Dillard's Three-Hit Afternoon Helps Propel Shuckers to Series Finale Win

RHP Victor Castañeda Fires Five Frames in Victory

(Photo-Mike Krebs)

By Thomas Zinzarella/Biloxi Shuckers

August 7, 2022

PEARL, MS – The Biloxi Shuckers (51-49) polished off their six-game series against the Mississippi Braves (47-55) with a 6-5 win on Sunday afternoon at Trustmark Park. Biloxi took five of the six games against the M-Braves in this series. Biloxi opened the scoring with a three-run first inning. With

*PEARL, MS *– The Biloxi Shuckers (51-49) polished off their six-game series against the Mississippi Braves (47-55) with a 6-5 win on Sunday afternoon at Trustmark Park. Biloxi took five of the six games against the M-Braves in this series.

Biloxi opened the scoring with a three-run first inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Thomas Dillard doubled on a fly ball into shallow left field. M-Braves LF Justyn-Henry Malloy overran the baseball, and two runs came around to score. Tristen Lutz would score later in the inning on a wild pitch. The M-Braves answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame, a solo home run from Vaughn Grissom.

The Shuckers plated two more runs in the top of the fifth on a Felix Valerio RBI single and a Corey Ray sacrifice fly. Victor Castañeda (W, 2-5) tossed four scoreless frames after allowing the home run to Grissom in the first. The right-hander also struck out four while walking just one batter today.

Mississippi cut into the deficit in the later innings. After a leadoff triple by Andrew Moritz in the seventh inning, Riley Delgado drove him in on a sacrifice fly, but Biloxi still led 6-2.

The M-Braves had the tying and go-ahead run on base in the eighth inning. After RHP Robbie Hitt recorded the first two outs in the inning, Hitt walked the next two batters. Jalen Miller singled in Lugbauer to cut the Shuckers’ lead to three. RHP Harold Chirino (S, 1) entered the game and allowed a two-RBI base hit to Logan Brown on a weak groundball through the left side of the infield. The M-Braves had runners on first and second with two outs before Chirino induced an inning-ending groundout to Delgado. Chirino would retire the side in order in the ninth to scoop up his first save of the season.

The Shuckers will have an off day tomorrow before returning home to MGM Park to open a six-game series against the Rocket City Trash Pandas. LHP Nick Bennett (6-8, 4.67) will go opposite of RHP Coleman Crow (7-2, 4.19) for the Trash Pandas. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM CT and the game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard locally on WGCM AM 1240/FM 100.9 or online here. Individual tickets, Shuck Nation Memberships, Flex Plans, and group outings are available for the 2022 season by calling (228) 233-3465 or visiting biloxishuckers.com.