Toussaint strikes out 10 as M-Braves beat Shuckers 5-4 in 10 innings

BILOXI, MS -Touki Toussaint struck out 10 batters over seven innings on Thursday as the M-Braves came from behind to beat the Biloxi Shuckers (39-28) 5-4 in 10 innings. The win prevented the Shuckers from clinching the Southern League's South Division first-half title for at least one night as their magic number remains at one. 

Biloxi raced out to a 3-0 lead against Toussaint in the first two innings. Shuckers' All-Star first baseman Jake Gatewood cracked his league-leading 13th home run, a two-run shot to right, in the first inning to place Biloxi up 2-0. Toussaint struck out the side in the first inning but allowed a single and the home run. 
The 21-year-old notched his fourth strikeout in the second but gave up another run after plunking Jake Hager and letting him score on a single by Trent Grisham. 
Toussaint settled down from that point forward and put up all zeroes through the seventh inning. 
The M-Braves began their comeback in the fourth inning. Travis Demeritte led off with one of his three singles and then stole second base. With two outs, Luis Valenzuela and Luis Marté hit back-to-back RBI doubles drawing the Braves within a run at 3-2. 
Demeritte tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth with another single. Alay Lago started the frame with a single and stole second base. After a strikeout and flyout, Demeritte connected for the RBI. 
M-Braves All-Star first baseman Tyler Marlette had been held hitless in the series until he snapped that 0-for-8 with a line drive single to right in the seventh inning that scored Tyler Neslony to make it 4-3 M-Braves. 
Toussaint left after seven innings of three-run baseball, surrendering five hits, walking one and striking out 10. Thursday's performance was the third time this season he's recorded 10 punchouts this season. The former first-rounder now has 90 strikeouts over 14 starts in 74 innings which leads the league and all of Double-A baseball. 
Biloxi tied the game at 4-4 in the eighth as Lucas Erceg beat the shift with a single through the left side of the infield. Reliever Kelvin Vasquez (W, 3-0) walked Troy Stokes Jr. to start the eighth and Stokes stole second to get in scoring position for Erceg. 
Vasquez walked two in the bottom of the ninth but posted a zero to send the game to extras. 
Marlette was the M-Braves bonus runner at second base to start the 10th inning. He moved to third base on a deep flyout to left by Demeritte. Biloxi reliever Jon Olczak struck out Jackson for the second out. Daniel Lockhart entered the game as a defensive replacement for Valenzuela at third base and sent a line drive single to left with two outs to bring home Marlette and give Mississippi a 5-4 lead. 
Corbin Clouse (S, 1) took over for the Braves in the bottom of the 10th and retired all three batters, preventing the bonus runner from scoring to seal the victory. 
The extra-inning win was the second in three chances for the M-Braves this season. Travis Demeritte led the offense, reaching base four times and finishing 3-for-3 with an RBI. The big night snapped him out of a 1-for-35 funk. 
The M-Braves and Shuckers will continue the final series of the first half on Friday with game three of the five-game set. First pitch is at 6:35 pm with RHP Bryse Wilson (1-3, 6.42) starting for the M-Braves against Biloxi RHP Zack Brown (5-0, 2.83). 
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.