Elder and Hernandez combine for no-hitter, 6-0, over Wahoos in sixth-straight win

Published 10:25 am Sunday, July 11, 2021

PEARL, MS – Bryce Elder (W, 2-0) and Daysbel Hernandez combined for the fourth no-hitter in Mississippi Braves history on Saturday night at Trustmark. The M-Braves won their sixth-straight game, 6-0, over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in front of 3,808 fans.

Elder made his first Trustmark Park start and third for the M-Braves on Saturday night. The fifth-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2020 struck out six and walked four over a career-high 7.0 innings of no-hit baseball. The no-hitter was the first for the former Texas Longhorn, in college, or as a pro. Elder threw 89 pitches in the outing.

Hernandez took over for Elder in the eighth inning and made quick work of the Wahoos. The 24-year-old struck out two in the eighth and then had a fast, 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning. Hernandez got Devin Hairston to fly out, then struck out Galli Cribbs and Peyton Burdick to end the game.

The last no-hitter for the M-Braves was on June 28, 2019, against the Jackson Generals when Ian Anderson and Jeremy Walker combined for the no-no.

The M-Braves offense quickly handed Elder a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Trey Harris hit a one-out single and went to third on a double from Drew Lugbauer. Harris sprinted home on a Zach McCambley (L, 0-1) wild pitch.

Harris came back up in the second inning with two outs, and the bases loaded and hit a bases-clearing double down the right-field line to open up a 4-0 Braves advantage. Harris ended the night 2-for-4 with the double, three RBI’s, and a walk. The former Missouri Tiger has hit in eight of his last nine games.

Leadoff man Justin Dean pushed the lead to 6-0 with a two-run home run off the batter’s eye in center field during the bottom of the fourth inning. The homer was Dean’s third on the season and 67th for Mississippi this season, moving the club into second place in the league in long balls. It was also the 30th at Trustmark Park this season, already surpassing the 28 hit at home in the 2019 season. The M-Braves are on pace for 137 dingers this season, which would zoom past the team record of 98 hit in 2017 in 140 games.

The M-Braves recorded seven hits but drew seven walks on the night. Greyson Jenista reached base twice on walks, while Drew Lugbauer doubled and was 1-for-2, walking twice. Wendell Rijo upped his hitting streak to eight games and was 2-for-3 with a run and walk.

With the win on Saturday, the M-Braves are now four games ahead of Pensacola in the Double-A South standings and a minor league-best 33-14 since May 19.

The M-Braves will look for their first six-game series sweep of 2021 and seventh-consecutive win on Sunday afternoon at Trustmark Park. RHP Spenser Strider will face off against RHP Edward Cabrera on the mound in a rematch of Tuesday’s series opener. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:05 pm with coverage on 103.9 WYAB, mississippibraves.com, and MiLB.tv.

The M-Braves are celebrating Easter in July with a pregame Easter Egg Hunt for the kids, beginning at 1:30 pm, plus Sunday Family Funday with Kids 14-and-under having the opportunity to run the bases after the game presented by Game on Wheels. For tickets, and information on upcoming promotions, visit mississippibraves.com, or call 888-BRAVES4