Barons Win Big 9-5 over Rocket City on Saturday Night

By Jeff Allison

Wilfred Veras had three hits and an RBI to lead the Birmingham Barons to a 9-5 win over the Rocket City Trash Pandas before 6,841 at Toyota Field on Saturday night. Eight of the nine Barons hitters had at least one hit in the win. In the recent call-up, DJ Gladney continued to shine with two more hits and two RBIs. Gladney is now hitting .412 with the Barons.

Starting pitcher Noah Schultz (0-2, 1.73) pitched 3.1 innings, giving up three hits, one earned run, and two walks with five strikeouts in the no-decision. Winning pitcher Jake Palisch (4-2, 4.35) pitched 2.0 innings, giving up a hit, an earned run, and no walks with two strikeouts in relief.

The Barons left 13 runners on base in the win but still pounded out 11 hits and nine runs. The Barons scored first in the game at the top of the first inning when Jacob Gonzalez walked, Veras singled to center field, and both runners moved up a base due to a Rocket City fielding error. With two outs, Gladney singled on a line drive to center field, scoring Gonzalez and Veras, and the Barons took the early 2-0 lead.

In the top of the second inning, the Barons scored again. Shawn Goosenberg walked, Jason Matthews singled to center field, and Mario Camilletti walked to load the bases with no outs. Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Goosenberg. Veras followed with an RBI single, scoring Matthews on the play. Tyler Neslony hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Camilletti, and the Barons took a 5-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth inning, Gonzalez walked, Veras doubled to right field, and Neslony hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Gonzalez, and the Barons took a 6-0 lead. Rocket City scored in the bottom of the fourth inning on a Ben Gobbel RBI single. In the top of the fifth inning, Terrell Tatum walked, Goosenberg singled to right field and then stole second base to put two runners in scoring position. Camilletti hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Tatum, and the Barons led 7-1. Gonzalez follows with an RBI double to center field, scoring Goosenberg on the play. The Barons led 8-1.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Chad Stevens RBI double, scoring two Rocket City runners and a Gobbel ground out scoring Stevens and Rocket City cut the Barons lead to 8-4. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Stevens hit a home run to center field, and the Barons still led 8-5. In the top of the eighth inning, Gladney doubled, Turner was hit by a pitch, and Tatum walked to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Gladney, and the Barons led 9-5.

Gonzalez went 1-for-2 with three walks, two runs scored and two RBIs in the win. Neslony added a hit and two RBIs. Goosenberg had a hit, two runs scored, and a stolen base for the Barons.

Next, the Barons will play game 6 of the six-game series on Sunday night at Toyota Field in Madison, Alabama. RHP Riley Gowens (0-2, 5.71) will start on the mound for the Barons. Birmingham have won three out of the five games in this series and look to get the series win on Sunday.