Trash Pandas Suffer Doubleheader Sweep In Biloxi
The Rocket City Trash Pandas were held to just one total run on Thursday night, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to the Biloxi Shuckers at MGM Park. The opener was a tightly contested pitcher’s duel that ended 2-0 in favor of the home team before a rough first inning
The Rocket City Trash Pandas were held to just one total run on Thursday night, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to the Biloxi Shuckers at MGM Park. The opener was a tightly contested pitcher’s duel that ended 2-0 in favor of the home team before a rough first inning handed Rocket City a 9-1 loss in the second game.
Trash Pandas starter Mason Erla worked around early threats in the opener. In the first, Jackson Chourio reached with a one-out single. Tyler Black followed with a single of his own. Looking to advance to third, Chourio was thrown out on a perfect throw from Trash Pandas right fielder Orlando Martinez for the second out. Erla ended the inning by picking Black off first base. In the second, Biloxi loaded the bases with nobody out. Erla got through it by getting a foul pop out from Zavier Warren and an inning-ending double play from Joe Gray.
In the fourth, the Trash Pandas had their best chance against Biloxi starter Justin Jarvis (W, 4-1), putting runners on second and third with one out. But Jose Gomez hit a shallow fly out and David Calabrese grounded out to second to strand the runners.
The Shuckers broke through in the bottom half, with Warren connecting on a two-run homer to right to open the scoring. That would prove to be more than enough for the home team. Jarvis shut the Trash Pandas down for five innings, allowing two hits to earn the win. Justin Yeager fired a clean sixth and Zach Vennaro (S, 1) finished the shutout with a scoreless top of the seventh to earn the save.
Erla (L, 1-3) went the distance for the Trash Pandas in the loss, allowing two runs on 10 hits with one walk and three strikeouts in the complete game loss. The complete game is the first by a Rocket City starter since Aaron Hernandez accomplished the feat in a rain-shortened game at Tennessee on August 18, 2021.
The second game quickly got out of hand for the Trash Pandas. Making his second start of the season, José Soriano (L, 0-2) struggled in the first. A single and two walks loaded the bases. Warren was hit by a pitch to plate the first run. Walks to Joe Gray and Carlos Rodriguez scored more. Kolton Ingram entered after Soriano recorded only one out. Ingram walked Ethan Murray to score another run. Two hitters later, Ingram looked to get out of the inning on a ground ball to third. But Kevin Maitan’s throw was wild allowing three more runs to score for a 7-0 Biloxi lead on one hit after one inning. The Shuckers got another run off Ivan Armstrong in the second to extend the lead to eight.
Rocket City got on the board in the third. Kyren Paris reached with a two-out walk. Martinez followed with an RBI double down the left field line against former Trash Pandas teammate Adam Seminaris (W, 2-3) to make it 8-1.
In relief for the Trash Pandas, Armstrong allowed an unearned run over two innings. Zac Kristofak allowed a run in the fourth. Dakota Donovan ended the game on the mound for the visitors with two scoreless innings.
Seminaris earned the win for the Shuckers, allowing one run on five innings with seven strikeouts. James Meeker finished the win with two scoreless frames.
Martinez’s double in the third was one of just two Trash Pandas hits in the loss. The Shuckers were held to only three hits in the win, but 10 walks and a pair of errors by Maitan supported the offense.
The Trash Pandas (14-16) continue their series against the Shuckers (18-12) with a 6:35 p.m. matchup on Friday night at MGM Park. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.