BayBears halted after hot start, allow nine unanswered runs

PEARL, Miss. (May 9, 2017) - The Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, scored a run on two hits in the first inning but were silenced the rest of the night, falling 9-1 to the Mississippi Braves Tuesday at Trustmark Park.
Zach Gibbons hit a two-bagger in his first Double-A at-bat, and David Fletcher followed with an RBI single to put Mobile (12-20) in front 1-0 early. Gibbons finished 1-for-4 in his debut with the BayBears, and Fletcher recorded his first multi-hit game of the season.
However, southpaw Kolby Allard (3-1) silenced the BayBears for the next five innings. After the first-inning tally, Allard gave up just one more hit in six innings pitched. The quality start lifted the reigning Southern League Pitcher of the League to his third victory of the season.
Allard received nine runs of support, as Mississippi (17-15) plated four runs in the first and fourth innings and one more in the fifth. Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a two-run homer on the first pitch of his first Double-A at-bat, and in the fourth, Travis Demeritte hit a two-run shot for the second straight night.
Tyler Carpenter (1-4) gave up a career-high eight runs and matched his career-high with 11 hits allowed. Carpenter has taken the loss in four of his last six starts since a shutout win on Opening Day.
Forrestt Allday extended his on-base streak to 15 games with a 1-for-4 night at the plate.
The BayBears continue the five-game road series Wednesday at 10:35 a.m. CT against Mississippi. Right-hander Grayson Long (0-2, 2.81 ERA) is slated to make the start against righty Matt Withrow (1-0, 1.74 ERA) for the Generals. Live coverage can be seen on MiLB.tv (Mississippi feed, subscription required, promo code: BAYBEARS) and heard on the BayBears Broadcast Network, the TuneIn Radio App, and the MiLB First Pitch App, with the Countdown to First Pitch starting at 10:15 a.m. CT.
The BayBears return home Saturday and host a total of 70 home dates through Labor Day, September 4. Single-game tickets and ticket packages are currently on sale. Season tickets and group and hospitality offerings for the 2017 season can be reserved by calling (251) 479-BEAR (2327).
About the Mobile BayBears
The Mobile BayBears are the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles of Anaheim and play their games at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The BayBears were founded in 1997 and have won four Southern League titles in 1998, 2004, 2011, and 2012. Additionally, the 1998 and 2011 championship squads were named Minor League Team of the Year by Baseball America. More than 160 former BayBears have reached the Major League level, including All-Stars Max Scherzer, Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Peavy, Carlos González, and Justin Upton. For more information on the Mobile BayBears and Hank Aaron Stadium, please visit MobileBayBears.com, call (251) 479-BEAR (2327), or contact Steve Goldberg via email at [email protected].
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