Trash Pandas, M-Braves Split A Pair In Pearl

The Rocket City Trash Pandas combined on a shutout in their fastest game of the season to finish a suspended game from earlier this month before falling in a close game n the regularly scheduled series opener against the Mississippi Braves on Tuesday night at Trustmark Park.

Back on August 13, the Trash Pandas and M-Braves were suspended in the second inning of their series finale at Toyota Field in a scoreless game. That game was resumed first, with the Trash Pandas playing as the home team in Mississippi. Taking over for August 13 starter Victor Mederos, Trash Pandas reliever Robinson Pina was stellar. He quickly got the final out of the second and three outs in the third, giving the Trash Pandas offense an opportunity to take the lead.

Mac McCroskey began the bottom of the inning with a single against Nolan Kingham (L, 2-1). He advanced to second on a ground out and moved to third on a balk. Mariano Ricciardi followed with a ground ball to second. McCroskey broke for the plate and slid home ahead of the tag to open the scoring. Jose Gomez singled to put two on before Gabe Matthews laced a single to center to plate Ricciardi and make it 2-0.

Pitching with the lead, Pina worked around singles in the fourth and fifth before a walk in the sixth and a single in the seventh. However, none of the runners were able to advance past second base as Pina (W, 4-2) navigated his way through the Mississippi lineup. He pitched 5.1 scoreless innings, striking out four, allowing four hits, and walking one to pick up his fourth victory of the season.

Nick Jones was next into the game for Rocket City in the eighth and induced an inning-ending double play to erase a leadoff walk in a clean frame. The Trash Pandas added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning when David Calabrese roped a triple down the right field line and came home on a sacrifice fly from Gomez.

Jones (S, 3) returned in the ninth and pitched a one, two, three inning to finish the shutout victory and earn his third save of the season.

McCroskey set a new career-high in hits by going 3-for-3 at the plate, scoring the winning run. Including the start of the game at Toyota Field, the time of game was just one hour and 53 minutes, making it the fastest nine-inning game in Rocket City history.

In the regularly scheduled series opener, Trash Pandas starter Ivan Armstrong was unable to complete the first inning, giving up three runs while walking a pair and getting just two outs. Houston Harding was called on for long relief and got through the first inning.

Rocket City wasted little time in starting the comeback in the second. Tucker Flint got the inning started with a single. Gabe Matthews singled to put two on. Tyler Payne hit a single of his own to plate Flint and get the Trash Pandas on the board. Two hitter later, McCroskey lined a single of his own to right to plate two runs and tie the game. An RBI ground out from Calabrese gave the Trash Pandas their first lead at 4-3.

Mississippi tied it in the third on an RBI single from Brandon Parker and retook a 5-4 lead in the fourth on Cal Conley’s RBI single to left. In his longest relief outing with the Trash Pandas, Harding allowed two runs on seven hits with one walk and four strikeouts over 4.1 innings to keep the game close.

Flint started the top of the sixth with a double and moved to third on a ground out. Matthews then hit a hard ground ball to first. Flint tried to score and slid around the tag from Braves catcher Hendrik Clementina to tie the game at five.

Kelvin Caceres kept the score tied with a clean bottom of the sixth. Rocket City put runners on the corners with two outs in the seventh. But Hayden Harris escaped the jam by getting a fly out from Sonny DiChiara. Kenyon Yovan (L, 3-6) sent the game to extra innings with a clean seventh.

In the eighth, the Trash Pandas put two in scoring position with two outs. Braves reliever Brooks Wilson (W, 1-0) got out of the jam by striking out McCroskey to end the inning. The Braves walked off in the bottom of the inning on a fielder’s choice from Drew Campbell.

Flint led the way in the nightcap, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Payne went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI while McCroskey also drove in a pair.

The Trash Pandas (55-66, 24-28 second half) and Braves (52-68, 19-33 second half) continue the series at Trustmark Park on Wednesday night. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.