Barons Shutout Stars, 10-0
July 3, 2003 - Southern League (SL1)
Birmingham Barons News Release
BIRMINGHAM, AL â The 7,849 fans at the Hoover Met didn't have to wait until the end of the game to see some fireworks as the Birmingham Barons crushed the Huntsville Stars 10-0 on Thursday night in one of the Barons most impressive games of the season. The win gave the Barons a split of the short two-game series with Huntsville.
Birmingham rebounded from the tough loss last night immediately as Jon Hamilton, who was making his first start as a Baron since being signed as a free agent on July 2nd, launched a two-run homer to right field to stake the Barons to an early two run lead. The bomb was Hamilton's first hit as a Baron and provided more than enough scoring for Birmingham.
Tetsu Yofu wouldn't need any more runs in support as he simply dominated the Stars. On the night, Yofu would strikeout six and surrender just three hits and two walks as he shutdown Huntsville's potent offensive attack. In the previous two games against the Barons, the Stars had plated 27 runs on 34 hits but couldn't muster anything against Yofu.
With Yofu cruising along, the Barons bats broke out for two more runs in the fourth on back-to-back run-scoring singles by Chad Durham and Danny Sandoval to make the score 4-0 but the lumber wasn't ready to stop there. Birmingham batted around in the sixth and plated six more runs to put the game out of reach with the 10-0 lead. Gabe Alvarez provided the highlight of the inning as he smashed a two-run double to deep center to plate Hamilton and Jeremy Reed who both knocked out three hits on the night. Reed's single to left in the third extended his hitting-streak to 11 games and tied him for the team high with Ryan Hankins and Juan Piniella.
Ryan Meaux, who was promoted from Winston-Salem earlier in the day, made his Double-A debut when he came on and pitched a scoreless ninth to finish off the game and preserve the shutout.
Tomorrow the Jacksonville Suns come to town for a three-game series as the Barons send out LHP Neal Cotts (8-2, 1.84) to face RHP Edwin Guzman (3-6, 3.52). Game time for the special July 4th game is 6:00 PM and all the action can be heard on 101.1 FM with Doug Bell on the play-by-play.
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Southern League Stories from July 3, 2003
- Barons Shutout Stars, 10-0 - Birmingham Barons
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- Reggie homers Suns to win - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Rays - Lookouts Split Doubleheader - Orlando Rays
- BayBears play near perfect in victory - Mobile BayBears
- Jeff Blauser to Sign Autographs Saturday - Mississippi Braves
- Barons Radio Announcer Goes to the Show - Birmingham Barons
- League's First Female Umpire makes History in Greenville - Mississippi Braves
- Suns Prepared to Host Southern League All-Stars - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Suns to Surpass 2002 Attendance - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Stars Pound Barons, 12-5 - Birmingham Barons
- BayBears rally comes up short in the ninth - Mobile BayBears
- Stars Roll Over Barons, 12-5 - Huntsville Stars
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