From staff reports

This time, a late rally wasn’t enough for the Mississippi Braves.

The M-Braves overcame a late deficit for the second time in as many games Monday night, but Matt Mangini’s solo home run in the bottom of the 13th inning gave West Tenn a 5-4 victory.

It was a nice change of pace for West Tenn, which allowed the M-Braves to score four runs in the eighth inning in a 6-3 loss in the first game of the series on Sunday.

Mangini went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and three walks, and Yamid Haad went 3-for-5 with a double. Concepcion Rodriguez doubled twice for the M-Braves.

Mangini’s line drive over the right field fence capped a long game in which the bullpens dominated. Each starter — Mississippi’s Kyle Cofield and West Tenn’s Luis Munoz — went six innings. Cofield left the game trailing 4-1 after West Tenn scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth, but his offense got him off the hook.

Willie Cabrera led off the seventh with a solo homer and J.C. Boscan drew a walk to chase Munoz. A single by Greg Creek and a pair of errors on the same play by West Tenn second baseman David Espinosa allowed the M-Braves to tie it at 4-4.

After the seventh, three West Tenn relievers combined to allow just three hits, no walks and no earned runs while striking out nine in six-plus shutout innings. Four Braves relievers were just as effective, scattering three hits and three walks while striking out seven in 6 1/3 scoreless innings.

West Tenn stranded a runner at third in the bottom of the 10th inning, and the M-Braves left one at third in the 11th. The teams were a combined 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position.

The teams continue the six-game series tonight at 7:05 in Jackson, Tenn. Game four of the series is Wednesday at 1:05 p.m.