Puckett outduels Pilkington in 2-1 win over Barons

PEARL, MS - Using great pitching, defense, and timely hitting, the Mississippi Braves evened the six-game series at 1-1, against the Birmingham Barons on Wednesday, with a 2-1 victory at Trustmark Park.

The M-Braves (21-17) were limited to just three hits for the second-straight game, but that was enough for AJ Puckett (W, 1-1) to earn his first win.

The Pepperdine product outdueled former Friday night starter for Mississippi State, Konnor Pilkington (L, 1-2) in a tremendous pitching matchup. The M-Braves have saddled two former Bulldog standouts with losses in the past week - Ethan Small on Saturday, and Pilkington on Wednesday.

The Braves handed Puckett a lead in the third inning by pushing across a pair of runs. Greyson Jenista led off the frame by drawing a Pilkington walk, then Jalen Miller singled, placing runners at the corners with one out. Braden Shewmake notched his 11th RBI of the year with a groundout scoring Jenista, and the M-Braves led 1-0. The next batter, Justin Dean, singled down the left-field line scoring Miller, and the lead was 2-0. Dean extended his hitting streak to four games. He's batting just over .300 so far in June.

That would be all Mississippi would need on Wednesday. Shea Langeliers tallied his 16th, and 17th caught stealings of the year, finishing 2-for-3 in catching Birmingham base stealers. He is 17-for-29 on the season, logging a minor-league best. 29 assists. At the plate, the former Baylor star and 2019 first-round pick finished 1-for-3, extending his season-high hitting streak to five games and on-base streak to nine games.

Pilkington and Birmingham reliever Felix Paulino combined to retire the last 14 Braves batters of the game. Pilkington struck out five and walked one over 5.0 innings, seeding the two runs on three hits. Paulino pitched a perfect 3.0 innings behind the lefty.

Puckett ended his outing with 5.0 scoreless innings on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts, matching a season-best. Matt Withrow gave up a Craig Dedelow sacrifice fly in the sixth inning but struck out three over 2.0 innings to keep Mississippi on top.

Josh Graham almost recorded an immaculate inning in the eighth inning, striking out the first two batters on six pitches and starting the third with a strike. He settled for striking out the side on 12 pitches.

Brandon White (S, 7) registered his seventh save in seven opportunities with a scoreless ninth inning to seal the victory. White ranks third in the league in saves and has a 1.93 ERA in ten outings.

The M-Braves will look to take the series advantage on Thursday night at Trustmark Park with game three of the six-game set. RHP Jose Rodriguez (0-1, 1.62) takes the mound for Mississippi against RHP Blake Battenfield (5-0, 2.50) for Birmingham. The first pitch is set for 6:35 pm with coverage on 103.9 WYAB, mississippibraves.com, and MiLB FirstPitch app.

Thursday's Promotions:

• Thirsty Thursday - Join the M-Braves for Thirsty Thursday with 16 oz beer or fountain drinks for only $2 at every Thursday home game in 2021 for fans 21 & older.
• Mississippi State Night - Hail State! Wear your Bulldog attire and receive $5 admission at the Trustmark Park box office. Mississippi State Night is presented by Farm Bureau Insurance.
• Trivia in the Farm Bureau Grill - Check out the coolest spot in Trustmark Park and from 6-7, enjoy trivia from Central MS Trivia. Get your seat for you and your team. Trivia is 100% FREE to play; all you have to do is purchase any ticket. Win great prizes like suite nights and much more!
• RUNable $5 5K for the MS Chapter - Alzheimer's Association: Walk, roll, stroll, crawl, or #RunForAReason! Meet at 6 pm. The first 100 participants to check in on race day will receive FREE ADMISSION to the Braves game that night! For those of you new to our event, here's the low down: there's no need to register! Just grab $5 cash and your favorite sneakers. The $5 5k is a family event so bring your favorite 4-legged and 2-legged friends; the route is dog and stroller-friendly. This is a NO PRESSURE 5K; perfect for your first race or a great training run if you're gearing up for marathon season. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come!

For tickets or more information about the M-Braves, visit mississippibraves.com or call 888-BRAVES4.