Barons beat Biscuits 7-2 in Riverwalk final on Sunday | Sport

Although they hardly resemble their parent club, the Birmingham Barons showed superior pitching, fielding and hitting on Sunday to win the first game of the Southern League Championship Series with a 7-2 victory over the Montgomery Biscuits in front of a paltry crowd of 1,707 fans at Riverwalk Stadium.

The best-of-three series now moves to Regions Field in Birmingham, where the Barons can win the Southern League's best seventh division with a win over the Biscuits. The two will play at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, with a third game, if necessary, on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

On a day when the White Sox lost to the Padres, tying the major league record for most losses held by the Mets in 1962 (120), the Double-A version of the White Sox outscored the Biscuits in every category, ending a seven-game winning streak the Biscuits had against the Barons.

The Barons, who have promoted 11 players to the White Sox or Triple-A Charlotte in the last 60 days, hardly resembled the team that was beaten by the Biscuits by a combined score of 28-4 in a six-game series from July 30 to August 4.

Barons starter Noah Schultz, the White Sox' most promising minor league prospect, allowed just one hit in the first three innings before finally running into some trouble when two doubles from Dominic Keegan and Tre' Morgan provided the Biscuits' only runs.

The Barons presented an emotional and energetic bench and surprised Biscuits starter Sean Hunley with a double by Mario Camilletti in the first inning and a line drive by Wilfred Veras to center field that was missed by Chandler Simpson, allowing Camilletti to score.

Hunley salvaged a difficult situation in the third inning with his pitch, but left the field in the fourth after Nick Podkul and Jacob Gonzalez entered the game with singles to first, Terrell Tatum reached base when Hunley's throw picked up Morgan on Tatum's bunt from first base, and Shawn Goosenberg followed with a single as part of a three-run fourth inning.

Biscuits relief pitcher Antonio Menendez allowed a one-out single to Veras, followed by a double by DJ Gladney in the seventh inning. Montgomery manager Kevin Boles elected to stay with Menendez, but ordered a two-out intentional walk to Podkul. Both moves backfired, as Gonzalez followed with a double to left-center field that cleared the bases for a 7-2 lead.

Sunday's game was the best hitting and fielding team (Montgomery) against the best pitching club in the Southern League (Birmingham).

Garrett Schoenle, who relieved Schultz in the fourth inning, was credited with the win. Schoenle, Zach Franklin, Jake Palisch and Eric Adler threw the final 5.2 innings without conceding, allowing just two hits – a bloop single by Carson Williams in the seventh and an infield single by Simpson in the ninth.

Three of the league's best hitters, SL batting average champion Simpson, third-place finisher Tanner Murray and third-place home run hitter Williams, combined to go 2-for-11 on Sunday.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Sunday

Birmingham 7, Montgomery 2, Riverwalk Stadium

Tuesday

Montgomery in Birmingham, Regions Field, 7 p.m.

Wednesday (if necessary)

Montgomery in Birmingham, Regions Field, 7 p.m.