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Brignac, Biscuits top Braves in ninth

Shortstop's two-out RBI single gives Montgomery 6-5 win in series opener
September 7, 2007
Reid Brignac wanted to prove he could perform when it counted most. He got off to a good start on Thursday.

Brignac smacked a go-ahead single with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the visiting Montgomery Biscuits over the Mississippi Braves, 6-5, in Game 1 of their Southern League first-round playoff series.

Brignac swatted Michael Nix's offering to right field for the eventual winning run. The 21-year-old shortstop, who put the Biscuits on the board in the first with a two-run double, was relieved to deliver the clutch hit.

"These playoffs I really want to do better than last year," said Brignac, who went 3-for-28 in seven postseason games last year. "Last year, I didn't do anything. I want to prove that I can hit in the playoffs."

Brignac, who hit .260 with 17 homers and 81 RBIs in the regular season, was pleased to help the defending Southern League champs get off to a quick start this postseason.

"It was a big game for us," said Brignac. "You always want to win the first game, especially on the road. The whole point of playing the regular season is to make it to the playoffs."

Josh Asanovich slugged a solo homer in the second and scored three times. John Jaso hit an RBI groundout in the first and belted a game-tying single in the fifth.

Montgomery reliever Evan Meek (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Tim Corcoran worked around a hit and struck out the side in the ninth for the save. Starter Wade Davis gave up five runs on six hits and two walks while fanning six in four innings.

Nix (0-1) surrendered a run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in four frames. Braves starter Ryan Baerlocher departed with an undisclosed injury after throwing four pitches. He allowed two runs on one hit and one walk without retiring a batter. Brad Nelson gave up three runs on seven hits while fanning two and walking one in five relief innings.

J.C. Holt went 4-for-5 with three runs, two doubles and an RBI single in the fourth for Mississippi. Carl Loadenthal, Diory Hernandez and T.J. Bohn each drove in a run.

Ryan McConnell is a contributor to MLB.com.