[Via email from the Montgomery Biscuits' broadcaster Jon Laaser.]The Birmingham Barons (20-8) held off a late charge from the Biscuits (13-17) to claim the series finale of a five-game set, 6-4, on Saturday night in front of 7,219 at Riverwalk Stadium.
After two scoreless innings, the Barons struck first with a pair of runs in the third inning off of Biscuits' starter Ryan Morse. Stefan Gartrell led off the inning with a single and two batters later scored when Rob Hudson doubled to give Birmingham a 1-0 lead. C.J. Retherford followed with a triple just out of the reach of Desmond Jennings in centerfield and the Barons held a 2-0 advantage.
The Barons added a run off Morse in the third when Lee Cruz and Javier Colina picked up back-to-back singles. Cruz stood at third after Colina's single and scored on a sacrifice fly from Rob Hudson for a 3-0 lead. Morse (2-4) worked six innings, pitching effectively but taking the loss for Montgomery. The loss ended a two-game personal win-streak for Morse.
Birmingham starter Aaron Poreda meanwhile held the Biscuits at bay through six innings. Birmingham tacked on a run off of Chris Mason in the seventh before Poreda finally found trouble in the seventh. The Biscuits scored three times in the inning, all charged to the lefty to cut the lead to one, 4-3.
J.T. Hall singled to open the inning and Matt Spring walked to put two aboard. Drew Anderson singled home Hall with the Biscuits first run, and Poreda plunked Jennings to load the bases. Poreda departed in favor of Cleveland Santeliz, who promptly allowed an infield-single to Jason Bowers which scored Spring. Santeliz struck out Rhyne Hughes, but walked Rashad Eldridge with the bases loaded to push home Anderson with the third run of the inning.
Poreda (3-3) earned the win, technically working six innings and allowing three earned runs on eights. He walked three and struck out four. Calvin Medlock entered in the eighth for the Biscuits and conceded a double to centerfield for Brandon Allen. A batter later, David Cook sent a two-run home run to right field to extend the lead back to three runs, 6-3.
Montgomery got one run back in the eighth inning, but got no closer, stranding the bases loaded in both the seventh and eighth innings. The Biscuits tied a season-high by stranding 13 men on base in the ballgame.
Fernando Hernandez, who relieved Santeliz with two outs in the eighth inning, finished the ballgame for his second save in the series and sixth on the season.
The Biscuits enjoy a league-wide off day on Sunday before opening a five-game series in Mobile, AL, at Hank Aaron Stadium on Monday night at 7:05 PM.
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