From staff reports

After getting knocked around the first two months of the season, Steven Shell was demoted to Double-A.

If he keeps this up, it might be a short stay.

The right-hander gave up two hits and one walk in six scoreless innings Tuesday, leading West Tenn to an easy 6-0 win over the Mississippi Braves.

Shell (3-0), who was demoted after a lackluster first half as a reliever at Triple-A Tacoma, turned in his third consecutive outstanding start since moving into West Tenn’s rotation. He has allowed no earned runs and only six hits in 17 innings.

Tuesday’s performance lowered his ERA to 0.43 in five total appearances for the Diamond Jaxx. No Mississippi Brave advanced beyond second base.

West Tenn’s hitters made Shell’s job even easier by scoring five runs in the bottom of the first. After Johan Limonta was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to put the Diamond Jaxx on the board, David Espinosa ripped a two-run double to right field. Matt Mangini followed with a two-run single, and Limonta added an RBI single in the fifth to make it 6-0.

Deunte Heath (2-4) allowed all five runs in the first inning and took the loss.