Generals shut out M-Braves in battle of league's strikeout leaders

JACKSON, TN - The Southern League's strikeout leaders dueled on Monday night at The Ballpark at Jackson with the Generals (21-16) and their starting pitcher Taylor Widener coming out on top, 5-0. 

Widener and M-Braves starter Touki Toussaint began the night tied atop the league with 48 strikeouts, and they finished the night, still tied, but with 52 apiece. 
The game, however, went the Generals way as Widener (W, 1-2) and relievers Yuhei Nakaushiro, Mason McCullough and Yoan López combined for the three-hit shutout. The M-Braves (16-22) bounced into four double plays on Monday and failed to get a runner to second base.
The Generals grabbed two runs out of the gate again on Monday as Juniel Querecuto snuck a double past M-Braves first baseman Tyler Marlette that scored Kevin Medrano and Jamie Westbrook. 
Medrano and Westbrook provided the offense in the third inning to up Jackson's lead to 4-0 on Medrano's fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot over the 24-foot wall in left. 
Toussaint's (L, 2-2) string of three consecutive quality starts came to an end on Monday after allowing four runs on six hits over 5.0 innings. The 21-year-old struck out four and walked four. 
Devan Watts tossed two scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, lowering his ERA to 3.29 on the year. 
The Generals tacked on an additional run in the eighth inning against Kelvin Vasquez as Jose Vinicio brought home Querecuto to make it 5-0.
With the win, the Generals take a 2-1 series lead and even up the season series at 4-4. 
The M-Braves and Generals will continue their five-game series on Monday with a 6:05 pm (CT) first pitch. RHP Andres Santiago (0-0, 1.13) will make the start for the Braves against RHP Ryan Atkinson (1-3, 4.05) for the Generals. Fans can listen to all M-Braves games for free on 103.9 WYAB or the free TuneIn Radio App. 
The M-Braves will return home to Trustmark Park on Wednesday, May 23 for a five-game series against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The game will feature two promotions in AMR First Responders Wednesday presented by AMR (All First Responders/Emergency Response personnel, including law enforcement and firefighters, may purchase a $7 ticket in all seating areas, excluding Suite Level, when presenting ID. Excluding July 4) and Strike Out Hunger presented by the Mississippi Food Network (Fans who bring a canned food item to the Trustmark Park Box Office will receive a voucher for one $3 Field Level ticket).