JACKSON, Ten. - Logan Darnell (2-1) threw a gem and the Biscuits (50-44) secured their 50th victory of the season with an 8-3 series win over the Jackson Generals (49-45) on Sunday night at The Ballpark at Jackson. A Tennessee loss earlier in the day coupled with Montgomery's win moved
JACKSON, Ten. - Logan Darnell (2-1) threw a gem and the Biscuits (50-44) secured their 50th victory of the season with an 8-3 series win over the Jackson Generals (49-45) on Sunday night at The Ballpark at Jackson. A Tennessee loss earlier in the day coupled with Montgomery's win moved the Biscuits within a half-game of the Smokies in the North Division Wild Card standings.
Darnell, who was making just his third start of the season after signing a minor-league contract with the Rays just 10 days ago, delivered his best performance for the club so far, hurling seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits, one walk, and striking out four in the win.
After Joe McCarthy doubled off Jackson starter Joel Payamps (3-4) in the first, Grant Kay stepped up and knocked in the Biscuits left fielder with a two-out double to put Montgomery up 1-0 early. The double was Kay's fifth of the series and 30th of the season, which continues to lead the Southern League by six over McCarthy (24).
The game would remain 1-0 until the seventh when the Biscuits loaded the bases for Justin Williams. Reliever Mason McCullough would enter the game for Jackson, and would walk-in a run putting Williams at first and doubling the Montgomery advantage. Next up was Mac James, and the designated hitter extended his hitting streak to eight games with a two-out, two-run bloop single into right to put the Biscuits up, 4-0.
An inning later, Montgomery would erupt for four more runs courtesy of a McCarthy two-run triple, a Kay RBI-single, and a Dalton Kelly RBI-double to make it 8-0. Biscuits reliever Brad Schreiber would allow three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but finally got Domingo Leyba to bounce into a game-ending 4-3 putout to seal the series for the Butter and Blue, who have now won six of eight games-including both series-at The Ballpark at Jackson this season.
The Biscuits will try to leave West Tennessee on a high note when Hunter Adkins (0-0) takes on Ivan Pineyro (7-0) in the series finale on Monday night at 6:05 PM.
