Hefflinger’s Walkoff in 10th Dooms Generals Wednesday
GENERALS NEWS RELEASE Jackson dropped the opener of the seven-game series in five days PEARL, Miss. (August 7, 2013) – The Generals (19-22) fell in walk-off fashion Wednesday night in the series opener against the Mississippi Braves (24-20) in 10 innings, 6-5. Robby Hefflinger delivered an RBI single in the 10th to give the Braves their sixth win in nine tries against the Generals this season. This was the fourth extra inning game between the two this season and Jackson‘s 13th on the season. The Generals are now 4-9 in extra-inning contests. Chris Taylor (1-3, 2 R, 2 BB) jump-started the offense with a lead-off walk to begin the game and eventually scored on a Julio Morban (2-5, 2 RBI) ground out. The lead did not last long as the M-Braves evened the score at 1-1 thanks to the sixth home run of the season from Robby Hefflinger. M-Braves‘ starter Aaron Northcraft settled in after the first, and retired 11-straight Jackson batters until the fourth. Jackson catcher John Hicks (0-4, R) was hit by a pitch and then scored courtesy of the Generals first hit by Ramon Morla (1-3, RBI, R, BB). Morla tripled off the right field wall to give Jackson a 2-1 lead. Jackson‘s second hit of the game came from Morban, who doubled home Jack Marder to strengthen the lead to 3-1 in the top of the sixth. Tommy La Stella and Mississippi responded in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own to cut the lead to 3-2. In the seventh, Mississippi leadoff hitter Mycal Jones lifted the Braves ahead with a three-run home run to left field giving them a 5-3 edge over Jackson. Again Taylor started an offensive push in the eighth with a single. With Taylor on first, Morban singled him to third and then Taylor scored with one out thanks to an RBI ground out by Ji-Man Choi (0-4, RBI). Jackson trimmed the deficit to 5-4. The Generals rallied again in the ninth to even the score at 5-5. Morla walked and then Jabari Blash (1-4) reached safely on a fielding error by Braves‘ third basemen Edward Salcedo. A sacrifice fly by Denny Almonte (0-3, RBI) pushed the tying run across for Jackson. Mississippi escaped with an inning-ending double play. Dominic Leone hadn‘t allowed a run nor walked a batter this season, but Leone walked two and surrendered a walkoff single from Robby Hefflinger that gave the Braves a 6-5 victory. Jackson used four arms in the contest as Trevor Miller started and surrendered five runs on 10 hits in seven innings. Forest Snow and Stephen Kohlscheen tossed scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth before Dominic Leone (L, 1-1) suffered the loss on the mound in the 10th. Thomas Keeling picked up the win for the M-Braves. Jackson and Mississippi will play a doubleheader on Thursday, with first pitch set for 5:00 p.m. (CT). The Generals will start LHP James Gillheeney (4-6, 3.98) in game one against Gus Schlosser (6-3, 2.33). In game two, LHP Kyle Hunter (1-0, 1.27) makes the start for the Generals against RHP Gary Moran (1-1, 3.81).
