Suns Outlast Barons, 12-7
July 5, 2003 - Southern League (SL1)
Birmingham Barons News Release
BIRMINGHAM, AL â The Birmingham Barons and Jacksonville Suns combined to score 19 runs on 23 hits but the Suns had the edge as they beat the Barons 12-7 in front of a standing room only crowd of 11,719 fans on Friday evening. The 4th of July crowd set a mark as the 14th largest crowd ever to witness a Barons game at the Met and the 26th time attendance was over 11,000.
The series opener saw the Suns chase Barons ace Neal Cotts (8-3) after just 4.1 innings. Cotts only gave up two runs on two hits but was plagued with control problems as he walked six Jacksonville batters and threw 83 pitches, half of which fell out of the strike zone.
The Barons bullpen didn't fare any better as Matt Smith, Kris McWhirter, Jeff Bajenaru, and Rob Purvis combined to surrender 10 runs on 11 hits over 4.2 innings. Smith gave up three in the sixth including a towering home run by Reggie Abercrombie. Abercrombie ended the night going 3-for-4 with four runs scored to lead the Suns offensive attack. McWhirter worked a scoreless inning and a third before Bajenaru gave up three in the eighth and Purvis got shelled for four runs in the ninth.
Jeremy Reed and the Barons offense tried to keep the team in the game but couldn't keep up with the Suns. Reed finished the night 3-for-5 to raise his batting average to an astounding .475 (28-for-59). His first inning single extended his hitting streak to a new team high of 12 straight games and he has now hit in 14 of the 15 games he has played with the Barons. Three runs crossed the plate in the Barons seventh on a two-run double by Scott Bikowski and a RBI groundout by Carlos Maldonado to cut the score to 5-3 but Jacksonville just kept piling it on.
The Suns would go up 12-3 before the Barons came to bat in the bottom of the ninth. Reed would begin and end the inning as he lead off with a double to right center and then struck out with the bases loaded to end any real threat. In between his at-bats, the Barons plated four runs on three hits and four walks but it just wasn't enough.
Tomorrow the Barons look to even the series as they send out RHP Enemencio Pacheco (6-2, 2.80) to face RHP Alfredo Gonzalez (3-3, 3.56). Game time is 7:00 PM and all the action can be heard on 101.1 FM with Doug Bell, filling in for Curt Bloom, on the play-by-play.
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Southern League Stories from July 5, 2003
- Barons Eclipse Suns, 7-2 - Birmingham Barons
- BayBears win to move back into first - Mobile BayBears
- Mudcats Rout Rays 15-4 - Orlando Rays
- Smokies Clip G-Braves - Mississippi Braves
- Smokies Top G-Braves 7-4 - Knoxville Smokies
- Barons beat Suns, 7-2 - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Gemoll's Blast Propels Stars to 5-3 Win - Huntsville Stars
- Suns Outlast Barons, 12-7 - Birmingham Barons
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