Milligan has a four-hit night in Saturday's 7-2 loss to Biscuits

MONTGOMERY, AL (April 27, 2024) — Cody Milligan registered four of the Mississippi Braves 12 hits on Saturday night, but the Montgomery Biscuits pulled away for a 7-2 victory to take a 3-2 series advantage. All 12 hits were singles, and the M-Braves stranded a season-high 13 runners on base.

Milligan's four-hit game was the first by an M-Braves player this year and the first since he did it on August 19, 2023, against Biloxi at Trustmark Park. Milligan was 4-for-5, with a run and RBI, and his average increased to .261.

JJ Niekro (L, 1-2) made his fourth start of the season, battling through 5.0 innings. The 26-year-old right-hander gave up a season-high seven runs (four earned) on six hits with four walks and five strikeouts.

With the wind blowing out to left field at ten mph, Biscuits first baseman Nick Schnell took advantage with a two-run home run in the second inning to put the Biscuits up 2-0. They added single runs in the third and fourth before breaking through with a three-run fifth inning.

Mississippi trimmed the deficit to 3-1 in the fourth inning. The M-Braves loaded the bases with two outs, and Milligan cashed in with an RBI single, scoring Cal Conley, who opened the frame with a single.

Heriberto Hernandez has been a killer for the M-Braves this week. The Montgomery left-fielder blasted a three-run home run in the sixth to open a 7-1 Biscuits lead.

Mississippi added one more run in the sixth inning. Milligan had a two-out single, moved to second on a Geraldo Quintero walk, and scored on a single from Drake Baldwin. Baldwin's single upped his on-base streak to 12 games, the second-longest active streak in the Southern League.

The M-Braves tallied four more stolen bases on Saturday night, pushing their now-leading Double-A total to 46 through 20 games. Keshawn Ogans was 2-for-4 at the plate and stole two bases, while Milligan and Conley had one each. Quintero continued his hot series by reaching base three times, going 1-for-3 with two walks.

M-Braves' relievers Jorge Juan, Peyton Williams, and Jonathan Hughes added scoreless innings behind Niekro at the game's back end.

The M-Braves wrap up the 12-game road trip with the sixth and final game of the series in Montgomery. The first pitch is set for 3:33 pm with a rematch on the mound from game one, RHP Ian Mejia (1-0, 2.89) for Mississippi, against RHP Logan Workman (0-0, 3.79) for Montgomery. Coverage begins at 3:17 pm on 102.1 The Box, Bally Live, and MiLB.tv.

The M-Braves return to Trustmark Park for a six-game series against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos from April 30 to May 5. For tickets and information on the latest promotions, visit mississippibraves.com.