Biscuits Drop Doubleheader to Shuckers

BILOXI, Mis. – The Biscuits (40-34) were swept by the Biloxi Shuckers (29-47) in Friday night’s doubleheader, dropping game one, 4-1, and game two, 3-1, at MGM Park.

Justin Bullock (1-0) made his Double-A debut for the Shuckers in game one of the doubleheader, and the right-hander retired the Biscuits in order in the top of the first. Biscuits starter Alex Valverde allowed a triple to Mitch Longo, but retired everyone else in a scoreless bottom of the first.

Bullock fanned two in a scoreless top of the second, and while Valverde struck out the side in the bottom of the second, the right-hander allowed back-to-back doubles to Chad Spanberger and David Fry, the latter of which put the Shuckers ahead 1-0 early.

Ford Proctor led off the top of the third with a double down the right field line and then Jim Haley eventually brought him home with an RBI-triple down the left field line to knot things at one. Valverde picked up his fifth strikeout in a scoreless bottom of the third.

Valverde allowed just one run over four innings before handing the reins to Justin Sterner (0-1), who served up a solo home run to Ryan Aguilar and an RBI-double to Alexander Palma—both in the fifth—to give Biloxi a 3-1 lead. An inning later, Chad Spanberger took Sterner deep to right to make it a 4-1 contest. The Biscuits loaded the bases in the top of the seventh against Zack Brown, but Matt Hardy came on and struck out Haley to end the game.

Leo Crawford started the second game for Biloxi, and fanned two in a scoreless top of the first. Cristofer Ogando (1-1) started on the mound for the Biscuits, and the right-hander had a bumpy bottom of the first, surrendering three runs on RBI-singles by Brice Turang, Alexander Palma, and Spanberger to make it 3-0 Shuckers.

Crawford allowed just a double to Ruben Cardenas in three scoreless innings, striking out four. Ogando settled down and did not allow a run in the second or third inning.

J.T. Hintzen (3-1) pitched a scoreless fourth and fifth, and Zach Vennaro a scoreless sixth for Biloxi, while Ivan Pelaez impressed with four strikeouts over three scoreless innings for the Biscuits. Montgomery pulled a run back in the top of the seventh on a Joey Roach RBI-single off Peter Strzelecki, but the right-hander got Seaver Whalen to fly out to left with runners at second and third to end the game.

The Biscuits will try to snap out of their current three-game losing skid against Shuckers on Saturday night when Jack Labosky (0-2) faces Noah Zavolas (3-5) at 6:35 PM CT.

The Biscuits will return to Riverwalk Stadium for a seven-game series against the Tennessee Smokies starting on a Golden Biscuits Tuesday, August 3 at 6:35 PM CT. The rest of the first series will include a Military Wednesday presented by WOW! on Wednesday, August 4; National IPA Day with a T-Shirt Giveaway on Thursday, August 5; 15th Anniversary of Talladega Nights featuring a NASCAR Hat Giveaway presented by U.S. Air Force on Friday, August 6; Tide & Tiger Night presented by I-92 WLWI & 95.1 The Fox with MAX Fireworks on Saturday, August 7; and Lil' Crumbs Kids Club presented by Go Fish Alabama & Bark in the Park on Sunday, August 8.