Strider dominant in 12-0 drubbing of Barons on Friday night

BIRMINGHAM, AL - The Mississippi Braves evened the series against the Birmingham Barons on Friday night with a dominant 12-0 victory in game four of the six-game series.Spencer Strider (W, 2-5) tossed a career-high 6.1 innings and matched a career-best with 12 strikeouts to just one walk in the outing. Trey Harris hit a grand slam and drove in five runs, plus Riley Delgado had four hits in the win.

The M-Braves (46-36) collected 16 hits, to match their season-high, and are now just a half-game behind Montgomery for the lead in the Double-A South.

The M-Braves struck first in the top of the third inning. Jacob Pearson started the rally with a walk, and Delgado followed with a single. Justin Dean then delivered an RBI double to deep right-centerfield to plate Pearson. Trey Harris followed with an RBI single on the first pitch. A couple of batters later, Wendell Rijo walked to drive in Dean and extend the lead to 3-0.

The M-Braves knocked out Barons (44-37) starter Jason Bilous (L, 2-5) after just 2.2 innings. He allowed three hits, three walks, and three earned runs with four strikeouts over the 2.2 innings.

Jefrey Ramos *opened the top of the 4th inning with a walk. A couple of batters later, Delgado singled for his second hit of the game. Harris later singled, and *Shea Langeliers followed with a two-run RBI double, extending his hit streak to eight games, to push the lead to 5-0.

The M-Braves did not let their foot off the gas pedal. Rijo and Jalen Miller began the top of the fifth inning with back-to-back line-drive singles to centerfield. Ramos then walked, and Pearson followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 6-0.

Miller led off the top of the 7th inning with a solo home run to right-centerfield. The M-Braves would tack on another run later in the inning on an RBI fielder's choice by Dean to push the lead to 8-0.

Will Latcham relieved Strider with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Strider was incredible over 6.1 innings of work. He struck out seven of the first nine batters and 12 of the 24 he faced. Strider finished with 6.1 innings, four hits, one walk, 12 strikeouts, and zero runs.

The M-Braves just kept scoring with a two-out rally in the top of the ninth inning. Pearson, Delgado, and Dean all singled. Harris then torched a first-pitch fastball to dead centerfield to extend the lead to 12-0.

Latcham and Indigo Diaz were great in relief, combining for 2.2 innings, two hits, one walk, and four strikeouts, with Diaz striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth.

Delgado had an M-Braves high four hits in the win and recorded his first career Double-A multi-hit game. Dean, Harris, Langeliers, Miller, and Pearson all added two hits.

Game five of the six-game series in Birmingham is on Saturday at 6:30 pm. RHP Victor Vodnik (0-4, 7.30) starts for the M-Braves against Birmingham's LHP Taylor Varnell (1-1, 3.80). The first pitch for game one is 7:05 pm, with coverage on 103.9 WYAB, mississippibraves.com, and MiLB.tv.

The M-Braves will return to Trustmark Park and host the Biloxi Shuckers again, August 10-15. The series will be highlighted by Clunker Car Night, Cristian Pache bobblehead giveaway, and Princess Night with Fireworks. Tickets may be purchased HERE, or by calling 888-BRAVES4.