Shuckers Fall to Smokies, 5-2

BILOXI, MS – Despite 10 hits and four walks, the Biloxi Shuckers (54-52, 20-17) stranded 11 baserunners in a 5-2 loss to the Tennessee Smokies (61-44, 25-12) at MGM Park on Friday night. Shuckers’ pitching struck out 11 in the loss, their fourth straight game with at least nine strikeouts.

The Smokies scored first for the third time in the series, using a lead-off home run from Cole Roderer in the second to take a 1-0 lead. After the next batter, Pablo Aliendo, doubled to right, Casey Opitz extended the lead to 3-0 with a two-run home run to right. Biloxi struck back in the bottom of the inning with a double from Ernesto Martinez and a single from Ethan Murray, bringing home Martinez and making it 3-1.

In the third, Haydn McGeary reached on an error and Aliendo smashed his second extra-base hit of the night, a line-drive home run to left, extending the lead to 5-1. In the fifth, Lamar Sparks smashed a 107 MPH line drive to left-center for a leadoff triple, and Isaac Collins hit a sacrifice fly to right, giving Biloxi their second run of the night.

The Shuckers had the bases loaded with two outs in the sixth and two on in the seventh and eighth innings, but Smokies’ relievers Hunter Bigge, Zac Leigh and Blake Whitney held Biloxi scoreless. Martinez, in his fourth Double-A game, tallied his second straight multi-hit night. The left-handed bat has reached base in 10 of his first 15 plate appearances with the Shuckers.

On the mound, Biloxi reliever Russell Smith worked two scoreless innings with three strikeouts, and Max Lazar retired six of the seven batters he faced, including three strikeouts.

In the ninth, Whitney retired the Shuckers in order, including back-to-back strikeouts to lock down his second save of the week, and his third of the season. Shuckers’ starter Tobias Myers (6-4) took the loss while Brandon Birdsell (1-0) earned the win for the Smokies in his Double-A debut.

The two will meet on Saturday night at 6:05 at MGM Park for the fifth game of the series. Neither team has named a starter for the match-up.

The Shuckers will celebrate Women in Sports Night and Gulfport’s own Brittney Reese with a bobblehead in her likeness for the first 1,000 fans presented by Keesler Federal Credit Union. Reese is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a seven-time world champion in long jump. The Shuckers will also honor a local organization through the Heart of a Shucker Community Fund. Gates open at 5:00 p.m.

The game can be heard on Cruisin’ WGCM 1240 AM, 100.9 FM with coverage beginning at 5:50 p.m. with the Biloxi Shuckers Pregame Show. The game can also be seen live on MiLB.tv.

Individual tickets, group outings, Shuck Nation memberships and Flex Plans for the 2023 Biloxi Shuckers season are available now by calling (228) 233-3465 or visiting biloxishuckers.com.

ABOUT THE BILOXI SHUCKERS:

The Biloxi Shuckers are the Double-A Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Shuckers are members of the Southern League and play at MGM Park in Biloxi, Mississippi. For more information please visit biloxishuckers.com and follow us on Twitter @biloxishuckers and at facebook.com/biloxishuckers.

ABOUT SHUCKERS BASEBALL, LLC:

Shuckers Baseball, LLC is a MS entity owned and operated by John Tracy. Shuckers Baseball operates the Biloxi Shuckers baseball franchise, including operating MGM Park for Biloxi Shuckers minor league baseball games and other entertainment and recreational events.