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SL1 Mississippi Braves

Braves Win Slugfest to Begin Second Half

June 21, 2019 - Southern League (SL1)
Mississippi Braves News Release


PEARL, MS - The Mississippi Braves (1-0) opened the second half of the 2019 season with an offensive outburst of 11 runs on 14 hits to beat the Biloxi Shuckers (0-1) at MGM Park, 11-6.

Trailing 3-0 after three frames on Thursday, the M-Braves outscored Biloxi 11-3 over the next seven innings. Cristian Pache matched a career high by driving in five runs, finishing 3-for-4 with two doubles and two walks, reaching base safely five times. Ryan Casteel collected his first four-hit game since 2015, going 4-for-6 with two doubles and two runs scored. Riley Unroe and William Contreras also had two hits each as the M-Braves matched their season high with 14 hits. The 27 combined hits were a season high, and 17 total runs scored matched a season most.

Joey Wentz (W, 3-6) made his 14th start in the series opener and ended up with the victory on the mound, battling through 5.0 innings of four-run baseball. The 21-year-old didn't allow a run through the first two innings but gave up three in the third and one in the fourth. Overall he allowed four runs on six hits in 5.0 innings with two walks and six strikeouts on 95 pitches.

The M-Braves trimmed Biloxi's lead to 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning. Casteel and Contreras had back-to-back singles, and Greyson Jenista walked to load the bases. Biloxi starter Cameron Roegner surrendered an RBI groundout from Alejandro Salazar and then bases loaded walk to Pache.

Dillan Thomas led off the bottom of the fourth inning for the Shuckers with a triple and scored on an RBI groundout by Joantgel Segovia to make it 4-2.

Mississippi sent at least eight batters to the plate in three different innings, and the first big inning was the fifth . The Shuckers committed three errors in the inning which led to four runs. Pache delivered a two-run single to cap the frame, pushing the M-Braves in front 6-4.

Claudio Custodio took over for Wentz and earned a hold going 2.0 innings and giving up a run on four hits. The lone run allowed was in the bottom of the seventh inning, cutting the lead to 6-5.

Mississippi sent nine to the plate in the eighth inning and put the game away. Unroe opened the frame with an opposite-field home run to left, his first home run as an M-Brave. Casteel followed with his fourth hit of the game. Drew Rasmussen retired the next two M-Braves, but then walked Salazar and surrendered back-to-back RBI singles to Ray-Patrick Didder and Tyler Neslony. Didder was 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, also being hit by a pitch twice, running his career total to 108 and a minor-league most 80 since 2016. Pache capped another inning with two RBI's on his second double of the game and 18th on the season to put the M-Braves up 11-5.

Jason Hursh pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth inning to preserve the six-run advantage. Josh Graham began the ninth inning on the mound, and the first four Shuckers reached base safely, scoring a run to make it 11-6. Chris Maloney called on Jeremy Walker in a save situation with the tying run on deck, and the All-Star struck out three-straight Shuckers to end the game. Walker ran his season strikeout total to 51 on the season, to just three walks in 54.2 innings.

Drew Waters was 1-for-6 and extended his league-best on-base streak to 26 games and hitting streak to 14 games. Pache extended his season-high hitting streak to 10 games.

The M-Braves and Shuckers meet for game two of the series on Friday night at MGM Park. RHP Jasseel De La Cruz (1-2, 3.70) starts for the M-Braves against RHP Alec Bettinger (4-5, 4.22). First pitch is set for 6:35 pm with coverage beginning at 6:20 pm on 103.9 WYAB, TuneIn Radio and MiLB.tv (subscription required).

The M-Braves will return to Trustmark Park for a five-game series with the Jackson (TN) Generals, June 25-29. Tickets are on sale now at mississippibraves.com, or by calling 888-BRAVES4.

The Mississippi Braves are the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Since the inaugural 2005 season, 139 M-Braves have gone on to Major League Baseball. The M-Braves have made postseason play four times and went on to win the Southern League Championship in 2008. Stop by Trustmark Park or call 888-BRAVES4 Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. For the latest news and updates, visit mississippibraves.com or connect with @mbraves on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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