M-Braves rebound to win series finale 6-3

PEARL, MS -- After a tough loss in game four, the Mississippi Braves (34-36) responded in fine fashion to win the series finale 6-3 over the Montgomery Biscuits (37-33) and take two-of-five games in the series. The M-Braves used timely hitting and dominant pitching to work around a 52-minute rain-delay as Luiz Gohara (1-1) earned his first victory at the Double-A level.
The excitement started, and almost ended, in the home-half of the second inning. After two walks to start the inning, the M-Braves had runners at second and third, and Keith Curcio had a 2-2 count at the plate when the bottom fell out, causing the game to come to a screeching halt. After nearly an hour, the grounds crew had the field ready to play and the M-Braves capitalized on the opportunity. Curcio delivered a sacrifice fly and Dylan Moore laced an RBI-single into right, giving the home team a 2-0 lead. 

However, the delay affected Gohara as much as it did Yoel Espinal for Montgomery. After two dominant innings prior to the rain, Gohara gave up a walk and three singles to start the third. With two runners in scoring position, Justin Williams hit a tapper back to the mound and the M-Braves executed a bizarre double play. Gohara looked at Joe McCarthy, who was halfway down the line at third, and tossed the ball to Travis Demeritte covering third base. From there, Demeritte threw it home to Kade Scivique, who chased McCarthy back toward third. Scivique gave the ball off to the shortstop, Dylan Moore, who made the tag of McCarthy down the third base line. In all the confusion, the runner at second attempted to take third after the tag had been made. Moore threw to Scivique covering third, and the double play was executed with a 1-5-2-6-2 double play.
With the momentum on the home side, the offense found its groove for the first time all series. Mississippi added two runs in the third and another in the fourth to take a 5-2 lead. That was all Gohara needed, as the talented lefty was dominant save the one inning after the delay. The Brazilian matched his longest outing as an M-Brave, allowing two runs on three hits in five innings with two walks and eight strikeouts.
In relief, Wes Parsons tossed three innings, allowing a run on a hit with three strikeouts. Philip Pfiefer then notched his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.
Offensively, the Braves got to Montgomery starter Yoel Espinal (0-2) before the rain delay and finished him off in the third. The right-handed reliever got the spot-start, his second of the year, and lasted just three innings, allowing four runs on three hits. Espinal gave up three walks and hit a batter. The M-Braves were led at the plate by Joey Meneses, who went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Moore was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Demeritte, Connor Lien and Scivique all added a hit, with Scivique, Curcio and Luis Valenzuela each adding an RBI.
With All-Star break coming up, the M-Braves take a three-day break as they send seven players to Pensacola to represent the South Division. Pitchers Kolby Allard and Mike Soroka will be joined by Meneses, Ronald Acuña Jr., Valenzuela, Scivique and Demeritte. The next game for Mississippi is Thursday, June 22 at Biloxi.
Montgomery: 3-7-1
Mississippi: 6-7-0
WP: Gohara 1-1
LP: Espinal 0-2
SV: Pfiefer 1
Attn: 2,406
Time: 2:29 (0:52)