SL1 Mississippi Braves

M-Braves' Rally Falls Short 7-6 in Pensacola

June 28, 2013 - Southern League (SL1)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Pensacola, FL - After falling behind 7-1 through four innings, the Mississippi Braves didn't give up a hit the rest of the way and came charging back in the late innings against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. But the comeback fell one run too short, losing 7-6 on Friday night to close the series at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

Dan Brewer smoked a three-run home run in the seventh inning, his second of the year, to pull the game to 7-4. Mississippi tacked on two more in the eighth thanks to a Barrett Kleinknecht sacrifice fly and a wild pitch, but no more runs came and the series went to Pensacola three-games-to-two.

Aaron Northcraft (3-6) struggled in the start for the Braves (43-37; 5-5), allowing six runs, five earned, on seven hits over three innings of work. Tom Keeling allowed another run to score in the fourth in relief, but after that point, Cristhian Martinez, Chasen Shreve and Pat Egan combined four a hitless final four frames.

Pensacola (31-48; 6-4) wasted no time in breaking the scoreless tie. Leadoff man Devin Lohman belted his fifth home run of the season to start the bottom of the first. They added another run thanks to an error by first baseman Christian Marrero, allowing Yorman Rodriguez to reach. He scored on a double for first baseman Marquez Smith, building a 2-0 early lead.

The Braves came right back plating a run of their own in the second. With one out, Jaime Pedroza knocked a single and was driven in by a two-out Mycal Jones RBI double, pulling the score to 2-1.

But Pensacola answered. In the third, Ryan LaMarre singled, moved to second on a sacrifice by starter Josh Smith, and scored on a Lohman single, making it 3-1 Wahoos.

The third inning is when the game really opened. A pair of home runs - a two-run shot for Smith and a solo shot for Travis Mattair - made it 6-1 in favor of the Blue Wahoos. And in the fourth, Donald Lutz singled to plate Lohman again, tacking on the eventual game-deciding seventh run.

Josh Smith (6-6) earned the win, allowing just one run on five hits over six innings in the start. Trevor Bell picked up his third save in as many tries, holding the Braves at Bay over the final 1 1/3 innings.

Now the Braves look to bounce back, facing the Southern League South's first half champions, the Mobile BayBears. Game one tees off at 6 PM from Trustmark Park on Saturday, pitting right-hander Mitch Atkins (1-1, 3.70) against BayBears righty Bradin Hagens (8-3, 2.90). Listen live to Kyle Tait on the call beginning at 5:30 PM with the "Countdown to First Pitch" on 103.9 WYAB and online at MississippiBraves.com.

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Southern League Stories from June 28, 2013


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