Birmingham Barons 7, Montgomery Biscuits 4

[Via email from Joe Davis, Biscuits Broadcaster.]

HOOVER, AL –Birmingham (9-26) scored six two-out runs against Jeremy Hall in the third inning, and a late Biscuits (19-16) push fell short as the Barons took the series-opening game 7-4 on Saturday at Regions Park.

Jeremy Hall had retired the first two Birmingham batters in the third inning, but the next three Barons singled, with Jim Gallagher driving home the first run. Hall then walked Brent Morel to load the bases, and Cole Armstrong cleared them with a double to right-center. Salvador Sanchez put salt in the wound with a two-run homer to complete the scoring, and to put the Barons ahead 6-0.

Justin Garcia came on for the Biscuits to start the fourth, and pitched a pair of scoreless innings before allowing a solo-homer to Christian Marrero in the sixth to make it 7-0.

Nevin Ashley starter the Biscuits seventh with a double, then Chris Nowak smacked his second homer of the season to put the Biscuits on the board but still behind 7-2. Chris De La Cruz knocked a two-out single one frame later to score Ashley, who had tripled, then Nowak scored on a Barons throwing error to complete the scoring at 7-4.

Anthony Carter struck out the side in the ninth to pick up his second save.

Ashley was one of the lone bright spots for the Biscuits, going 3-4 with a pair of doubles and a triple.

Hall took the loss to fall to 0-2, while Birmingham reliever Andrew Dobies nabbed the win with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief work. Barons starter Johnny Lowe retired the first ten Biscuits, then left the game with one out in the third with a leg injury.

LHP Jake McGee will toss for the Biscuits in game two of the series against Birmingham RHP Matt Long. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 CT.