(Media release from the Rome Braves):
The Rome Braves returned home after a two week road trip to take on the Winston-Salem Dash for the first time in 2023.
Angel Flores would send Ian Mejia to the mound. This would be Mejia’s first start since turning in seven innings of one run ball against the Greenville Drive.
Mejia would come out of the gate with solid at-bats against the Dash, working four scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox High-A affiliate. The Dash would eventually get to Mejia, tagging him for three runs in the top of the fifth.
The story of the night would be Winston-Salem pitching, as the Dash arms would hold the Braves scoreless until the bottom of the ninth when a red-hot Keshawn Ogans would single to score Drake Baldwin. With two outs in the ninth, Ethan Workinger would double to tie the game as Ogans and McCabe scored.
With the game knotted at three runs each, the Dash would tack on two runs in the top of the tenth thanks to a DJ Gladney singled and a Bryce Willis bases loaded hit-by-pitch.
Rome would plate one more in the home half of the tenth, but the rally would fall short as the Braves fall five to four in extra innings.
The series continues on Wednesday with a 7:00pm first pitch.
In other news from the Rome Braves –
The Atlanta Braves have promoted their 2023 first round draft pick, Hurston Waldrep, to High-A Rome. Waldrep was drafted out of the University of Florida following their College World Series runner-up finish.
In his final year at Florida, the Cairo, GA, native went 10-3 with a 4.16 earned run average while holding opposing hitters to a .228 average. Waldrep struck out 156 batters during the 2023 season, the second most in school history. Waldrep was named a Second Team All-American.
Waldrep made just one start with Low-A Augusta where he struck out eight batters over three innings.
Additionally, the Atlanta Braves have promoted first-baseman Bryson Horne to AA Mississippi. Horne spent all of 2022 and a majority of 2023 with the High-A Braves, where he tied for the eighth most home runs in franchise history. Horne’s .221 batting average as a Rome Brave is the second highest of any qualified player since the start of the 2022 season.
Cory Acton also rejoins the Rome squad from Augusta after hitting .252 with 24 RBI over 45 games with the GreenJackets.
2019 draftee Jared Johnson has also been promoted to Rome from Augusta.
As corresponding moves, Wiston Cerrato has been sent to the FCL Braves.