M-Braves walk it off against Pensacola

Published 9:25 pm Wednesday, May 24, 2023

1 of 6

Mississippi Braves third baseman Beau Philip leaps into the air as he throws the ball to first base Wednesday against Pensacola. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Marcan Bell, a member of the Clinton Braves youth baseball team, asks for a hug from Mississippi Braves mascot Diddly before Wednesday's game between the M-Braves and Pensacola at Trustmark Park. The Clinton Braves were recognized before the game and stood with the pro players on the field for the National Anthem. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

The Mississippi Braves' Justin Dean backs out of the way of an inside pitch as Pensacola catcher Will Banfield snags it during Wednesday's game at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves catcher Javier Valdes walks back to his position between innings of Wednesday's game against Pensacola. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves first baseman Drew Lugbauer warms up in the on-deck circle before batting against Pensacola Wednesday night at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

The Mississippi Braves' Cal Conley retreats to first base as Pensacola's Troy Johnston waits for a pickoff throw during Wednesday's game at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

PEARL — The Mississippi Braves’ bats were quiet all night on Wednesday, then roared to life when it really counted.
Drew Lugbauer hit a game-tying home run leading off the bottom of the ninth inning, and Tyler Tolve singled in the winning run in the 10th to give the M-Braves a 2-1 walk-off win over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at Trustmark Park.

The M-Braves outhit Pensacola, but were 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position until Tolve’s game-winning hit. They left 12 runners on base and had one thrown out at third.

Luke Waddell was placed at second base under the tiebreaker rules and went to third on a ground out. Tolve then delivered a single to left field to bring him in.

Tolve finished 2-for-5 and was the only player on either team with more than one hit.

Pensacola was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Its run came in the third inning, when Cody Morissette led off with a single and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Nasim Nunez.

M-Braves pitchers Jose Montilla, Hayden Deal, Jake McSteen and Kyle Wilcox combined to allow only that one run. They gave up four hits and no walks, and struck out eight.

The M-Braves and Blue Wahoos split the first two games of the six-game series that continues through Sunday at Trustmark Park. Games are at 6:35 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 6:05 on Saturday and Sunday.

On Thursday, the M-Braves’ “Thirty Thursday” promotion features 16-ounce beers and fountain drinks for $2 each. The first 1,000 fans will receive M-Braves flip flops on Friday, and fireworks shows will follow both weekend games.

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

More by Ernest