M-Braves Rally in Ninth But Drop Series Finale to Smokies 8-7

KODAK, TN - Despite a ferocious ninth inning rally, the Mississippi Braves (49-59, 20-19) dropped their series finale 8-7 to the Tennessee Smokies (59-49, 22-17) on Sunday afternoon at Smokies Stadium.

The M-Braves scored three runs in the ninth and left the tying run on third base. A few big innings and some good defense carried Tennessee. The Smokies won the series four games to two, with three of their wins coming in one-run games.

Cody Milligan led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. He finished the series with 11 hits. Milligan is batting .280 with five doubles and 14 RBI in 44 games in the leadoff spot.

Drew Lugbauer brought in the first run of the game with a double off the wall in right field to score *Riley Delgado *and make it 1-0 in the first inning.

The Smokies answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. Tennessee then added four runs in the third to lead 6-2.

RHP Justin Maese was the third pitcher to enter the bullpen game for Mississippi. Maese navigated back-to-back scoreless innings in the fourth and the fifth with three strikeouts. With two runners in scoring position in the fifth, the right-hander punched out two batters to strike out the side and retire the inning.

Javier Valdes snuck a bases-loaded groundball past the shortstop to score two runs and pull within three, 6-3, in the bottom of the fifth. Then, Andrew Moritz smoked a line drive that was snagged by first baseman Nelson Maldonado. He reached his glove to first base and completed an unassisted double play to retire the side.

In five games with the M-Braves, Valdes is batting .350 with two home runs and eight RBI.

Landon Stephens touched off a 410-foot solo homer in the sixth to make it 6-4. Stephens finished the series with three home runs.

The Smokies brought in two runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead back out to 8-4.

The M-Braves rallied in the ninth. Milligan led off the ninth with a base hit, and Delgado singled right after him. A wild pitch followed by a passed ball scored a run. Lugbauer grounded out to first base to score another run. Valdes walked and Moritz singled to put the tying run on base. Stephens then bounced one off the glove of the third baseman and into left field to make it 8-7 and put the tying run on third base. Cade Bunnell crushed a line drive up the middle, but the shifted shortstop Andy Weber made a great catch to end the game.

The M-Braves start a six-game home series against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Double-A Affiliate, Miami Marlins) on Tuesday, August 16 at Trustmark Park.

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