Shucked again.
The Biloxi Shuckers have accomplished something nobody else has this season: winning a series against Chattanooga at AT&T Field. A three-run first inning catapulted Biloxi to an 11-8 triumph Saturday night over the Lookouts, giving the Shuckers three victories in four games.
“You want to come out and play the game hard, but the outcome hasn’t always come out right,” Lookouts center fielder Byron Buxton said. “We always want to win as many of these series as we can. Whether we win or lose, it’s not going to change the fact that we’re still going to play hard.”
Biloxi grabbed the Southern League’s best record as a result of Saturday’s victory, with the South Division leaders improving to 30-19. The North-leading Lookouts dropped to 29-19.
Lookouts starting pitcher D.J. Baxendale was roughed up out of the gate, allowing a Kyle Wren leadoff single to left field, an Orlando Arcia one-out RBI single to left, a Nick Ramirez RBI double to center and a Taylor Green two-out RBI double to left. Biloxi added four runs in the third inning to go up 7-0, with that outburst highlighted by Michael Reed’s three-run homer to left.
The Lookouts got those four runs back later in the third inning on Travis Harrison’s grand slam to left, but Nathan Orf doubled in the fifth and sixth innings as Biloxi built a 10-4 lead.
“We feel like that if we play well that there is no one that can beat us,” Harrison said. “I think we take it more inning by inning and pitch by pitch. You can say before each series that you want to win three of five, but in reality, if you go pitch by pitch, you can win five in a row.
“If you get ahead of yourself, you can lose five in a row easily, so I just think that staying in the moment is key for us.”
David Hurlbut (0-1, 21.00 ERA) is scheduled to start today’s 2:15 series finale on the mound for the Lookouts, with Hobbs Johnson (3-1, 2.81) scheduled for the Shuckers.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.