Shuckers sweep Braves in doubleheader

BILOXI, MS -- The second half opener was delayed by a day due to Tropical Storm Cindy, forcing the Mississippi Braves and Biloxi Shuckers to play a doubleheader Friday evening. The Shuckers swept the twinbill, claiming game one 2-0 before taking the nightcap 11-9 in extra innings.
In game one, Biloxi (38-33) scored in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. A leadoff walk to Johnny Davis followed by a stolen base set up a one-out single by Michael Choice to plate the game's first run. The Shuckers didn't score again until the bottom of the sixth on a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Clint Coulter, giving Biloxi the 2-0 lead and all it would need to secure the victory.

Tyler Pike, in his second start for the Double-A Braves, pitched the complete game. He surrendered two runs on four hits while walking three and striking out two. Ronald Acuña Jr. went 3-for-3 at the plate for Mississippi (34-38), accounting for all but one of the Braves hits against Corbin Burnes (2-0). Burnes went the distance, shutting out the Braves on four hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.
Game two was the opposite of the first. A combined 17 runs were scored and five different pitchers took the mound in the first two innings. It then took an extra frame to determine the winner with Biloxi securing the 11-9 victory.
Mississippi got on the board quickly in the top of the first when starting pitcher Taylor Williams walked three consecutive batters with one out to load the bases. Jared James then singled, scoring Acuna. Kade Scivicque also singled to score Travis Demeritte. Connor Lien hit a shot to the hot corner, bringing home Sal Giardina and James on the error. After a fly out, Max Fried singled to bring home Scivicque. Luis Valenzuela then came to the plate for the second time in the inning, and he delivered a RBI-single to put the Braves out front 6-0.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, including a fielder's choice to put Blake Allemand at first, Fried walked Choice. Angel Ortega then singled to load the bases, and Art Charles drew a bases-loaded walk. Wendell Rijo then singled to drive in Choice and Ortega, making it a 6-3 game. After Dustin Houle singled, pitcher Bubba Derby doubled to left, plating Charles and Rijo to cut the Braves lead to 6-5 after one inning.
Mississippi plated three more runs in the second on two doubles, a single and four walks. With two outs, Scivicque singled to plate Giardina who had doubled earlier. After a double by Lien and a walk to Omar Obregon, Michael Mader worked an 11-pitch at-bat to draw a walk and bring home Scivicque. Lien then scored on a walk to Dylan Moore, giving the Braves a 9-5 lead.
Unable to stand prosperity, Mississippi gave up three runs on two walks, a hit and an error to allow the Shuckers to close the gap to 9-8 after two innings.
Neither team scored again until the bottom of the fifth when Biloxi scored an unearned run on a safety squeeze to tie the game 9-9. Rijo reached on a throwing error by Demeritte at third, stole second, advanced to third on a single by Nick Ramirez. He then scored on a Johnny Davis sacrifice bunt.
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Choice delivered a 2-2 pitch over the left-field wall for the walk-off home run scoring himself and Davis who had singled to lead off the inning.
The Braves used four pitchers, Max Fried (0.2 innings), Michael Mader (2.1 innings), Wes Parsons (3.0 innings) and Jesse Biddle (1.2 innings) in game two of the twinbill. Biddle took the loss.
Game 1
Mississippi (34-37, 0-1) 0R           4H           0E
Biloxi (37-33, 1-0)             2R           4H           0E
Win: Corbin Burnes (2-0)
Loss: Tyler Pike (0-2)
Time: 1:44
Game 2
Mississippi (34-38, 0-2) 9R 13H        3E
Biloxi (38-33, 2-0)             11R         9H 1E
Win: Tayler Scott (4-4)
Loss: Jesse Biddle (2-3)
Time: 2:57
Atten: 2,917