Braves Even Championship Series

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - The Danville Braves used two home runs and 11 hits to beat the Johnson City Cardinals 6-1 on Thursday night at Cardinal Park after the Braves were held to just one hit on Wednesday. The Appalachian League Championship Series is now tied at one and will be decided with a game three at Cardinal Park on Friday night.

Normally scoring first means good things for the Johnson City Cardinals (1-1), but tonight it did not help the Redbirds. The Cards scored their only run in the first inning with Oscar Mercado getting three-fourths of the way around the bases on one swing. With one out, Mercado hit a ball deep in the right-center field power alley and was able to stretch it into his first triple in the postseason. Mercado then crossed the plate as the next batter, Blake Drake, reached on a fielder's choice to third baseman Jordan Edgerton. Edgerton elected to go home with the throw, but Mercado beat the tag as Tanner Murphy dropped the ball in the process of applying the tag.

For Danville (1-1) it took until the third inning before they could get on the board, as they used a triple as well. Ozzy Albies, who had the only hit on Wednesday night, led off with a triple off the wall in left-center field. Albies scored on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Edgerton to tie the game at one.

In the fifth, Danville was able to break out for four runs to get a 5-1 lead. Joe Daris singled and stole a base to move into scoring position before the next batter Ozzy Albies drove him in with a single to center field for the first run of the inning as Danville took the lead for the first time in the championship series. Edgerton then singled down the right field line to send Albies home and make it 3-1. Jonathan Escudero then replaced starter Steven Farinaro on the mound for Johnson City and Escudero's first pitch of the night was sent out of the ballpark by Tanner Krietemeier for a two-run home run to extend their lead to four.

The final D-Brave run came on their second home run of the night, as Mike Dodig went deep down the right field line with a solo home run to make it 6-1.

Andrew Waszak (1-0) was the winning pitcher for Danville. Waszak went 6 2/3 innings allowing all seven Cardinal hits with two walks, seven strikeouts and just one earned run. Steven Farinaro (0-1) pitched 4 1/3 innings allowing four runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts to take the loss.

The Braves and Cardinals will return to the diamond one last time this season on Friday night with one team leaving as the Appalachian League Champion in 2014. The winner-takes-all game three is scheduled for a 7 p.m. first pitch at Cardinal Park in Johnson City.