fifth inning before permitting a solo shot by Mobile's Wade Wass in the sixth. Taylor walked two and struck out two in six innings, giving up nine hits over the course of his 18 recorded outs.
Miller Díaz (1-1, 2.77 ERA) backed up Taylor with a scoreless seventh inning, earning his first victory of the year. Gibson (Sv, 2) followed behind Diaz with a two-inning save, allowing one run on one hit with a walk and a strikeout. 
The Generals will go for their fifth straight victory on Sunday, deploying right-hander Brooks Hall (1-1, 6.43 ERA) against Mobile right-hander Jake Jewell (0-1, 11.25 ERA). First pitch from Hank Aaron Stadium is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT, and you can catch all the action on Willie 94 FM and 1390 AM in Jackson and online as well via the TuneIn Radio App.
The Generals return home to West Tennessee Monday to kick off a ten-game homestand. The first five are against the Tennessee Smokies before the team welcomes the Pensacola Blue Wahoos to town. The team will host a Sarge-themed weekend starting Thursday, May 11 with his birthday celebration! It's also Thrifty Thursday, featuring $2 deals on general admission tickets, hot dogs, popcorn, 24-oz. Pepsi products, 16-oz. beer, ice cream and fun zone wristbands!
On Friday, May 12 versus the Smokies and Saturday, May 13 versus Pensacola, the Generals will host Sarge's Carnival with Postgame Fireworks both nights! At both games, we'll have carnival rides in the Fun Zone for the kids to enjoy! Friday's Fireworks are presented by Tennessee Health Management, while MobileNation is sponsoring Saturday's Show! Friday is also a Leaders Credit Union Food Truck Friday, with the Generals playing as the Hub City Hippos! On Saturday, the first 1,000 fans through the gate will get baseballs autographed by current Generals!
Make sure to get your tickets now to see the 20^th 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!