Birmingham Pounds Its Way to First in Mid-Valley, 20-14

If anyone ever had a right to be confused, Birmingham Coach Wayne Sink was entitled.

“OK, let’s go guys,” Sink yelled to his team during its game at Kennedy. “It’s the top of the fifth, so let’s get ‘em.”

Trouble was, it wasn’t the fifth inning, and a player pointed it out.

“What are you talking about?” Sink asked as he glanced at the scoreboard. “Geez, I guess you’re right,” Sink said, scratching his head. “Is it tomorrow yet?”

Perhaps Sink was delirious from spending the afternoon serving as a tour guide in the coaching box at third base, waving baserunners home every five minutes or so. In the first inning alone, Sink saw 11 Birmingham players pass by on their way home.

Birmingham sent 17 batters to the plate in the first, yet had to hold on to defeat Kennedy, 20-14, on Tuesday. The win moved the Braves into first place in the Mid-Valley League.

“I never want to see another game like this as long as I live,” said Sink hoarsely through chapped lips after the 3-hour, 25-minute game. “If we played games like this every day, I’d have quit coaching 20 years ago.”

Discounting the parched lips, it was easy for Sink to smile after watching Birmingham (10-5, 8-3 in league) pound Kennedy left-hander Colin Hines (4-2) in the first inning. Hines retired one batter before his removal, which was hastened by four Kennedy errors.

Kennedy, however, refused to see anything funny about what should have been a laugher. The Golden Cougars scored four in the first, two in the second and another in the fourth to move to within 12-7.

It actually got as close as 14-12 after Vladimir Pajcin--who was 3 for 5 with 5 runs batted in--tripled in two runs to cap a five-run Kennedy fifth. Birmingham, however, added two in the fifth, three in the sixth and three more in the seventh.

There were seven home runs--five inside the park.

“Give me the 4-1 games any day,” Sink said. “I haven’t seen anything like this since fourth grade at Fulton Elementary School. But that was against a girl, and she didn’t throw very hard.”

Damon Buford was 4 for 5 with 5 RBIs for Birmingham, and teammate Ernie Perez was 3 for 5 with 5 RBIs. Kevin Farlow had two home runs for Kennedy (12-6-1, 7-4 in league), which fell a game behind Birmingham with four league games remaining.