PULASKI -- Nice Calfee Park audience, spectacularly gorgeous late-June weather, even a cameo appearance by a faux-President Obama for a cameo mound appearance to heave the ceremonial first pitch.

In short, all the elements were in place for a memorable opening to the Appalachian League season Tuesday night.

Memorable it was, but alas it was for the visiting Danville Braves.

The Braves got shutdown pitching, sound defense and clutch hitting up and down the lineup to beat the Pulaski Mariners 8-3 and spoil opening night for last year's East Division champs.

The best news for the host team was that the three-game series continues this evening at 7 p.m. If ever a group needed a do-over, this was it.

All that Danville did right, Pulaski for the most part struggled with.

Danville was flawless afield.

The Mariners had four errors ranging from the disappointing to the ghastly. The toll was five unearned runs.

All but two Danville starters hit safely and the Braves drilled 14 hits to all sectors of the ballpark including beyond the fence. Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg's solo home run in the fourth tied the score 1-1 and sparked the offensive onslaught that bolstered the Braves all night. It could have been worse, too. The Braves stranded 13.

Over on the Pulaski side, nine hits produced a meagre two RBI and minimal power.

The Danville bullpen was brilliant, particularly left-hander Chris Masters, who retired 14 of 15 batters including 12 in a row between the fourth and the eighth.

While the Braves pen was lights out, Pulaski's was lit up for eight hits and three hit batters.

As for the batting lineup for Pulaski, certainly there will be better nights. After 18 strikeouts (eight from Masters), the Mariners offense was looking for answers.

Presumably, those were some of the topics covered in a lengthy postgame clubhouse meeting between Mariners manager Jose Moreno and his ballclub.

The Mariners did end on something of a positive note by rallying for a trio of hits in the bottom of the ninth. A run-scoring pinch single from Brandon Haveman plated the first (and last) Pulaski run since the fourth inning.

Notes

Pulaski sends right-hander Brandon Maurer to the mound to oppose Danville lefty Brett Oberholtzer as the series continues tonight. ... Braves pitcher Casey Hodges of Franklin County was moved Monday from Myrtle Beach to the Danville roster. Hodges went 4-5 with a 2.47 earned run average in 12 starts for the D-Braves last year.

Danville 000 114 020 -- 8 14 0

Pulaski 001 100 001 -- 3 9 4

Teheran, Masters (4), Lorick (8), Harris (9) and Elorriaga-Matra, Anderson (7). Diaz, Buckborough (6), DeHaas (7), Thomas (8) and Bantz. W-- Masters. L -- Diaz. HR -- Spanjer-Furstenburg (D), 4th, none on.