Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

M-Braves Top Lookouts 5-2 in First Road Game of the Season 

Bunnell goes 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI
April 11, 2023

CHATTANOOGA, TN - The Mississippi Braves (2-2) used strong pitching and timely hitting to top the Chattanooga Lookouts (2-2) 5-2 in the first road game of the season on Tuesday night at AT&T Field. In front of a crowd of 4,021, the M-Braves spoiled the Lookouts home opener. Four M-Braves

CHATTANOOGA, TN - The Mississippi Braves (2-2) used strong pitching and timely hitting to top the Chattanooga Lookouts (2-2) 5-2 in the first road game of the season on Tuesday night at AT&T Field.

In front of a crowd of 4,021, the M-Braves spoiled the Lookouts home opener. Four M-Braves pitchers combined to allow two runs over nine innings. The M-Braves drew eight walks and picked up five hits. Cade Bunnell went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.

The M-Braves jumped ahead early with Luke Waddell’s sacrifice fly scoring Cody Milligan’s leadoff double in the first to make it 1-0.

In the third, two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases. Waddell’s infield single scored Milligan, and Landon Stephen’s walk scored Drew Campbell to make it 3-0.

Waddell went 1-for-2 with two walks and two RBI. Waddell has drawn five walks in three games. The Georgia Tech alum also played strong defense at third base, a position he did not appear at in the 2022 season.

LHP Luis De Avila went four innings and allowed one run in his Double-A and 2023 debut. The left-hander gave up two hits and three walks with five strikeouts. De Avila made 24 starts for High-A Rome last season, posting a 3.49 ERA in 126.1 innings. He is currently Atlanta’s No. 30 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

LHP Hayden Deal earned the win, allowing a run in two innings of relief. Deal has allowed one run in four innings over two relief appearances.

Leading 3-2 in the seventh, the M-Braves drew a pair of walks to put two on with two outs in the seventh. Bunnell came through with a two-run double to extend the lead to 5-2, sending a line drive off the bottom of the wall in left center.

RHP Alec Barger went two scoreless innings in relief. Barger has yet to allow a run in three innings over two appearances in his first season at the Double-A level.

RHP Domingo Gonzalez picked up the M-Braves first save of the season, pitching a scoreless ninth inning around a bases loaded jam to close out the 5-2 win.

The second game of the series is on Wednesday at AT&T Field. RHP Beau Burrows (0-0, --) will make the start for Mississippi against RHP Christian Roa (0-0, --) for Chattanooga. The first pitch is at 6:15 pm CT, with coverage starting at 6:00 pm CT on 102.1 The Box, First Pitch App, and MiLB.tv.