Blue Wahoos Drop Opener To The Mississippi Braves

August 18, 2016

With a four-run inning in the fifth, the Mississippi Braves won the first game of the series, 6-3, at Trustmark Park over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

Southern League South Division leader Mississippi improved to 32-18, while Pensacola drops to 25-26 in the second half.

Mississippi was powered by first basemen Jacob Schrader who hit two blasts and drove in three runs. He was 3-4 and now has 12 homer and 38 RBIs for the Braves this season.

Mississippi overcame Pensascola when it scored four runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Pinch hitter Levi Hyams singled to lead off the inning and second baseman Ozzie Albies also singled. Pensacola starter Jackson Stephens struck out the next two batters but then gave up the game-winning single to third baseman Carlos Franco that drove in both Hyams and Albies for a 4-3 Braves lead.

Schrader, who is hitting .318 in August, then put the game away by jacking his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to left center field, that also brought in Franco to put the Braves ahead, 6-3.

The game matched Pensacola right hander Jackson Stephens against Mississippi lefty Sean Newcomb who are the top two strikeout artists in the Southern League.

All six Braves runs were scored off of Pensacola’s Stephens. Schrader’s second long ball chased him from the game. The 22-year-old righty worked 4.2 innings and gave up nine hits and struck out five for 120 on the season, which is good for second in the Southern League. Stephens dropped to 8-11 on the year and his ERA jumped to 3.29 this season.

Braves southpaw Newcomb, who had been pitching strong in August allowing opponents just a .175 average, evened his record to 7-7 with a 4.10 ERA. In his previous three starts, he had pitched 17.2 innings and given up just two earned runs, while striking out 25. He leads the Southern League with 133 strikeouts this season.

Pensacola went ahead, 3-2, in the fifth inning when right fielder Sebastian Elizalde hit a deep fly ball to center field to drive in second baseman Alex Blandino.

Mississippi tied the game, 2-2, in the bottom of the third inning when center fielder Connor Lien tripled in Albies, who had doubled to center field.

The Blue Wahoos center fielder Brandon Dixon doubled to center field to drive in Elizalde in the top of the third inning to put Pensacola on top, 2-1.

Mississippi’s Schrader hit his first homer of the game when he jacked a solo shot over the center field wall in the bottom of the second inning to tie Pensacola, 1-1.

Pensacola scored first when they loaded the bases in the first inning. Shortstop Zach Vincej grounded into a force out that allowed Blandino to score from third.

Phillip Ervin and Elizalde both had two-hit games Wednesday to lead the Blue Wahoos. Ervin was 2-4 and stole his 32nd base of the season. Meanwhile, Elizalde had his team-leading 26th multi-hit game of the season and his eighth in the last 11 games by going 2-3 with a run scored and driving in his 39th RBI of the year.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports