Diamond Jaxx Split A Doubleheader With Birmingham
Date Posted: 6/2/2004

The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx split a doubleheader with the Birmingham Barons on Tuesday night before a crowd of 3,222 fans at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Birmingham won the first game 5-4. The Diamond Jaxx won the nightcap 13-6.

In the opener, Birmingham scord two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and held on for a 5-4 win. The Barons tied the game off Russ Rohlicek (4-3) on a throwing error by Jemel Spearman. Michael Spidale gave the Barons a 5-4 lead with a RBI grounder. Jeff Bajenaru pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his seventh save of the season.

The Diamond Jaxx had been down 3-0 before scoring four runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-3 lead. Ronny Cedeno tied the game with a three run homer. Micah Hoffpauir gave the Diamond Jaxx the lead with a sacrifice fly to right. The Diamond Jaxx had a couple opportunities to put the game away, but Josh Fields (3-1) slammed the door shut by pitching two shutout innings.

In the nightcap, the Diamond Jaxx offense exploded for thirteen runs on sixteen hits to raise their record to 30-21 on the season. Matt Craig went 3-4 with 4 RBI's to lead the Jaxx attack. Craig came within a single of hitting for the cycle. Micah Hoffpauir and Dwaine Bacon drove in three runs each to back Craig's performance. The Diamond Jaxx hammered Barons starter Jim Bullard (3-3) for seven runs on ten hits in four innings of work. Sean Marshall (2-1) picked up the win by gutting through five innings. Marshall gave up six runs on eleven hits.

Mike Spidale and Tommy Nicholson had three hits each to pace the Barons attack.

Games three and four of the five series will take place starting Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. The Diamond Jaxx will start RHP Bobby Brownlie (5-3 2.83) in game one. Lefty Jordan Gerk (1-0 4.05) will start the nightcap. Birmingham will start righty Eduardo Villacis (0-0 0.00) in the opener and lefty Ryan Meaux (2-5 5.63) in the nightcap.