Biscuits and M-Braves Split Doubleheader
Published on April 22, 2023 under Southern League (SL)
Montgomery Biscuits News Release
PEARL, Mis. - The Biscuits (10-4) split their doubleheader with the Mississippi Braves (4-10), taking the first game, 2-0, and dropping the second, 6-2 (8), on Saturday night at Trustmark Park.
After a rainout on Friday, former MLB pitcher Scott Blewett (0-1) made his first start of the season for Mississippi in the first game of the doubleheader, and the righty allowed a lead-off triple to Ronny Simon, before Austin Shenton brought home the second baseman on a sac fly to make it 1-0 Biscuits in the top of the first inning.
Sean Hunley (1-0) made his third start of the year on the other side for the Biscuits, and the right-hander tallied a strikeout in a scoreless bottom of the first. Blewett worked a clean top of the second, striking out Alika Williams to end the frame. Hunley then struck out the side in a perfect bottom of the second.
Simon banged a double down the right field line to begin the top of the third, but Blewett retired the next three Biscuits in order, picking up strikeouts number three and four against Shenton and Blake Hunt. Hunley surrendered a double off the left-center field wall to Hudson Potts, but didn't allow any other M-Brave to reach in a scoreless bottom of the third. Hunley tallied two more strikeouts to run his total to six over a perfect bottom of the fourth.
Shenton extended his hitting streak to a team-high eight games with a two-out single in the top of the fifth, but that was all the Biscuits could muster against Mississippi reliever Jose Montilla. Hunley then pitched a perfect fifth, becoming the first Biscuit starter to throw five innings this season, striking out his season-high seventh batter, and getting a highlight-reel catch from Shenton at third.
The Biscuits did not score in the top of the sixth, and Jeff Belge kept the M-Braves off the board in the bottom of the sixth. The Biscuits added a second run on a Domingo Gonzalez throwing error in the top of the seventh and made it a 2-0 contest. Belge allowed a lead-off double to Landon Stephens in the bottom of the seventh, but retired the next three batters in order to secure the victory and earn the lefty's first Double-A save.
Luis De Avila started one the mound for the M-Braves in game two of the doubleheader, and the southpaw faced the minimum in the top of the first.
Cole Wilcox started on the other side for the Biscuits, and the right-hander worked a perfect bottom of the first, striking out a pair in Cal Conley and Javier Valdes.
De Avila worked a perfect top of the second, striking out Heriberto Hernandez. Wilcox allowed a two-out single to Beau Philip, but struck out two more batters to run his tally to four in the bottom of the second.
The Biscuits would take a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth thanks to a passed ball by Valdes and then a Williams RBI-double. The M-Braves finally broke a scoreless streak of 20-consecutive innings with a Cody Milligan RBI-single, and then a pair of errors tied the game at two in the bottom of the third.
The Biscuits singled twice in the top of the fourth off reliever Hayden Deal, but could not score. Wilcox spun a scoreless bottom of the fourth to keep the game deadlocked at two. Jalen Battles led off the top of the fifth with his first Double-A hit-a double down the left field line-but the Biscuits could not bring him home. Chris Gau allowed two singles in the bottom of the fifth in relief of Wilcox, but also struck out the side and did not surrender a run.
After the Biscuits mustered only a two-out walk to Diego Infante in the top of the sixth, Carlos Garcia fired in a scoreless bottom of the sixth, walking one and striking out two. The Biscuits did not score in the top of the seventh against Alec Barger (1-0), and in the bottom of the seventh, Garcia wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam, striking out Landon Stephens to send the game to extra innings.
After the Biscuits did not score in the top of the eighth against Barger, Michael Mercado (2-1) came on for Garcia and surrendered a pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam to Jacob Pearson to end a wild day in Pearl. The grand slam was the fourth given up by Biscuits pitchers this season.
The Biscuits will go for their seventh win in eight games in Sunday afternoon's series finale when Jacob Lopez (0-0) goes up against Domingo Robles (0-1) at 2:05 PM.
The Biscuits will return to Montgomery for a 12-game home stand, with the first six-game series against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Tuesday, April 25 at 6:35 PM for Autism Awareness Night Supporting Easter Seals of Central Alabama.
The rest of the series will include Military Wednesday presented by WOW! on Wednesday, April 26; Kimchi T-Shirt Giveaway presented by Pulmuone & Thirsty Thursday on April 27; 2000s Night on Friday, April 28; Star Wars Night featuring Specialty Jerseys with Team Poster Giveaway presented by Kona Ice & MAX Fireworks on Saturday, April 29; and a Dog Giveaway presented by Montgomery Area Humane Society & Bark in the Park on Sunday, April 30.
Southern League Stories from April 22, 2023
- Biscuits and M-Braves Split Doubleheader - Montgomery Biscuits
- Dominant Pitching, Hitting Lead Shuckers to Doubleheader Sweep Over Trash Pandas - Biloxi Shuckers
- Trash Pandas Swept by Shuckers in Twin Bill - Rocket City Trash Pandas
- Shuffield Moonshot Wins It for Fort Myers in 10-Inning Thriller - SL
- Late Rally Falls Short in 3-2 Loss - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
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