Pearl, Miss. - Down to their last out in the top of the ninth, the Jackson Generals fought back from a 4-1 hole to close within a run. It wasn't enough, as the Mississippi Braves held on for a 4-3 victory at Trustmark Park on Saturday.
Pearl, Miss. - Down to their last out in the top of the ninth, the Jackson Generals fought back from a 4-1 hole to close within a run. It wasn't enough, as the Mississippi Braves held on for a 4-3 victory at Trustmark Park on Saturday.
Mississippi (10-13) now holds a 2-1 series lead against the Generals (16-6), the first time the Generals have trailed in a series in 2018.
The hits were hard to come by for Shelley Duncan's club, who were limited to three rips before mounting a ninth-inning rally brought their total to six hits, tying a season-low mark. Former Diamondbacks prospect Touki Toussaint (1-1, 4.44 ERA) tossed seven innings with seven strikeouts, frustrating the Southern League's best offense. Jackson scored their only run in the third inning, taking a 1-0 lead when Jose Vinicio scampered home from third base on a wild pitch and slid head-first under Toussaint's tag. The Generals finished 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position, stranding four men.
Generals starter Alex Young (3-1, 3.33 ERA) worked six innings and allowed four runs, though only a pair of them were earned. Young walked three batters and struck out only three, finishing with 51 of his 85 pitches dealt for strikes. In relief, Colin Poche and Mason McCullough gave scoreless efforts, holding the M-Braves to a 2-for-9 mark with runners in scoring position.
TOP PERFORMERS - Generals
1B Rudy Flores - 2-4, R, RBI
3B Juniel Querecuto - 2-4, RBI
RHP Mason McCullough - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
TOP PERFORMERS - Mississippi
RHP Touki Toussaint - 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K
RF Tyler Neslony - 2-4, 2 R
LF Travis Demeritte - 1-4, 2 RBI
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
BOTTOM 5: Young walks Mississippi's Alay Lago with one out, then gets a lineout to third base from Austin Riley for the second out. With two down, Lago steals second base, putting himself in scoring position. Tyler Neslony chops a ball up the middle, and shortstop Jose Vinicio allows it to scoot under his glove, providing Lago the opportunity to come around and score from second base. The error extends the inning and allows Neslony to get to second base; the hitter who follows, Alex Jackson, singles to plate Neslony and stretch the Mississippi lead to 4-1.
SCORE: MIS 4, JXN 1
TOP 9: Generals center fielder Galli Cribbs Jr. leads off with a walk--the first of the game for Jackson-and Kevin Medrano moves him to second base with a groundout. After a strikeout, Rudy Flores mashes a run-scoring single into right-center field, drawing the visitors within two runs at 4-2. Pinch-hitter Luis Lara, making his Double-A debut, strokes a single to the left-center field gap on his first swing, moving Flores to second base. Juniel Querecuto follows with a single through the right side, scoring Flores from second base to bring the Generals within a run. M-Braves reliever Josh Graham finally gets the hook from Mississippi manager Chris Maloney, and Jacob Webb (S, 5) induces a game-ending groundout from Alberto Rosario to close the book one chapter shy of a Generals comeback.
SCORE: MIS 4, JXN 3
NEXT GAME:
1pm CT Sunday (4/29) at Trustmark Park (Pearl, MS)
RHP Taylor Widener (Generals) vs. RHP Wes Parsons (Mississippi Braves)
NEXT GENERALS HOMESTAND:
May 2-6 vs. Montgomery Biscuits, featuring Star Wars Night at The Ballpark (Saturday, May 5)
Dial 731-988-5299 for tickets to see Jackson Generals Baseball!
