M-Braves Hold On, Clip Biscuits, 11-9

PEARL, Mis. – The Biscuits (1-2) nearly came all the way back from seven runs down in the top of the ninth inning, but ultimately came up short, falling to the Mississippi Braves (2-1), 11-9, in an unbelievable Game 3 of the 2021 Double-A South Championship Series on Friday night at Trustmark Park. The M-Braves now lead the best-of-five series two games to one.

Spencer Strider started on the mound for Mississippi, and the right-hander retired the Biscuits in order in the top of the first. Jack Labosky was on the other side for the Biscuits, and the righty allowed a single to Shea Langeliers, but picked up a strikeout in a scoreless bottom of the first.

Strider sat the Biscuits down in order again in the top of the second, tallying his first strikeout. Labosky walked Drew Lugbauer, but struck out two in a scoreless bottom of the second. Strider then worked another one-two-three inning in the top of the third.

Justin Dean singled to lead off the bottom of the third, and then Labosky hit Trey Harris with a pitch to put runners at first second with nobody out. Braden Shewmake flew out to right in the next at-bat, and then Langeliers struck out swinging. C.J. Alexander was up next, and the third baseman hooked an RBI-single into right to score Dean with the game’s first run and make it 1-0 Mississippi. The M-Braves tried a double-steal attempt with runners at first and third but Connor Hollis gunned down Harris at home from second to end the inning.

The Biscuits notched their first two hits in the top of the fourth inning—singles by Xavier Edwards and Ruben Cardenas—but the former tripped running around second, and was thrown out at third to end the threat on the latter’s base hit. The M-Braves scratched across two more runs in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a two-out RBI-single by Jacob Pearson and a two-out RBI-double by Dean to make it 3-0.

The Biscuits wasted little time in rallying, getting a two-run home run to left by Niko Hulsizer to make it a 3-2 game. Jim Haley reached on an infield single in the next at-bat, and scored all the way from first after Langeliers made a throwing error on a steal attempt, and then Dean misplayed the throw in center for a double-error, which tied the game at three.

Ford Proctor walked against Corbin Clouse to begin the sixth, and then eventually scored the go-ahead run to make it 4-3 on a Brandon White (2-0) wild pitch before the Biscuits hit into a 5-2-6-4-6 double play. Lugbauer slugged a two-out solo home run to center off Jordan Brink to tie the game at four in the bottom of the sixth.

Chris Muller (0-1) entered for Brink in the top of the seventh and walked the first two batters before getting Shewmake to line out to right. Langeliers then crushed an RBI-double to left to make it 5-4, but Alex Valverde then came to the rescue and got the final two outs of the inning with runners at second and third.

The M-Braves blew the game open in the bottom of the eighth with six runs on five hits including a solo home run from Greyson Jenista and a two-run shot from C.J. Alexander to make it 11-4.

But the Biscuits mounted an intense comeback in the top of the ninth that included Edwards’ second professional home run—a grand slam off Indigo Diaz—to make it 11-8, and then a Jonathan Aranda solo blast to make it 11-9. The Biscuits had runners at the corners and two outs when Michael Smith struck out looking against Nolan Kingham to end an unforgettable Game 3.

The Biscuits will need a win in Game 4 to keep their season alive when Miller Hogan (0-1) clashes with William Woods at 6:05 PM CT on Saturday night at Trustmark Park. Game 5 will also be played at Trustmark Park, on Sunday at 5:05 PM CT, if necessary.