BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Rocket City Trash Pandas hung around till the very end, but fell short against the Birmingham Barons in a 4-3 loss Saturday.
Birmingham got in front in the first as infielder Michael Turner found a hole on a softly hit single for the first run of the game.
Trash Pandas infielder Kyren Paris tied the game with a run-scoring single of his own, ending a seven-game hitless streak in the process.
Rocket City added two more in the third with a pair of singles from outfielder Tucker Flint and designated hitter Eric Wagaman. For Wagaman, it was his seventh RBI for the series.
Turner got the Barons back to within one in the fifth thanks to a double that bounced off the left field wall to score a run. Infielder Alsander Womack drove in Turner later in the inning with a single to tie the game at three.
Trash Pandas starting pitcher Chase Chaney finished the inning and would call it a night afterwards having thrown five innings while allowing three runs and striking out three batters.
Both bullpens stopped the scoring until the ninth when infielder Brooks Baldwin ended the game on a walk-off sacrifice fly off Trash Pandas reliever Hayden Seig (L, 1-1) to clinch a series victory for Birmingham as Barons reliever Caleb Freeman (W, 1-0) earned his first win of the season.
The Trash Pandas will look to end the series on the right foot on Sunday. First pitch against the Barons slated for 4:00 p.m.
