Biloxi Shuckers advance to Southern League Championship with 8-3 win over Blue Wahoos!

1 hour ago

Ansley Brent,

The Biloxi Shuckers are heading back to the Southern League Championship Series for the first time since 2019.

After taking Game 1 of the Southern League Division Series on Tuesday, Biloxi needed just one more win to advance. The Shuckers delivered Thursday night, defeating the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 8-3 at Keesler Federal Park to sweep the series.

Left-handed pitcher J.D. Thompson got the start for Biloxi and quickly settled in, retiring three batters in order and capping the opening inning with a strikeout. The Shuckers’ offense wasted little time giving Thompson some run support.

Leadoff hitter Dylan O’Rae got things going with a hard-hit ball into the gap between third base and shortstop. Jesús Made followed by sending a towering shot to left-center field that kept carrying until it cleared the wall. Made’s two-run homer gave Biloxi a 2-0 lead after the first inning.

Thompson continued to keep the Blue Wahoos offense in check, while the Shuckers’ bats stayed hot. In the second inning, Matthew Wood launched a two-run home run to right field, extending Biloxi’s lead to 4-0. The Shuckers weren’t finished there. Braylon Payne followed with another long ball, hammering a two-run homer that left his bat at 117 miles per hour. The blast marked the third Shuckers home run in the first two innings and pushed the lead to 6-0.

Pensacola finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning, cutting the deficit to 6-1. The Blue Wahoos added two more runs in the seventh, but Biloxi quickly answered by driving in two runs with a single to give the Shuckers some additional insurance and restore their six-run advantage. The Shuckers held on from there to secure the 8-3 victory and complete the sweep.

With the win, Biloxi advances to the Southern League Championship Series for the first time since 2019. The Shuckers will face the Rocket City Trash Pandas in the best-of-three championship series, with Game 1 set for Sunday, September 20, at Keesler Federal Park.