This Day in Shuckers History: July 16
While we unfortunately won’t be able to bring you any live baseball until 2021, let’s take a look back at this date in Biloxi Shuckers history. The Shuckers have played five games all-time on July 16 and have a 3–2 record.
Major league rehabber Wily Peralta led the way in 2015 as five Shuckers pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout in a 3–0 victory over the Lookouts. Peralta, the reigning Brewers Pitcher of the Year, allowed two hits in 3.2 innings before reaching his pitch limit. Derek Eitel, Brooks Hall, Manny Barreda and Mike Strong took care of the rest as a powerful Chattanooga lineup did not manage an extra-base hit on the evening. Biloxi scored all three runs in the fourth inning with only one hit needed in the frame. Parker Berberet and Victor Roache took bases-loaded walks and another tally came across on a miscue.
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Javier Betancourt tripled in the only run for the Shuckers on this day in 2016, in a 9–1 loss to Birmingham at home. Biloxi again hosted the Barons in 2017 and controversy struck late in the game. With the Shuckers trailing 6–4 in the ninth, Blake Allemand was at the plate with runners at the corners and two outs and ripped what appeared to be a two-run triple down the right-field line to tie the game. However, the ball landed behind the foul pole, which is in play at MGM Park, and the umpires eventually reversed the call and deemed it a ground-rule double. This led to the tying run having to retreat to third base, and Birmingham held on for a 6–5 victory. Johnny Davis and Dustin DeMuth both homered for the Shuckers in the loss.
Lucas Erceg went 4-for-4 with a home run to lead Biloxi to an 8–3 win in Jacksonville in 2018, claiming the rubber match of the series. Corey Ray, Trent Grisham and Luis Aviles Jr. all had two hits, with Aviles throwing in a steal of home, one of three stolen bases for the Shuckers on the evening.
On July 16, 2019, Trey Supak came within one out of a no-hitter for the second time in seven weeks, this time in a seven-inning contest against the Chattanooga Lookouts. Supak had allowed just two baserunners on an error and a walk when he began the seventh inning. He got Mitch Nay to ground out and then fanned Ibandel Isabel for his ninth strikeout of the night, before Jose Siri guided a single up the middle to break up history for Supak again. The right-hander then induced Gavin LaValley to ground out to end the game, finishing the first complete-game shutout of his professional career. Supak had more than enough run support as the Shuckers scored eight runs on 15 knocks, including six players with a multi-hit game. Cooper Hummel had three hits including a triple and homer, Bruce Caldwell doubled twice and drove in three runs, Joantgel Segovia chipped in a two-run double, and Supak improved to 8-for-25 on the season with two hits of his own.
The Shuckers still had Game 2 of the doubleheader to play last year, and capped off a five-game sweep of the Lookouts with a 4–1 victory. Trailing 1–0 in the third inning, Biloxi vaulted in front when Dillon Thomas, C.J. Hinojosa and Bruce Caldwell hit a trifecta of run-scoring doubles with two outs. Weston Wilson tacked on an insurance run with a solo homer in the sixth, and the Shuckers won nine of ten games from Chattanooga at MGM Park in 2019.
From a four-hit shutout to a controversial finish due to a ball going behind the foul pole to another near no-hitter by Trey Supak, drama has not lacked at MGM Park on July 16. Last year’s doubleheader sweep capped a stretch in which Biloxi took four games from Chattanooga in a span of just over 24 hours, as the teams had to play consecutive twinbills to make up for inclement weather.
