Shuckers fall short against Allard, Braves on Sunday

BILOXI, MS - For the second straight game, the Biloxi Shuckers came up on the wrong end of a close game against the Mississippi Braves. Sunday afternoon's 6-5 loss puts the Shuckers one game back of the Braves for the South Division lead.
Braves top pitching prospect Kolby Allard (W, 4-1), Atlanta's reigning Minor League Pitcher of the Month and the Southern League's Pitcher of the Week, continued his impressive play with five shutout innings against the Shuckers. The lefty allowed two hits and three walks while striking out four on the afternoon.

Shuckers starter Jorge Lopez (L, 2-2) was unable to complete four innings against the potent Braves lineup. He left with two outs in the fourth and the bases loaded trailing 3-0, and Ronald Acuña Jr. greeted reliever Jon Perrin with a leadoff double to stretch the lead to 6-0. All six runs were charged to Lopez, who allowed six hits and struck out two.
After Allard had departed, the Shuckers pounced on reliever Jesse Biddle for four runs in the sixth. After loading the bases with no outs, Javier Betancourt hit an RBI sacrifice fly followed by a Dustin Houle  two-run double to cut the deficit in half. With two outs, Johnny Davis brought home Houle with a single to make it 6-4.
Perrin and Tayler Scott kept the Braves at bay for the late innings, combining to strike out 11 batters over 4.1 innings. The Shuckers missed out on an opportunity to get a run back in the bottom of the eighth when, with runners at first and third with one out, pinch-hitter Dustin DeMuth hit into an inning-ending double play despite appearing to beat the throw to first. DeMuth was ejected from the game for his disagreement.
After Josh Uhen pitched a scoreless top of the ninth, Mauricio Dubón hit a solo home run off Bradley Roney (S, 1) to draw within one. Roney would recover, though, and strike out the next two batters to lock down the Braves win.
Tweet from @BiloxiShuckers: ICYMI: KISS IT GOODBYE! @Mauriciodubon10 left the yard in a hurry during the 9th inning today. The homer was his second on the year. pic.twitter.com/x5Zo0EEYmN
Dubon was 2-for-5 and extended his hitting streak to eight games. He also swiped two bases and now has a Double-A leading 20 on the year. Clint Coulter ran his hitting streak to seven games with a 1-for-4 afternoon at the plate.
The Shuckers return to play Monday night, as Brewers Opening Day starter Junior Guerra makes a rehab start against Braves lefty Luiz Gohara. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 pm, with the Beau Rivage Pregame Show starting at 12:45 pm on Cruisin' WGCM AM-1240/FM-100.9 and the Shuckers Radio Network. The game will also be available at biloxishuckers.com and TuneIn Radio.
The Shuckers' homestand at MGM Park continues on Monday great promotions:
Military Monday presented by Keesler Federal Credit Union - All active and retired military will be able to purchase $7 Reserved Level tickets with valid ID and receive a free haircut voucher courtesy of SportClips with military ticket purchase at the Shuckers box office. The Shuckers will wear military-themed jerseys during each Monday home game to salute our servicemen and women!
Bark in the Park presented by Raising Cane's - Bring your pooch to MGM Park and sit on the berm, as the Shuckers host Bark in the Park presented by Raising Cane's! (free admission for all dogs, but must be on a leash) The Shuckers will host a "Smallest and Largest", "Best Dressed" and "Owner/Dog Look-A-Like" contest for a chance to win great prizes! The Shuckers will be partnering with the Jackson County Animal Shelter for pet adoptions.
The series with the Braves will continue with Military Monday presented by Keesler Federal Credit Union and Bark in the Park presented by Raising Canes on Monday, a Business Person's Special on Tuesday at 10:35 am and another All-You-Can-Eat Wednesday.
Fans are encouraged to purchase Shuckers tickets in advance at any Ticketmaster outlet or biloxishuckers.com.
ABOUT THE BILOXI SHUCKERS:
The Biloxi Shuckers are the Double-A Southern League Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Shuckers 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.com.