The M-Braves hit a Trustmark Park record 5 home runs in fourth-straight win on Tuesday

Published 4:55 pm Wednesday, August 11, 2021

PEARL, MS – The Mississippi Braves blasted five home runs, setting a new record for most homers in a game at Trustmark Park, and took the series opener against the Biloxi Shuckers Tuesday, 8-2. Shea Langeliers was 4-for-4 with two home runs, four RBI’s, and three runs, and Drew Lugbauer also added two home runs going 2-for-3 with three RBI’s and a walk.

The M-Braves have won four straight and nine of their last 13 games, remaining on top of the Double-A South standings.

The Shuckers (32-53) quickly struck first in the top of the first inning. David Hamilton began the game with a triple to right-centerfield and scored a few batters later on an Alexander Palma RBI single to take the 1-0 lead.

Langeliers started the bottom of the second inning with a single to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Lugbauer followed with a two-run home run to left field to give the M-Braves a 2-1 lead.

The Shuckers responded quickly with a David Fry solo home run to left in the top of the third inning to even the score at 2.

The M-Braves (49-36) got the run back with a two-out rally in the bottom of the third inning. Braden Shewmake doubled off the left-field wall, and Langeliers followed with a two-run home run to left, his 18th on the year, to take the lead back 4-2.

Troy Bacon (H, 4) relieved Freddy Tarnok (W, 2-0) with one out in the top of the sixth inning. Tarnok recorded another quality start, retiring the first six via strikeout. Tarnok finished with 5.1 innings, seven hits, one walk, nine strikeouts, and two earned runs in his fourth Double-A outing. Bacon made his team-leading 26th appearance in the inning.

Zack Brown started the sixth inning in relief of Jesus Castillo (L, 3-7). Castillo finished with 5.0 innings, five hits, two walks, one strikeout, and four earned runs. Brown was not greeted nicely by the M-Braves. Langeliers and Lugbauer opened the bottom of the sixth inning with back-to-back moonshot solo home runs to extend the lead to 6-2. Langeliers leads the club and tied for first in the league with 19 home runs, while Lugbauer is second with 14 this season. Tuesday’s two-homer game was Langeliers’ fourth multi-homer game of the season.

CJ Alexander led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a solo home run, his ninth of the year. Justin Dean then reached on an error, and Trey Harris followed with a walk. Dean came across to score on a couple of batters later on Langeliers’ RBI infield single to push the lead to 8-2.

Sean McLaughlin relieved Bacon as he started the top of the eighth inning. Bacon was solid in relief as he went 1.2 innings, two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts. McLaughlin had a quick 1-2-3 to of the eighth inning in relief while striking out two. McLaughlin retired six of the seven batters the faced three via strikeout.

The M-Braves struck out only three times as a team and scored seven of their eight runs via the home run. The club has 39 home runs at Trustmark Park this season and 111 on the season. Over the last 13 games, the M-Braves have hit 31 home runs.

The M-Braves will go for a fifth-straight win on Wednesday night at Trustmark Park. RHP Alan Rangel (0-1, 9.00) will make his home debut against RHP Justin Bullock (2-0, 2.45). The first pitch is 6:35 pm, with coverage on 103.9 WYAB, mississippibraves.com, and MiLB.tv.