Rodriguez’s blast gives M-Braves a victory|Minor league baseball

Published 12:00 am Friday, August 14, 2009

From staff reports

Concepcion Rodriguez is feeling right at home in Alabama.

The left fielder led off the top of the 10th inning with a solo home run to give the Mississippi Braves a 2-1 win over Montgomery on Thursday night.

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Rodriguez is 6-for-14 with three RBIs through the first six games of a 10-game road trip to Huntsville and Montgomery. Thursday’s homer was his third of the season, and ended a pitchers’ duel.

M-Braves starter Scott Diamond and Montgomery’s Brandon Mann each allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings. Diamond walked two and struck out seven, while Mann walked none and struck out three.

Mississippi relievers Jerome Gamble (2-1) and Craig Kimbrel combined to allow no runs, one hit and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. For the Biscuits, Heath Rollins and Paul Phillips (3-3) didn’t walk anyone and gave up just the homer to Rodriguez in 3 1/3 innings.

The Braves tied the game in the seventh when Jason Heyward swiped home as part of a double steal with Willie Cabrera. Montgomery had taken a 1-0 lead on Chris Nowak’s two-out RBI single in the third inning.

Cabrera had two hits for the M-Braves, who got all seven of their hits from the first six batters in the order. The Nos. 7-9 hitters were a combined 0-for-10 with six strikeouts.

For Montgomery, Rashad Eldrigde went 2-for-5 and scored a run. Port Gibson native J.T. Hall was 0-for-4.