Barons Walk-Off Wahoos in Front of Sellout Crowd
July 4, 2019 - Southern League (SL1)
Birmingham Barons News Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Birmingham Barons (37-47) brought the fireworks in front of a sellout crowd Thursday night at Regions Field as Blake Rutherford launched a walk-off, three-run homer to cap an 8-5 victory in extra innings over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (47-38) on the Fourth of July.
It marked the fourth straight Fourth of July contest at Regions Field in which the Barons have hosted a capacity crowd of 8,500. The Barons played three straight holiday games on the road between 2016-18 but sold out Regions Field each time between 2013-15.
Thursday's sellout represented the first of the season for the Barons, who pace the Southern League in both home attendance (238,041) and average home attendance (5,806). Birmingham has led the Southern League in both categories each of the past six seasons and recorded five sellouts during the 2018 campaign.
Regions Field has played host to 46 sellouts since the ballpark's inception in 2013.
Rutherford's blast, his fifth of the season, came after Nick Madrigal singled to place runners on the corners with nobody out in the 10th inning. Luis Robert began the frame on second base in accordance with the international tiebreaker.
Madrigal reached base four times, which included three hits, and scored twice in the win. Robert, meanwhile, tallied three runs and a pair of hits.
Rutherford, who also collected a sacrifice fly in the seventh to put the Barons ahead 5-4 at the time, recorded his first four-RBI effort at the Double-A level.
Barons right-hander Codi Heuer (W, 1-0) earned his first win of the season in relief after he tossed 1.1 innings without allowing a baserunner.
The Barons jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after consecutive run-scoring hits from Gavin Sheets (double), Ti'Quan Forbes (double) and Luis Gonzalez (single). However, Pensacola responded with four unanswered runs across the next three frames to take a 4-3 lead into the middle innings.
Sheets' second double of the game into the right-center gap put the Barons even in the fifth, while Rutherford's sac fly to left put them ahead once more.
Pensacola tied the game with a two-out single in the ninth before Rutherford's heroics in the 10th sealed Birmingham's fourth walk-off win of the season and its second via a home run.
The Barons and Blue Wahoos will continue their six-game set Friday night. Both teams are yet to announce a starting pitcher. First pitch in Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT at Regions Field and the game will be broadcast via WJQX-FM 100.5.
Coverage of Friday's game will begin at 6:50 p.m. with the Coca-Cola Pregame Show.
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Southern League Stories from July 4, 2019
- M-Braves Fall in Front of 5,756 on Independence Day - Mississippi Braves
- Shuckers Withstand Late Braves Surge, Win in Ten - Biloxi Shuckers
- Smokies Hold Montgomery to Three Hits in Losing Effort - Knoxville Smokies
- BayBears Shut out by Shrimp on Independence Day - Mobile BayBears
- Shrimp Provide Fireworks in 6-0 Win at Mobile - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Barons Walk-Off Wahoos in Front of Sellout Crowd - Birmingham Barons
- Biscuits Shut out Smokies, 3-0 - Montgomery Biscuits
- Fireworks Fly as Lookouts Top Generals, 5-2 - Chattanooga Lookouts
- Generals Drop Fourth of July Opener, 5-2 - Jackson Generals
- Generals Gameday: July 4 at Chattanooga - Jackson Generals
- Brandon Marsh Activated from 7-Day Injured List - Mobile BayBears
- Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp: Game Notes, July 4 at Mobile - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Blue Wahoos Keep Rallying, Pull out 14-13 Win - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
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