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Barons score first Southern League crown since 2013

@MavalloneMiLB
September 25, 2024

There was nothing supernatural about it, but the metropolis known as Magic City lived up to its billing on Tuesday night. DJ Gladney ripped a liner into center field in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift Double-A Birmingham to its first Southern League championship since 2013 with a

There was nothing supernatural about it, but the metropolis known as Magic City lived up to its billing on Tuesday night.

DJ Gladney ripped a liner into center field in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift Double-A Birmingham to its first Southern League championship since 2013 with a 2-1 win over Montgomery at Regions Field.

The victory capped off an impressive 4-1 postseason run for the Barons, who limped into the playoffs with eight losses in 13 games to close the regular season.

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After their slim 1-0 lead was erased in the ninth inning, Birmingham took advantage of the free baserunner and a wild pitch in the 10th off Montgomery reliever Austin Vernon (Rays). Following a one-out walk, Vernon's wildness moved both runners up a base and precipitated an intentional walk to load the bases.

The hard-throwing right-hander got ahead of Gladney, 0-2, but the 23-year-old laced the next offering up the middle to score Shawn Goosenberg with the championship-clinching run.

The Barons jumped ahead quickly in the opening frame on an RBI single by Michael Turner and held the line for the next seven innings. A one-out single in the ninth by Dru Baker gave the Biscuits the opening they needed and Chandler Simpson responded. The Rays' No. 4 prospect lined a game-tying double off righty Eric Adler, knotting the score, 1-1, but also setting the stage for Gladney's extra-inning heroics. Adler followed up with a perfect 10th to pick up the win.

The victory marked the seventh Southern League title for Birmingham, which capped an up-and-down 2024 by rolling through the playoffs. The Barons reeled off four consecutive wins en route to the crown and never trailed in the two games against a Biscuits club boasting 10 of the Rays' Top 30 prospects on the field for the finale.

After dropping the first playoff game against Tennessee (Cubs) and falling behind by a run in the opening frame of Game 2, Birmingham held the lead or was tied in 35 of its final 36 innings.

The Barons' march toward a championship was cultivated in the early part of the season. The club claimed the first-half title with a 41-28 mark before slumping to 31-38 in the second half, finishing 77-66 overall. An inconsistent offense was balanced out by a strong pitching staff, which put together a league-best 3.15 ERA, thanks in large part to Noah Schultz.

MLB's No. 13 prospect joined the Barons on May 25 and posted a 1.48 ERA and 73 strikeouts over 61 innings spanning 16 starts, cementing himself as one of the game's best up-and-coming hurlers. Mason Adams (CWS No. 8) was also a big contributor early, carving out a 2.44 ERA over 18 appearances (17 starts) before earning a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte.

Michael Avallone is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @MavalloneMiLB.