Shuckers walk-off with 6-5 win over M-Braves in series opener

BILOXI, MS - Milwaukee Brewers top overall prospect Keston Hiura hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning for the Biloxi Shuckers (39-27) to beat the M-Braves 6-5 in game one of the five-game series at MGM Park. Wednesday's loss was the first in walk-off fashion in 2018. 

The loss spoiled a brilliant start by M-Braves right-hander Kyle Wright. The No. 28 prospect in all of baseball turned in his fifth quality start and gave up just two runs, one earned over 6.2 innings with six strikeouts and three walks. Wright lowered his road ERA to 1.91 in seven starts. 
Wright tossed a perfect first inning and stranded the bases loaded after two walks and a single in the second inning. The Shuckers pushed across a run to go up 1-0 in the third inning thanks to an RBI double by Hiura that scored Troy Stokes Jr., who reached on a throwing error by third baseman Daniel Lockhart. 
Mississippi (27-39) tied the game at 1-1 against Biloxi starter Thomas Jankins in the top of the fourth inning thanks to a single by Luis Valenzuela that brought home Travis Demeritte. 
The M-Braves went ahead for the first time, 2-1 in the fifth inning. Wright drew a walk from Jankins to start the inning and eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Neslony. 
Biloxi answered against Wright in the sixth inning when four of the first five batters picked up singles, including an RBI knock by Trent Grisham. Wright escaped the jam by starting a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning. 
The clubs traded three-run innings in the eighth. 
Neslony started the top of the eighth inning with his second double, moved to third on a groundout by Tyler Marlette and scored on a wild pitch by Biloxi reliever Danny Reynolds. Demeritte drew a walk with one out and then Alex Jackson belted a 402-foot towering home run to left to push the lead to 5-2. The homer was Jackson's second in three games and fifth on the season. It was also his third at MGM Park in four games. 
The Shuckers answered in the bottom of the eighth inning when pinch-hitter Clint Coulter cleared the bases with a three-run triple to right off M-Braves reliever Chad Sobotka (L, 1-1) to tie the game at 5-5. Phil Pfeifer started the inning and allowed a pair of walks and single before Sobotka entered and struck out a batter before giving up the triple to Coulter. 
Sobotka went back out for the bottom of the ninth inning and faced Hiura to start the frame. Hiura hit the 2-1 pitch, a 96 mph fastball from Sobotka over the left field wall and off the protective netting to drop the M-Braves 6-5. 
The M-Braves and Shuckers will continue the final series of the first half on Thursday with game two of the five-game set. First pitch is at 6:35 pm with RHP Touki Toussaint (3-6, 3.36) starting for the M-Braves against Biloxi RHP Luis Ortiz (1-2, 2.65). 
The M-Braves return to Trustmark Park, June 21-26, for a six-game series against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to open the second-half of the 2018 season. For tickets or more information fans can visit mississippibraves.com or call 888-BRAVES4.