M-Braves win fourth straight, 5-3, over Biscuits on Thursday night

PHOTO BY WYATT MASON

PEARL, MS (June 27, 2024) — The Mississippi Braves won their third-straight game to begin the second half and fourth straight overall on Thursday night, 5-3, over the Montgomery Biscuits. Tyler Tolve tripled, homered, and scored two runs to lead the offense. On Southern Miss Night, Mississippi reliever and USM product Landon Harper collected his first Double-A win with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.

The M-Braves (3-0, 34-37) entered Thursday's game leading all of Double-A baseball with 128 stolen bases. In the first inning, they stole three bases, leading to three runs. Cody Milligan, Geraldo Quintero, and Justin Dean all singled, all stole bases. Quintero's knock scored Milligan, and on Dean's team-leading 29th steal, an errant Biscuits (0-3, 40-32) throw allowed him and Quintero to score. Quintero has 27 stolen bases and Milligan is up to 22.

Lucas Braun made his Double-A debut on Thursday night and came out of the gate on fire. The sixth-round pick by Atlanta in 2023 struck out five batters over the first three scoreless innings. After striking out the first two batters in the fourth inning, the next four got hits, including an RBI single from Willie Vasquez and an RBI double by Mason Auer to make it 3-2.

Braun ceded another run in the fifth inning on a Bob Seymour single to tie the game but picked up his eighth strikeout. Braun logged his ninth strikeout in the six but gave up two hits and left after 5.2 innings. Harper (W, 1-0) entered and got the final out of the inning, stranding two runners on base. In his Mississippi debut, the 22-year-old Braun gave up three runs on 10 hits with no walks and nine strikeouts. The 14th-ranked prospect for the Atlanta Braves has had at least nine strikeouts in his last three outings.

The late innings belonged to Tolve. The M-Braves catcher tripled with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning on a ball to left-center that caromed off the glove of centerfielder Chandler Simpson. Javier Valdes hit a ball that fell in beyond leftfielder Mason Auer to score Tolve, and it was 4-3. Tolve capped his night with a solo home run to begin the bottom of the eighth inning, adding insurance to make it 5-3.

Patrick Halligan (H, 2) tossed a scoreless eighth inning, and Jorge Juan (S, 3) put two runners on base in the top of the ninth inning but ultimately struck out two to end the game and log his third save.

Milligan got his 22nd stolen base on Thursday and went 2-for-4 for his second-straight multi-hit game.

The M-Braves will go for the series win on Friday night against the Biscuits at Trustmark Park. The first pitch is set for 6:35 pm with LHP Luis De Avila (1-8, 4.34) starting for the M-Braves against the Biscuits LHP Ian Seymour (5-2, 1.97). Coverage begins at 6:20 pm on 102.1 The Box, Bally Live and MiLB.tv.

Thursday's Promotions:

Blues N' Brews Replica Jersey Giveaway: Thanks to Trustmark, the first 1,000 fans will receive a replica Blues N' Brews jersey!

Trustmark $10,000 Dash For Cash: After the game, $10K is on the line, with ten contestants dashing into the Trustmark Park outfield for as much cash as possible. After Dash For Cash, kids will run the bases.

TrustCare Kids Run The Bases: After the game, TrustCare lets kids run the bases just like the pros!