SL1 Mississippi Braves

Mississippi's Magic Number Down to Two

Published on August 26, 2008 under Southern League (SL1)
Mississippi Braves News Release


For the first time in Mississippi Braves history, the M-Braves played doubleheaders on back-to-back days. The Braves responded by taking game one, 4-2, for the team's 68th win of the year. The 68th win set a new team record for the most wins in a season eclipsing the 2007 team's mark of 67 wins. They got win number 69 in the nightcap, 1-0.

Mobile took the early lead when Rusty Ryal singled and scored from first on a double by John Hester. The Braves tied it up an inning later when Mississippi pitcher Deunte Heath blasted his first home run of the year off the batter's eye in dead-center field.

The M-Braves broke it open with three two-out runs in the fourth. With the bases loaded with Braves, Javier Guzman looped a single into shallow right field scoring Van Pope and JC Boscan. Matt Young then laced a single to right field that plated JC Holt and gave Mississippi a 4-1 lead.

The BayBears cut the lead to 4-2 in the sixth on Cyle Hankerd's single to left field. They nearly got more, but Sung Ki Jung knocked down a scorcher back up the middle and turned it into a double play to end the threat.

While Heath starred with the bat, his best work came on the mound. He gave up two runs on seven scattered hits over 5.1 innings and improved to 4-5 on the year. Sung Ki Jung came on and induced an inning-ending double play to get the Braves out of the sixth. Luis Valdez tossed a scoreless seventh inning to record his team-record 28th save.

Cesar Valdez gave up four runs on six hits through five innings and fell to 5-5 on the year. Abe Woody threw one scoreless inning of relief.

In game two, Mississippi got out to the early lead on Jose Camarena's infield single in the second. With the bases loaded, Camarena shot a scorcher that third baseman Rusty Ryal barely got a glove on. The ball trickled into shallow left field and Jordan Schafer scored easily from third to put the M-Braves up 1-0. It would be the only score of the game.

Carlos Sencion tossed five scoreless innings in the nightcap. In all, Sencion scattered five hits over five scoreless innings and improved to 6-4 on the season. Kevin Gunderson came on in the sixth and tossed a shutout inning. Bryan Dumesnil threw a scoreless seventh inning to earn his first save of the year.

Brooks Brown gave up a run on four hits and fanned seven, but still left the game trailing after four innings. He fell to 6-15 on the year. Jose Marte threw two scoreless innings of relief.

The Braves and BayBears play the fifth and final game of this five-game set Wednesday night at Trustmark Park at 7:05. The Braves' Kris Medlen will take on Mobile's Adam Howard in the finale.

Wednesday, August 27th will be Firefighters' Appreciation Night at the ballpark. Any member of any firefighting division in the state of Mississippi will be admitted to the game, along with their family, for half price. It's also Kids Night at the stadium when children 14 and under will get field level seats for only $2, fun zone wristbands for only $5, and personal pizzas from the Hot Corner Slice concession stand for only $4.

Tomahawk Chops:

Deunte Heath hit his first AA home run in the third inning of game one ... His solo shot tied the score ... Heath went on to win game one and improve to 4-5 on the year. Javier Guzman and Matt Young had the other RBIs for the M-Braves in game one. The Braves got their 68th and 69th wins of the year setting a new team mark for wins in a season.

Check out the Mississippi Braves Statistics

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Southern League Stories from August 26, 2008


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