Painful Ending: Trash Pandas Fall 4-3 on Walk-Off Hit Batter
SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Painful Ending: Trash Pandas Fall 4-3 on Walk-Off Hit Batter

Published on August 19, 2025 under Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Rocket City Trash Pandas (14-32, 38-76) rallied to tie the game in the sixth inning, but the Birmingham Barons (32-14, 70-45) walked off in the bottom of the ninth when Sam Antonacci was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to secure a 4-3 win on Tuesday night at Regions Field.

After three scoreless innings, Birmingham struck first in the fourth. William Bergolla singled and came around to score after Caden Connor's infield hit and a throwing error by Arol Vera. Two batters later, Braden Montgomery added an RBI single to make it 2-0.

Rocket City answered in the fifth. David Mershon drew a leadoff walk, Myles Emmerson followed with a single, and Mac McCroskey dropped down a safety squeeze to plate Mershon and cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Barons quickly restored their two-run lead in the bottom half. Michael Turner doubled and scored on a Mario Camilletti RBI single for a 3-1 edge.

Trash Pandas starter Mitch Farris, the Southern League strikeout leader, fanned three to raise his total to 129. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with two walks over five innings.

Rocket City tied the game in the sixth. Ryan Nicholson walked, then David Calabrese and Korey Holland singled to load the bases. Mershon drew a walk to force in a run, and Emmerson followed with a sacrifice fly to even things at 3-3.

From there, Birmingham's bullpen shut the door, retiring the next 11 Trash Pandas batters. Rocket City relievers Roman Phansalkar and Kenyon Yovan combined for three scoreless innings to keep the game tied into the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, DJ Gladney tripled off Luke Murphy (L, 0-1), who then issued two walks around a strikeout to load the bases. After inducing a shallow flyout for the second out, Murphy hit Antonacci with a pitch, forcing in the winning run.

For Rocket City, Oscar Colás went 1-for-4 against his former club, extending his on-base streak to 12 games. Holland went 1-for-4 with a run scored and has now reached safely in six straight.

The Trash Pandas hit the road to take on the Birmingham Barons, starting on Tuesday at Regions Field. The first pitch is set for 7:00 pm with RHP Walbert Urena (4-8, 5.24) taking the hill for Rocket City, and RHP Connor McCullough (0-0, 1.50) for the Barons. Fans can watch live on WAAY-TV "MORE" 31.6, Bally Sports Live, and MiLB.tv, or listen on Talk Radio WZZN 97.7 HD-2.

Upcoming Promotions:

The Trash Pandas return to Toyota Field August 26-31 for a six-game series against the Columbus Clingstone, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The homestand is packed with fun, starting with Japanese Heritage Night, presented by Toray, on Wednesday, August 27, followed by Huntsville Stars Throwback Night, featuring special appearances from José and Ozzie Canseco, on Thursday, August 28. Fans can also enjoy back-to-back nights of spectacular postgame fireworks on Friday, August 29 and Saturday, August 30.

Tickets are available starting at just $8 for general admission and $16 for field-level seats. They can be purchased online at tptix.com. Fans can also purchase tickets in person during regular business hours at the Wicks Family Foundation Box Office or by calling 256-325-1403, option 1. Fans can book their group outings for the 2025 season by visiting trashpandasgroups.com or calling the Group Sales Department directly at (256) 325-1403, option 2.

Check out the Rocket City Trash Pandas Statistics

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Southern League Stories from August 19, 2025


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