Generals Shut Out Shuckers Thursday
Jackson, Tenn. - One night after giving up 14 runs, three Jackson pitchers combined to shut out Biloxi in a 2-0 win on Thursday in front of 2,917 at The Ballpark at Jackson. The Shuckers put a man on base in every inning, but Jackson's staff was able to strand 10 runners and induce three double plays in the victory.
Trey Cochran-Gill (1-0, 0.00) made his Double-A debut after spending much of 2015 with High-A Bakersfield. The righty from Auburn struck out two in 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. Cochran-Gill, a 17th round pick last June, became the first Mariners' draftee from 2014 to make it to Jackson.
Jake Zokan did not factor into the decision for Jackson (13-18), but he fell one out shy of giving the Generals a quality start. The lefty tied a season-high with six strikeouts over 5.2 shutout frames.
Biloxi (20-14) nearly broke through against Zokan in the fourth inning. Nick Shaw singled up the middle with two on and two outs, but Zach Shank threw out Taylor Green at the plate from centerfield to keep the Shuckers off the board.
The Generals finally broke a scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the sixth against Biloxi starter Hobbs Johnson (2-1, 2.56). With men on first and second, Dan Paolini doubled in Jordy Lara to make it 1-0.
While that would go on to be the deciding run, Jackson added another in bizarre fashion later on in the sixth. With two men in scoring position, Zach Shank's fly ball to right field plated Gabriel Guerrero before Paolini was doubled off at second base. Shank earned his third RBI of the year even though the Shuckers managed to turn two.
Tony Zych earned his third save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning for the Generals. The righty has not allowed a run in seven of his nine appearances with Jackson this season.
Jackson's win sets up a rubber match in the series finale on Friday night. Moises Hernandez (1-1, 2.61) is posed to make a spot start for the Generals against Biloxi's Jorge Lopez (3-2, 2.70), who ranks fifth among Southern League starters with an opponents average of .194. First pitch is set for 7:05 pm CT, and you can catch all the action live on the TJ Network (AM 1390, FM 94.1 and 94.3) starting at 6:50 pm with the Jackson Generals Pregame Show protected by the Tennessee Army National Guard.
Friday night is Prom Night at the Ballpark with a postgame fireworks show! Bring a date and enjoy some fantastic prom-themed entertainment throughout the night! It is also a Denny's Free Cash Friday, so fans will have the opportunity to win cash prizes throughout the night! That's not all! The night will also feature a performance from the Kimberlie Helton Band, and it's a Reading Night sponsored by Union University!
Tickets are still available for Friday's series finale! Get yours by calling (731) 988.5299, stopping by the park or going online to jacksongeneralsbaseball.com.