Slams Vault Jackson To Victory

Montgomery, Ala. - After a three-homer night on Thursday, the Jackson Generals routed Montgomery 17-5 on Friday with three more dingers. Two of the Generals' mashes were grand slams, as Jackson became the first Southern League team to hit multiple grand slams in a game since 2013. With the victory, the Generals (24-17) blasted back into first place in the Southern League's North Division, two games ahead of the Biscuits (22-19).
For the second time this season, the Generals got a first-inning grand slam, as Kelly Dugan cleared the bases with his ninth dinger of the year. Rudy Flores equaled Dugan's feat in the fourth inning, chasing starter Greg Harris (1-3, 5.31 ERA) with a four-run four-bagger of his own that stretched the Generals' lead to 11-2 at the time.

Generals left-hander Alex Young (3-2, 3.67 ERA) made the longest start of any Jackson pitcher in 2017, working seven innings while allowing four runs to the Biscuits. Young got 21 outs using 97 pitches, tying his season-high mark for strikeouts with six.
The Generals gave Young a generous cushion in the first inning, scoring five times in their first at-bat. Kevin Cron, batting third, plated Kevin Medrano with a one-out RBI single to score the game's first run. After the second out, Dawel Lugo moved Cron to second base with a single, and Oscar Hernández followed with a knock to saturate the bases for Dugan. The Encino, California native did not miss his pitch, crushing Harris' 2-1 offering over the wall in right field at Riverwalk Stadium.
After Harris dispatched six Generals in order across the second and third innings, Hernandez led off the fourth inning with his second base hit, securing his first multiple-hit game of the month. Dugan flew out to center field, and Jamie Westbrook singled to put two men on. Evan Marzilli reached on a fielder's choice that retired Westbrook at second base, leaving Hernandez and Marzilli on the corners with two outs. Medrano poked a single up the middle that Montgomery second baseman Riley Unroe fielded, but Unroe's throw to first base was too late to get Medrano, as Hernandez scored from third base for a 6-2 lead.
With Medrano at first base and Marzilli at second, Colin Walsh served a single into shallow left field that brought home Marzilli for the visitors' seventh run. Cron then walked, setting up Flores with a bases-loaded opportunity. The Generals' designated hitter took the first delivery from Harris into the trees beyond right-center field, breaking the game wide open. Prior to Friday, a Southern League team had not hit two grand slams in a game since Jacksonville's Jake Marisnick accomplished the feat on his own against Pensacola on May 30, 2013.
The Generals would tack on six more runs in the later innings, including a four-spot in the sixth inning. Walsh added a jack in the ninth inning off Montgomery first baseman Mac James. James was able to complete his first professional inning as a pitcher without allowing any Jackson hitters to reach base other than Walsh.
In relief of Young, Gabe Speier threw the final two innings for Jackson, conceding three hits and one earned run while sparing the rest of the Generals' bullpen. Dugan finished with three hits, three runs scored, and an impressive five runs batted in, the first General to accomplish that feat this season. Every General in the starting lineup scored a run, and Jackson tied a season-high by walking eight times. The team finished 8-for-13 at the plate in situations with men in scoring position.
The Generals continue their six-game series with Montgomery on Saturday, as Taylor Clarke (4-1 2.25 ERA) will toe the rubber for Jackson against Montgomery's Mike Franco (3-0, 2.06 ERA). First pitch from Riverwalk Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 pm CT, and you can catch all the action with the team on the road starting with the pregame show at 6:20 pm CT on Willie 94 FM and 1390 AM in Jackson.
Jackson stays on the road for eleven games between Montgomery and Jacksonville before returning home May 30 for five versus the Mississippi Braves. The series kicks off with a Thrifty Thursday, and includes both the Hub City Hippos and a Leaders Credit Union Food Truck Friday the next night! Saturday is Star Wars Night with Postgame Fireworks presented by Hardeman County Correctional Facility! In addition to Fireworks, a lucky fan will win a trip to Disney's Hollywood Studios to experience Star Wars in Florida! And the first 1,000 through the gate will take home a jersey T-shirt!
Make sure to get your tickets now to see the 20^th season of professional baseball in Jackson, and the first for the team as an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks! Call the team at (731) 988.5299, stop by The Ballpark or go online to jacksongeneralsbaseball.com to secure your seats now!