M-Braves blow lead, rally to win

Published 12:01 pm Friday, July 22, 2011

It took nearly four months, but the Mississippi Braves finally got an extra-inning victory.

Willie Cabrera scored the go-ahead run on Ed Lucas’ sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning Thursday, and the M-Braves went on to beat the Jacksonville Suns 9-8.

It was Mississippi’s first win in eight extra-inning games this season, and came after it let a relatively easy victory slip away.

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Jacksonville rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 8. Three walks and a hit batter aided the rally, and the tying run came across on an infield single by Kyle Skipworth.

Cabrera then led off the 10th inning with a single and eventually scored on the sacrifice fly by Lucas, who was called up from Single-A earlier this week.

Antoan Richardson hit a grand slam in the fourth inning to give the M-Braves a 7-4 lead. Mathew Kennelly had three hits and scored twice, and Mycal Jones also homered.

Paul Gran went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored for Jacksonville.

The Suns’ bullpen held Mississippi to two runs and four hits in six innings after starter Jose Alvarez was roughed up in the early going.