De Avila Tosses Career-High Eight Shutout Innings, M-Braves Fall in Extras to Rocket City

PEARL, MS – Luis De Avila spun a career-high eight shutout innings, but the Mississippi Braves (53-69, 20-34) fell 2-1 in extra innings to the Rocket City Trash Pandas (56-67, 25-29) on Thursday night at Trustmark Park.

De Avila’s eight innings was a career high and a season-high for M-Braves pitchers this season. The left-hander allowed four hits and a walk with six strikeouts. The last time an M-Braves starter went at least eight innings was when Nolan Kingham pitched 8 2/3 innings on June 12, 2021, at Biloxi.

De Avila battled with Rocket City starter Brett Kerry throughout the night. Kerry retired 18 of the first 19 M-Braves hitters. He allowed just two hits and no walks with six strikeouts in eight shutout innings.

Luke Waddell tabbed the only two hits off Kerry with a base hit in the first and another in the eighth. Waddell went 2-for-3 with an RBI. The infielder had the only two M-Brave hits.

Both starters exited after the eighth to leave the game scoreless heading into the ninth inning. Kyle Wilcox struck out a pair in a scoreless ninth inning, but the M-Braves failed to get anything going in the bottom of the inning.

In the 10th inning, Rocket City rode two hits for two runs in the top of the inning. Waddell scored Cal Conley on a sacrifice fly to right field to make it 2-1. Cade Bunnell walked with two outs, but he was left on first base.

The fourth game of the series is on Friday night at Trustmark Park. LHP Domingo Robles (7-7, 3.69) will make the start Mississippi while RHP Cole Percival (1-2, 7.46) will start for Rocket City. The first pitch is at 6:35 pm CT, with coverage starting 15 minutes before on 102.1 The Box, MiLB First Pitch App, and Bally Live.