They’re now 2-0 with those two wins coming against last year’s league champs.
From a Danville Braves news release…
PULASKI, WV – The Braves used a eight strong innings from their pitching staff to stake a 7-1 lead and barely hold on in the ninth to claim a 7-6 road win over the Pulaski Mariners. 2009 draftee Brett Oberholtzer and Julio Surinach each tossed four strong innings before the staff ran into problems in the ninth. Now the Braves will have the opportunity to go for the sweep Thursday night in Pulaski before a weekend romp with Greeneville.
The Braves wasted no time getting on the board as leadoff man L.V. Ware singled to start the game and was doubled home just two batters later by Adam Milligan, who contributed his second straight three-hit night. Pulaski used a walk and a Brandon Haveman double to tie the game in the third inning, but Danville picked up a big lead from there as Oberholtzer and Surinach halted the Mariner offense.
Danville tacked on three runs in the fourth inning as Travis Adair came to the dish with two on and two out and delivered a two-run double to make it 3-1. Ware followed Adair with his own double to make it 4-1.
In the seventh, the Braves used an error, a single and a walk to load the bases with no outs before Jace Whitmer moved everyone up on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1. Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg followed with an RBI single, giving the Braves a 6-1 advantage. In the ninth, it was Jones who walked, stole second base – his second swipe of the game – and scored on Milligan’s second RBI double of the night.
The Mariners made the game interesting in the ninth, however. Danville returnee Derick Himpsl walked three and struck out two of the first five men he faced before the walks hurt him on a two-run single by Jarrett Burgess. Cody Railsback then came on and hit a batter to load the bases. Fred Bello then drew a walk to make it 7-4. 2009 5th-round pick Thomas Berryhill came into the bases-loaded situation and allowed a two-run single to Jharmidy De Jesus to cut the lead to one. After another walk to
re-load the bases, Berryhill finally polished off the win with a swinging strikeout of Dwight Britton.Oberholtzer was solid in his first professional outing, working four innings and allowing just a run on two hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Surinach (1-0), who earned the win, also went four innings and did not allow a run on three hits and one walk. He struck out four. Berryhill picked up his first career save in his first professional outing. Danville pitchers struck out 12 Mariners, giving them 30 strikeouts through two games this season. Brandon Maurer (0-1) took the
loss for Pulaski, allowing four runs on six hits in five innings.Offensively, the top of the order got the work done again. The trio of Ware, Jones, and Milligan chimed in with six hits and they now have 14 of Danville’s 24 hits this season. Milligan himself has started the season 6-10 with three doubles and two RBI.
The Braves send Luis Avilan to the hill tomorrow to try and earn the series sweep before they head to Tennessee to take on the Greeneville Astros for a three-game set. The D-Braves return home Monday, June 23, for the home opener. First pitch is at 7 p.m. as the Kingsport Mets come to Danville to begin a three-game series. For more information, fans can visit www.dbraves.com or call the Braves office at (434) 797-3792.
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