Barons Pummel Stars, 9-1
May 30, 2003 - Southern League (SL1)
Birmingham Barons News Release
BIRMINGHAM, AL â The Birmingham Barons once again put a hurting on the top pitching staff in the Southern League by pounding the Huntsville Stars 9-1 in front of 3,325 fans on Thursday evening at the Hoover Met. The victory gives the Barons a 2-1 advantage in the series but more importantly ties them with Huntsville for first place in the Western Division.
Barons' starter Neal Cotts (7-2) was lights-out on the evening as he struck out a season-high 12 batters over 6.1 innings to pick up his Southern League leading seventh win. His 12 strikeouts are the most by a Baron this season.
A five run second inning supplied Cotts with plenty of run support for the evening. Josh Shaffer started off the scoring with an RBI single and Juan Piniella later scored on a throwing error by the pitcher before Ryan Hankins launched a three-run bomb to left-center field to round out the inning scoring. Birmingham would also add two runs in the fifth on Scott Bikowski's first homer of the season and two more in the seventh RBI doubles by Piniella and Carlos Maldonado.
After the game it was announced that RHP Jake Meyer was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte and RHP Kris McWhirter joined the Barons from Single-A Winston-Salem.
Tomorrow night, game four of the four-game series will feature the Barons' RHP Enemencio Pacheco (5-0, 1.61) versus Huntsville's LHP Derek Lee (5-2, 3.35). Game time is 7:00 and all the action can be heard on 101.1 FM "The Source" with Curt Bloom on the play-by-play.
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Southern League Stories from May 30, 2003
- BayBears take series finale from Lookouts - Mobile BayBears
- G-Braves Blanked Again at Home - Mississippi Braves
- Smokies Earn Split, Leave Carolina with 9-6 Win - Knoxville Smokies
- Rays Continue Winning Ways - Orlando Rays
- Rays defeat Suns, 5-2 - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- G-Braves Honor County Teachers, Employees - Mississippi Braves
- SL Honors Players of the Week - SL1
- BayBears fall to Lookouts in 11 - Mobile BayBears
- Cotts Leads Barons Past Stars, 9-1 - Huntsville Stars
- Barons Pummel Stars, 9-1 - Birmingham Barons
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