Generals Take Second Half Opener

Jackson, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals came back from the All-Star Break with a strong 5-2 win over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Thursday night. The Generals had 10 hits on offense and got a strong start from Brad Keller en route to the series opening victory. 

Jackson (1-0, 38-33) took the lead behind a four-hit third inning. Colin Walsh doubled and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a Kevin Cron single to right. Later in the frame, Victor Reyes got Michael Perez home on a single to right-center. The Generals put an exclamation point on the inning with a double-steal, as Dawel Lugo took home plate to make it 3-0. The Generals stole a season-best four bases Thursday.
Evan Marzilli helped Jackson add to its lead in the fourth inning. He led off with the first of two triples before Colin Walsh singled to make it 4-0 versus Jacksonville starter Joe Gunkel (1-4, 4.57).
Brad Keller (4-5, 4.43) picked up the victory on the mound, going six scoreless innings. The righty allowed five hits and just one walk while striking out three batters.
The game was delayed an hour in the middle of the seventh after Jacksonville (0-1, 30-41) put two on the board thanks to RBI singles from Alex Yarbrough and Austin Nola. The Shrimp got the tying runs into scoring position, but Jared Miller induced a Brian Anderson groundout to keep the Generals in front 4-2.
After the delay, the Generals put an insurance run on the board. In the bottom of the eighth, Stewart Ijames launched his third home run of the year to make it 5-2. After Yuhei Nakaushiro pitched the top of the eighth, Gabriel Moya (S, 10) picked up his tenth save of the year with a scoreless ninth. The lefty hasn't allowed a run since May 1.
Colin Walsh led the offense with three hits, while Kevin Medrano and Kevin Cron both extended impressive streaks. Kevin Medrano singled in the first to push his hitting streak to 16 games, while Cron reached safely for a 22^nd game in a row.
The series continues Friday night in West Tennessee. Lefty Alex Young (4-3, 4.55) gets the ball for the Generals against Jacksonville's Trevor Richards (0-0, --) in his Double-A debut. First pitch from The Ballpark at Jackson is set for 6:05 pm CT, and fans can listen to all the action starting at 5:50 pm CT on Willie 94 FM & 1390 AM.
Game two of the series is a Leaders Credit Union Food Truck Friday with local food trucks at The Ballpark! The team will also wear special Hub City Hippo uniforms that night! The game-worn and signed jerseys will be auctioned off at the season's end with proceeds going to the Boys & Girls Club of Jackson thanks to Tennessee811!
Saturday, June 24 is Pirates and Princesses Night brought to you by Leaders Credit Union, featuring a Postgame Fireworks Show! The first 1,000 fans will take home a Generals t-shirt, and one lucky fan will win a Caribbean Cruise vacation to fit in with the theme of the night!
The series wraps up Monday, June 26 with Splash Day! It's one of the most fun days all summer in Jackson, featuring all kinds of water games under the sun. Campers get in free, and lunch packs will be available to purchase for just $6!
Make sure to get your tickets now to see the 20^th season of professional baseball in Jackson, and the first for the team as an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks! Call the team at (731) 988.5299, stop by The Ballpark or go online to jacksongeneralsbaseball.com to secure your seats now!