Marlette, Reed power M-Braves to series win over Generals

JACKSON, TN -Tyler Marlette and Michael Reed hit home runs on Wednesday afternoon as the M-Braves (18-22) secured their first road series victory of the season with a 7-3 win over the Generals at The Ballpark at Jackson. 

Reed homered to start the top of the first inning, becoming the first M-Braves player to do it since Mel Rojas Jr., on June 17, 2016, at Birmingham. The home run to left was Reed's third of the season and greeted Jackson (21-18) starting pitcher and Diamondbacks top prospect Jon Duplantier rudely on a 3-2 pitch. 
The 1-0 lead didn't last long as Jackson's Galli Cribbs Jr. sent an opposite field, two-run blast, over the left-field wall in the bottom of the second inning to put the Generals up 2-1. 
Marlette tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning with his second double of the game and put the Braves on top for good with a solo homer to left in the seventh inning. Marlette finished the game 3-for-4 with three extra-base hits. 
Enderson Franco did the work on the mound for Mississippi, tossing a season-high 5.2 innings and matched a season-high with seven strikeouts. He allowed just the home run and two hits while walking three.  
The M-Braves put the game away in the eighth inning by scoring three runs to go up 6-2. Jonathan Morales tripled for the second straight game and brought home Luis Valenzuela and Tyler Neslony, then pinch-hitter Alay Lago scored Morales with a single to right. 
The clubs traded runs in the eighth and ninth to make the final score 7-3. 
Valenzuela was 2-for-4 on Wednesday, extending his hitting streak to eight games
Adam McCreery (W, 1-3) pitched 1.1 scoreless behind Franco and struck out three to earn his first win of the season. Jackson reliever Joel Payamps (L, 3-1) suffered the loss. 
The M-Braves will continue their 10-game road trip in East Tennessee on Thursday morning with a 10:30 am (CT) first pitch against the Tennessee Smokies at Smokies Stadium. The first game will feature RHP Kyle Wright (2-4, 4.03) for the Braves and RHP Trevor Clifton (3-3, 3.68) for Tennessee. 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).