Braves Blitz Wahoos 8-3

July 24, 2013

The Mississippi Braves bats awoke early on Tuesday night, scoring six runs in their first three at-bats in an 8-3 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in the opening game of a five-game series at Trustmark Park.

The Braves jumped all over Wahoos starter Shaun Ellis, smashing eight hits against the Pensacola right-hander in just three frames. Mycal Jones led off the first with a double and scored on a Tommy La Stella single. La Stella advanced to third on a throwing error by Ellis and scored on a Robby Hefflinger single to make it 2-0.

An inning later, the Braves loaded the bases with nobody out but only managed a run on a Jones single. Christian Bethancourt grounded into a double play to thwart the rally.

However, Ellis wasn’t as lucky in the third inning as the Braves posted three more runs. Jose Martinez singled home Hefflinger before Christian Marrero drove home a run on a single to center while another run came home when Ryan LaMarre had the ball skip by him in center to make it 6-1. Ellis fell to 3-2 by allowing six runs (three earned) on eight hits in three innings.

Pensacola got on the board in the top of the second on a Travis Mattair groundout that scored Donald Lutz. The Wahoos had two on with one out later in the inning, but Devin Lohman grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The score remained 6-1 until the top of the eighth inning when the Wahoos struck for two runs on a two-run, two-out double from Tucker Barnhart. However, Mississippi came right back with two runs in the last of the eighth on a La Stella double and an Edward Salcedo single to make the final margin 8-3.

Aaron Northcraft (4-8) picked up the win for Mississippi with his second straight quality start. The right-hander allowed just a run on four hits with five strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

The series continues on Wednesday night at Trustmark Park with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. Daniel Renken (3-7, 3.77) will get the call for Pensacola against Mississippi’s Gus Schlosser (6-2, 2.36).

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