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Lugbauer's Walk-Off Homer Lifts M-Braves over Blue Wahoos 6-3

July 9, 2022 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


PEARL, MS - Drew Lugbauer hammered a three-run walk-off home run to center field, and the Mississippi Braves (36-43, 7-3) walked off the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (38-36, 3-7) for the second straight night on Friday at Trustmark Park by a final score of 6-3.

The M-Braves won seven of their last eight games and started July 6-1.

Lugbauer came up with two runners on and nobody out in the ninth. On a 3-1 pitch, the first baseman tattooed a homer to deep center field to walk off.

The homer was Lugbauer's 17th of the season, which is second in the Southern League. He leads the team with 43 RBI.

The offense came late for the M-Braves. The club left eight on base in the first six innings, with their lone run coming on a CJ Alexander RBI single in the third to lead 1-0.

RHP Darius Vines was perfect through four innings before allowing a base hit to start the fifth. In the sixth, the Blue Wahoos scored three runs on four hits to chase Vines out of the game. Atlanta's No. 12 prospect finished with 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with 10 strikeouts.

Vines leads the Southern League with 99 strikeouts and 82 innings pitched.

Down 3-1, the M-Braves offense came to life late. In the seventh, Cade Bunnell blasted an opposite-field home run to the bullpen in left field to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Bunnell went 1-1 with a solo homer and three walks. The infielder is batting .371 with two homers and six RBI in 11 games for the M-Braves.

After Alexander beat out an infield single, Yariel Gonzalez dropped a high flare into shallow left field to tie the game 3-3 on his lone hit of the night.

Alexander finished 3-for-4 with three singles, a walk and an RBI. The third baseman is hitting .252 with 15 homers and 41 RBI.

LHP Jake Higginbotham, RHP Odalvi Javier and RHP Justin Maese covered the last 3 1/3 innings.

Javier has not given up an earned run in his last 16 innings over 12 relief appearances.

In the bottom of ninth, Bunnell and Alexander each walked to start the inning. Then, Lugbauer crushed the walk-off homer to win it 6-3.

The last time the M-Braves won on a walk-off home run at Trustmark Park was a solo homer by Carlos Martinez on June 25, 2021, against the Tennessee Smokies.

The fifth game of the series is on Saturday at Trustmark Park. RHP Tanner Gordon (5-4, 7.11) makes the start for Mississippi against LHP Zach King (0-1, 22.50) for Pensacola. The first pitch is at 6:35 pm CT, with coverage starting at 6:20 pm CT on 103.9 WYAB, TuneIn Radio, First Pitch App, and MiLB.tv.

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Southern League Stories from July 9, 2022


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