M-Braves walk-off Barons on Saturday for fourth-straight win
Published 10:23 am Sunday, June 20, 2021
PEARL, MS – The Mississippi Braves won their fourth-straight game on Saturday night at Trustmark Park, 3-2, over the Birmingham Barons on a walk-off wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring Trey Harris. The win clinches the series, taking four of the first five games in the six-game set. The M-Braves (24-17) have won 10 of 12 and won three of their last four series’ from the opposition.
With the score even at 2-2, Harris led off the Braves half of the ninth with a single against Birmingham reliever Luis Ledo (L, 1-1). CJ Alexander missed a walk-off homer by just a few feet in right-center, settling for a double and sending Harris to third base. Ledo got Braden Shemake to ground out and Jefrey Ramos to strike out, bringing Hendrik Clementina to the plate with two outs. On a 2-2 pitch, Ledo threw a wild pitch letting Harris race home to score the winning run.
Saturday’s game was split into two halves. The first half was dominated by great pitching. Jason Bilous retired all 15 batters he faced in his fifth start for the Barons (23-17), exiting the game after 62 pitches and 5.0 perfect innings, adding nine strikeouts. Anderson Severino picked up where he left off with a perfect sixth inning.
Hayden Deal turned in his best performance of the season on Saturday, 6.0 innings of one-run baseball, scattering four hits, striking out a season-high seven batters, and walking one. His lone came across with two singles in the first inning.
Severino walked Wendell Rijo and Jacob Pearson to begin the bottom of the seventh inning, giving the M-Braves their first baserunners of the night. After a Harris single, Shewmake brought home Rijo to tie the game at 1-1 with a ground out to third.
Birmingham responded in the top of the eighth inning with four hits and an RBI single by Carlos Perez, going back on top 2-1.
Drew Lugbauer singled, and Clementina doubled to begin the bottom of the eighth inning, and later in the frame, Lugbauer scored on a Pearson ground out to tie the game again.
Josh Graham (W, 1-0) held the Barons off the scoreboard in the top of the ninth, and the Braves rallied to win it in the bottom of the inning.
Harris finished 2-for-4 in his return to the lineup after missing a few days after a collision with Justin Dean in the outfield on Wednesday.
The M-Braves are 12-5 in June and look to take five games in a series for the third time this season on Sunday. RHP Touki Toussaint (0-0, –) will continue his MLB rehab assignment and make the start for the M-Braves against Birmingham RHP Kade McClure (1-3, 5.10). The first pitch is set for 2:05 pm with coverage on 103.9 WYAB, mississippibraves.com, and MiLB FirstPitch app.
Sunday’s Promotions:
Father’s Day Pregame Catch: Dad’s will have a chance to play catch on the field from 1:20-1:50.
Sunday Family Funday: Enjoy matinee baseball every Sunday at Trustmark Park and take advantage of fun activities for the entire family. Kids 14-and-under will have the opportunity to run the bases after the game, presented by Game on Wheels.
For tickets or more information about the M-Braves, visit mississippibraves.com or call 888-BRAVES4.
