Entering Wednesday, the Barons and Biscuits were tied at a game apiece, with the decisive, winner-take-all Game 3 on the horizon. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, so as of the end of Wednesday, the series remained 1-1. However, the Barons are in a great position to bring home another title.
In the top of the third, the contact and speed threats, Rikuu Nishida and William Bergolla, did what they do best. Nishida hit an infield single, and a throwing error allowed him to advance to second
to open the frame. Bergolla followed with a single to center to put runners at the corners with no outs. Although Sam Antonacci struck out, a wild pitch allowed Nishida to score the game’s first run. Ryan Galanie reached on an error, and Caden Connor lined a single to drive in Bergolla and double Birmingham’s lead.
The Barons took that 2-0 lead into the fifth, when their offense went back to work. Antonacci and Galanie hit back-to-back singles to open that inning. Connor and Alec Makarewicz were retired, but Calvin Harris walked to load the bases and extend the inning. Stolen base machine Jordan Sprinkle stepped up to the plate, and he showed that he can deliver at the plate, too, as he lined a clutch double to clear the bases. That was an enormous hit for the speedy infielder, who made the score 5-0.
Meanwhile, Hagen Smith, 22, one of the White Sox’s top prospects, started on the mound for Birmingham, and he was difficult for the Biscuits to solve. In the first four innings, only three Biscuits reached base safely against Smith (two walks and a single), and he stranded all of those runners. The Biscuits got on the board against the Barons in the bottom of the fifth, when Smith issued back-to-back walks to open the inning, and Brock Jones hit an RBI single. That single reduced Montgomery’s deficit to four, and that is where the teams stand.
The teams will resume action at 12:05 p.m. Central on Thursday, with the Barons leading by a score of 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth. When play resumes, the Biscuits will have runners on first and second with no outs.
