Three-Run First Inning, Great Pitching Propels M-Braves Past Shuckers 4-0

PEARL, MS – Three pitchers combined for a shutout, and a three-run first inning propelled the Mississippi Braves (26-18) to a 4-0 win over the Biloxi Shuckers (28-27) on Friday night at Trustmark Park. The win evened the series in front of a crowd of 3,922 M-Braves fans.

Cal Conley led off the bottom of the first with a ground rule double to right field. Luke Waddell knocked in Conley with an RBI on a line drive to right field. Jesse Franklin V then homered to the Farm Bureau Grill in right field, and it was 3-0 three batters in for the M-Braves offense.

Conley went 2-for-4 with two doubles, and the infielder is up to nine doubles this season. Franklin V went 1-for-4 with his third home run of the season.

LHP Luis De Avila worked out of a pair of jams in four shutout innings. The left-hander worked around a pair of two-out singles in the first inning and a bases-loaded jam in the third inning. De Avila finished with six strikeouts and three walks.

In the third, Tyler Tolve knocked in a run to make it 4-0. Tolve went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Neither team scored after the third inning.

RHP Jose Montilla retired nine of 10 batters in three scoreless innings of relief, earning his first win. LHP Jake McSteen and RHP Kyle Wilcox each pitched a shutout inning to close out the 4-0 win.

The fifth game of the series is on Saturday at Trustmark Park. A starter to be named will pitch for Mississippi while RHP Justin Jarvis (6-2, 2.54) will start for Biloxi. The first pitch is at 6:05 pm CT, with coverage starting 15 minutes before on 102.1 The Box, First Pitch App, and Bally Live.