CHATTANOOGA – The Mississippi Braves held off a furious ninth-inning, two-out rally by the Chattanooga Lookouts for a 6-5 win on Thursday night at AT&T Field.

Leading 6-2 entering the ninth, reliever Francisco Rondon made quick work of the first two Lookouts (3-10; 46-35), but he walked Levi Michael and Steve Wickens back-to-back to keep the game alive. David Peterson (S, 2) came on and walked Kennys Vargas to load the bases.

Adam Walker hit a two-run single up the middle to make it 6-4, and Mike Gonzales followed with an RBI knock of his own to pull it to a one-run game.

With the tying and winning runs on base, Peterson struck out Aderlin Mejia to end the threat and seal the M-Braves (7-7, 40-42) win.

The ninth inning nearly spoiled a fine start from Jorge Reyes (6-4), who allowed two runs on five hits over six innings to pick up the win in his return from triple-A Gwinnett. He struck out five and walked one in the winning effort.

Mississippi jumped on Alex Wimmers (5-3) in the first inning. KD Kang launched a solo shot, his second home run of the season, for a 1-0 lead.

Chattanooga bounced back with a long ball of their own in the bottom of the first, a two-run home run from Vargas to take a 2-1 lead.

The M-Braves came back with four runs in the third. It was Kang to put the Braves ahead again, this time with a two-run double to plate Steve Rodriguez and Emerson Landoni. Kevin Ahrens followed with a double of his own for a 4-2 lead, and David Rohm grew it further with an RBI single-the first of two on the day–to make it 5-2.

Wimmers allowed six runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings in the losing effort, walking two and striking out one. The Lookouts bullpen combined for 4 1/3 innings of shutout relief work on four hits.

Landoni, Kang and Matt Kennelly finished the contest with three hits apiece, and Kang drove in three to pace the offense.

The Braves and Lookouts will square off in the second of five games on Friday night at 6:15 p.m. at AT&T Field, with right-hander Jason Hursh (2-6, 5.63) slated to toe the rubber against left-hander Brett Lee (0-2, 4.70).

by M-Braves Sports Media Relations