SL1 Mississippi Braves

Barons Clinch against Braves

Published on June 13, 2009 under Southern League (SL1)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Pearl, MS - With a division championship and a trip to the Southern League playoffs on the line (a Birmingham win and a Mobile loss would give the Barons the first half championship), the M-Braves took on the Birmingham Barons in front of 5,840 fans at Trustmark Park Saturday night. The Barons got their win (5-3 over the Braves) and Mobile lost to Tennessee, 6-5, to give the visiting Barons a second straight first half championship.

In their quest to clinch the Southern League South Division's 1st half, Birmingham got out to a quick start Saturday night at Trustmark Park. CJ Retherford walked, moved to second on a Brandon Allen single and scored on a sac-fly by Dayan Viciedo. Four batters into the game, the Barons led 1-0.

Mississippi answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. Travis Jones doubled and came in to score on Greg Creek's two out double to tie the score. After one, the game was knotted at one.

Aggressive base running gave the M-Braves a 2-1 lead in the third. Matt Young ripped a single through the right side and scored on an infield single by Willie Cabrera. With Young moving on the pitch, Cabrera hit a chopper that Viciedo fielded on the line behind third base. His rushed throw short-hopped the first baseman and shot into foul territory. Young never stopped running and scored easily when the ball got away. After three, Mississippi led 2-1. It was the first time the Braves led in the series.

The combination of Young, Cabrera and aggressive base running paid off again in the fifth. Young ripped a single to right and the duo executed a perfect hit and run when Cabrera singled to right-center behind a running Young. Young advanced to third and never slowed down as Birmingham's outfield casually fielded the ball. Young slid into home with the Braves third run and a 3-1 lead.

The potent Birmingham offense woke up in the sixth. David Cook's 13th homer of 2009 led off the sixth and cut the Braves lead to 3-2. The towering homer, a solo shot, hit off of the batter's eye in center field. Javier Colina then blasted a two-out homer, his first of the year, over the left-centerfield wall to tie the game at three.

The Barons got an unearned run in the top of the eighth to go ahead, 4-3. With runners at first and second and one out, Colina ripped a single to left field. Cabrera held the lead runner, David Cook, at third with a good throw to the plate. The trail runner at second, Stefan Gartrell, took a wide turn around the bag and drew a throw from catcher Phillip Britton. Britton's throw was offline and went into shallow centerfield allowing Cook to score easily from third. Gartrell would later score on a single by CJ Lang to put the Barons up 5-3.

Kyle Cofield gave up three runs on six hits over six innings and left the game with the score tied at three. Steve Marek tossed a shutout inning and Brett Butts (3-1) gave up two runs in the eighth to take the loss.

John Ely allowed three runs on nine hits through six innings and he too left the game with the score tied at three. Matt Zaleski threw two shutout innings and John Lujan tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the year.

Mississippi and Birmingham will play game four Sunday afternoon at 1:05 ct. The Braves will send righty Jeff Lyman (4-4, 3.44) to the hill against the Barons' Brian Omogrosso (6-2, 4.50).

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Southern League Stories from June 13, 2009


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