SL1 Birmingham Barons

Barons Outduel Smokies, 2-1

July 20, 2003 - Southern League (SL1)
Birmingham Barons News Release


BIRMINGHAM, AL – Beyong An turned in another outstanding pitching performance but took a no decision as the Birmingham Barons beat the Tennessee Smokies 2-1 in ten innings in front of 2,153 fans on Sunday evening at the Hoover Met.

An tossed eight magnificent innings giving up just one run on two hits and carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The no-no was broken up with two outs in the seventh when the 2003 Southern League Home Run Derby champion, Bucky Jacobsen, crushed a solo homer to left field. The Jacobsen bomb tied him for the league lead with West Tennessee's Jon Knott and knotted the game at one all and would eventually push the game into extra innings.

Smokies starter, Juan Pena, was almost as effective for Tennessee as he went 7.1 innings giving up just one unearned run on five hits. The lone run was tallied in the fourth inning when Scott Bikowski tripled with two outs and then scored on a fielding error but the shortstop Jon Nelson.

With the tough pitching, both teams found it difficult to mount much of an offensive attack but the Barons had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. Birmingham loaded the bases with one out but a fielder's choice groundout by Guillermo Reyes and a strikeout by Danny Sandoval ended the threat and sent the game into extra innings.

With the chance in the ninth squandered, the Barons wouldn't allow another opportunity to get away. After the Smokies went down in the top of the tenth, Chad Durham grounded out to lead off before Juan Piniella singled to start the rally. Jeremy Reed walked to advance Piniella to second and Tommy Nicholson ripped a single the left center to drive in the winning run.

Fireballer, Scott Dunn (2-1), kept the Smokies at bay as he tossed a scoreless ninth and tenth inning and struck out the first four batters he faced to pick up the win. Josh Axelson (0-1) picked up the loss after giving up the winning run in the tenth.

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Southern League Stories from July 20, 2003


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