Behind Braun, Tolve, the M-Braves return favor and blast Shuckers 8-1 on Wednesday night

BILOXI, MS (July 3, 2024) — The Mississippi Braves returned the favor after falling 8-1 on Tuesday by blasting the Biloxi Shuckers by the same score on Wednesday night in front of 5,728 at Keesler Federal Park. Lucas Braun (W, 1-0) earned his first Double-A win with 6.0 shutout innings, and Tyler Tolve was 3-for-4 with a double, home run, three RBI, and three runs scored in the win.

The first six innings flew by on Independence Day Eve, and the game was scoreless, entering the seventh. Biloxi starter Brett Wichrowski didn't allow a Mississippi hit until the fourth inning and tossed 6.0 innings of two-hit baseball.

In his second Double-A start, Braun struck out five and walked two, scattering four hits in the 6.0 innings of scoreless baseball.

The M-Braves (5-4, 36-41) feasted on the Biloxi bullpen. In the top of the seventh, the M-Braves sent nine batters to the plate and scored three runs on bases-loaded walks from Nate Peterson (L, 1-6). Yolbert Sanchez and Tolve opened the inning with singles, and Sebastian Rivero reached on an error to load the bases before the three run-scoring walks.

Bryson Horne continued his hot series in the eighth inning with an RBI single that scored Tolve, and then the M-Braves broke the game open in the ninth against Dan Carlson. Cade Bunnell opened the ninth inning with a double, advanced to third, and then home on wild pitches. With two outs, Geraldo Quintero and Sanchez got on bases, and Tolve smacked his second home run of the series over the left-field wall for an opposite-field home run to make it 8-0.

The Shuckers did avoid the shutout by plating a run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Landon Harper, the Southern Miss product, ran his scoreless streak to 16.0 innings with a scoreless eighth inning, adding a pair of strikeouts. Patrick Halligan struck out two and walked one in a scoreless seventh.

The M-Braves return to Trustmark Park on Thursday, July 4, for an Independence Day celebration, including Post-Game Fireworks, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 pm with reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week LHP Luis De Avila (1-8, 3.93) starting for the M-Braves against RHP Logan Henderson (4-0, 1.66) for Biloxi. Coverage begins at 5:50 pm on 102.1 The Box, Bally Live, and MiLB.tv.

On Friday, July 5 the first 1,000 fans will get a Powder Blue M-Braves Floppy Cap thanks to Budweiser. On Saturday, July 6 the first 1,000 fans get a Mississippi Braves Beach Towel, from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi and following the game another Post-Game Fireworks Show! Fans can purchase tickets at mississippibraves.com.

PHOTO BY Mike Krebs