M-Braves snap skid with home win over Biloxi
Published 9:13 am Friday, August 5, 2022
Mississippi Braves catcher Hendrick Clementina smiles as he gets a new baseball from home plate umpire Macon Hammond during Thursday's game against Biloxi at Trustmark Park. Clementina hit a solo home run to help the M-Braves beat the Shuckers 9-4. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
The Biloxi Shuckers' Felix Valerio, left, leads off of first base while the Mississippi Braves' Drew Lugbauer guards the bag. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Anthony Zublis, left, and Bryson Richard play a game of cornhole on the concourse at Trustmark Park before Thursday's game between the Mississippi Braves and Biloxi Shuckers. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Harry Williams, right, and Gene Weaver play a game of cornhole on the concourse at Trustmark Park before Thursday's game between the Mississippi Braves and Biloxi Shuckers. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Mississippi Braves manager Bruce Crabbe and his Biloxi Shuckers counterpart Mike Guerrero (13) talk with umpires at home plate while exchanging lineup cards before Thursday's game at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Biloxi Shuckers third baseman Cam Devanney warms up before Thursday's game against the Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Biloxi Shuckers outfielder Corey Ray warms up in the on-deck circle before the start of Thursday's game against the Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Mississippi Braves outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy heads to first base after drawing a walk against Biloxi. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Home plate umpire Macon Hammond picks up a baseball during Thursday's Southern League game between the Mississippi Braves and Biloxi Shuckers at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Mississippi Braves pitcher Darius Vines delivers during Thursday's game against Biloxi. Vines had nine strikeouts and allowed one run in seven innings as the M-Braves won 9-4. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Mississippi Braves shortstop Vaughn Grissom bats during Thursday's game against Biloxi at Trustmark Park. Grissom is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Atlanta Braves' organization. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
PEARL — The Mississippi Braves hit it well, pitched it well, and left the ballpark feeling pretty good about life on Thursday.
Every M-Braves starter had a hit, pitcher Darius Vines struck out nine batters in seven innings, and Mississippi used a five-run fifth inning to bury Biloxi 9-4 at Trustmark Park.
The M-Braves (47-52 overall, 18-12 second half) stopped a four-game losing streak to stay atop the Southern League South Division standings.
Biloxi (48-48, 14-16), the Milwaukee Brewers’ Double-A affiliate, had a three-game winning streak snapped and is four games behind the M-Braves.
Mississippi took an early 2-0 lead on an RBI double by Andrew Moritz and a solo home run by Hendrik Clementina, then blew it open with the big fifth inning.
Moritz drove in another run with a single, and two batters later Jalen Miller plated three with a double. Miller scored on a single by Vaughn Grissom, the No. 1 prospect in the Atlanta Braves’ organization, to make it 7-0.
Drew Lugbauer and Jordan Cowan hit RBI singles in the eighth inning to bring across the M-Braves’ last two runs.
Miller, Moritz, Clementina, Cowan and Riley Delgado all had two hits apiece for the M-Braves.
Corey Ray hit a solo home run and Garrett Whitley a two-run triple for Biloxi.
Vines (7-4) shut down the Shuckers throughout his stint on the mound. He scattered four hits and one walk, and did not allow a run until Ray led off the sixth inning with his homer to center field. Vines’ outing matched his longest of the season.
The M-Braves and Shuckers have three games left in their weeklong series at Trustmark Park. Games start at 6:35 p.m. on Friday, 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, and 2:05 on Sunday.
The first 1,000 fans on Friday will receive a Brian Snitker bobblehead doll. On Saturday they’ll get a replica 2021 Atlanta Braves World Series ring, and there are also postgame fireworks.
The M-Braves will go on the road to play the Tennessee Smokies next week, and return home Aug. 16 to start a six-game series vs. Pensacola.
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