This Day in Shuckers History: July 19
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 four games all-time on July 19 and have a 3–1 record.
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After a rainout in 2015 and a day off in 2016, the Shuckers took the field on July 19 for the first time in 2017 and dropped a 3–2 heartbreaker to the M-Braves in Pearl. Biloxi starting pitcher Luis Ortiz allowed just one hit and did not walk a batter in six sensational innings. Jacob Nottingham tripled home a run in the fifth inning off future major league All-Star Mike Soroka, who struck out 12 batters in seven innings. Clint Coulter then drove in Nottingham with a sacrifice fly, but the Shuckers let the lead get away by surrendering two runs in the seventh and one in the ninth.
On July 19, 2018, the Shuckers swept a doubleheader at home from the Tennessee Smokies, taking the opener 2–1 on a two-run blast by Jake Gatewood in the sixth inning. Biloxi powered up even more in Game 2, as Corey Ray, Gatewood and Luis Aviles Jr. all hit long balls in a 4–1 triumph over the Smokies. Kodi Medeiros pitched five shutout innings with one hit allowed in the nightcap to earn his seventh victory of the season.
On this day last year, the Shuckers and BayBears waited out a 51-minute rain delay before the game began, and then Biloxi prevailed 12–7 in a four-hour, two-minute nine-inning contest. It was the longest nine-inning game in Shuckers history, featuring 26 combined hits, 12 walks and 23 strikeouts. Cooper Hummel went 4-for-5 with a double and a homer, Jake Gatewood and Dillon Thomas each had three hits (with Thomas also homering and driving in five runs), and Patrick Leonard chipped in a pair of knocks and runs batted in. Biloxi’s defense was also on point, turning a season-high four double plays in the contest.
Even though the Shuckers had to wait until 2017 to play on this date, they have been involved in some memorable games and performances. A great pitchers duel between Luis Ortiz and Mike Soroka was the story in 2017, Biloxi hit four home runs in a doubleheader in 2018, and then outlasted Mobile in a regulation game that lasted over four hours in 2019.
