Early Barons Barrage Downs M-Braves 10-6

Photo by Tate Nations

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The Mississippi Braves (20-25) dropped the first of a six-game series 10-6 to the Birmingham Barons (16-30) on Tuesday night at Regions Field. An eight-run third inning broke the game open for the Barons.

The game started well for the M-Braves. Jesse Franklin V doubled down the right-field line in the second. Two batters later, a balk scored Franklin for the first run of the game. Chris Shaw’s solo home run tied the game at 1-1 in the second.

Franklin V went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Atlanta’s No. 14 prospect is batting .229 with two home runs and six RBI in 12 games.

Tyler Neslony, a former M-Brave in 2021, and Adam Hackenberg each hit three-run homers as part of an eight-run third inning. The Barons led 9-1 after three innings.

Cal Conley knocked in a run with a base hit to make it 9-2 in the fifth. In the sixth, Birmingham walked in two runs to pull the M-Braves within five runs, 9-4. Conley has hit in nine of the last 11 games and reached base in 17 of the last 19.

In the seventh, Franklin hit a sacrifice fly to score Justin Dean, and Luke Waddell scored on a wild pitch, making it 10-6. Dean went 3-for-4 and reached base four times in his first three-hit game of the season for the M-Braves.

RHP Coleman Huntley III highlighted the pitching staff, going a season-high 2 2/3 scoreless innings. The right-hander pushed his ERA down to 2.95 in 21 1/3 innings.

LHP Jake McSteen added two scoreless frames and has a 2.66 ERA in 20 1/3 innings this season.

The second game of the series is on Wednesday at Regions Field. LHP Domingo Robles (3-3, 2.45) will make the start for Mississippi while RHP Matthew Thompson (1-5, 5.75) makes the start for Birmingham. The first pitch is at 6:35 pm CT, with coverage starting 15 minutes before on 102.1 The Box, First Pitch App, and Bally Live.