Elder, three homers, guide M-Braves to 40th win of the season on Friday night

SEVIERVILLE, TN- The Mississippi Braves are the first team in the Double-A South and the second club in all of Double-A baseball to 40 wins in 2021 after a 6-4 victory over the Tennessee Smokies on Friday night. Bryce Elder won his third-straight start for the M-Braves tossing 7.0 innings of two-run baseball to improve to 3-0.

A far cry from the 4-8 start, the M-Braves (40-24) remain the top team in minor league baseball since May 19, improving their record to 36-16 over the last 52 games.

Both starting pitchers faced the minimum through the first two innings, needing less than ten pitches in each frame.

Elder made his first start since dealing the first 7.0 innings of Saturday's combined no-hitter on Saturday against Pensacola. The Decatur, TX native pushed his hitless streak to 9.0 innings before giving up a leadoff single in the bottom of the third inning. Tim Susnara, the next batter, hit a two-run home run to right, giving Tennessee a 2-0 lead.

Smokies starter Cam Sanders (L, 1-4) didn't allow a hit until CJ Alexander lined a solo homer over the right-field wall to start the top of the fifth inning. The homer was Alexander's seventh on the season, and second in his last four games. Two batters later, Greyson Jenista hit a laser over the wall in right-center to tie the game at 2-2.

Justin Dean opened the top of the sixth inning with a triple, then scampered home on a Sanders wild pitch to put the Braves up for the first time, 3-2.

Hendrik Clementina greeted new Smokies pitcher Garrett Kelley with a solo homer that sailed 408 feet into the left-field deck at Smokies Stadium. The second homer for Clementina this season had a 111 mph exit velocity. Jenista added a single, and Jacob Pearson smoked a double to place runners at second and third base with one out. Dean hit a dribbler down the third-base line to Smokies third baseman Christopher Morel, who threw the ball wildly home, letting two runs score, and put the M-Braves up 6-3.

Elder battled through 7.0 innings and 94 pitches of two-run baseball, getting four of the final nine outs via strikeout. Over his last two starts and 14 innings, the former Texas Longhorn has allowed just two runs on four hits with six walks and 11 strikeouts.

Brooks Wilson gave up a run in the eighth and ninth but struck out the side in each inning to seal a 6-4 victory.

Jenista led the offense with three hits, going 3-for-4 with his ninth long ball of the season. Dean reached base safely three times and was 1-for-2 with a run. The three home runs on Friday, give the M-Braves 75 for the season, just 12 short of 2019's total over 139 games, 87.

The win gave the M-Braves a 3-1 series advantage over the Smokies, who lead the season series 7-3. The Braves lead the all-time series, 87-82.

The M-Braves look to win their sixth series of the season on Saturday night in game five of the six-game series against Tennessee at Smokies Stadium. Knoxville native Spencer Strider (1-2, 6.91) against LHP Luis Lugo (2-3, 5.29) for the Smokies. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm CT with coverage on 103.9 WYAB, mississippibraves.com, and MiLB.tv.

The M-Braves will return to Trustmark Park for a six-game series against the Biloxi Shuckers at Trustmark Park, July 20-25. For tickets, and information on upcoming promotions, visit mississippibraves.com, or call 888-BRAVES4.