This Day in Shuckers History: June 2
While we wait until we can bring you live baseball, let’s take a look back at this date in Biloxi Shuckers history. The Shuckers have played five games all-time on June 2 and have a 3–2 record.
It was a trifecta for Kyle Wren on this day in 2015 as he had three hits and drove in three runs in a 4–3 Shuckers victory at Regions Field in Birmingham. Jorge Lopez was his usual dominant self by throwing seven scoreless innings with just three hits allowed and eight strikeouts, but the Barons scored three runs in the eighth inning to tie the game. Wren singled home Nate Orf to put Biloxi in front to stay in the ninth, and Austin Ross struck out the final two batters with the tying run at second base in the bottom half to preserve the victory.
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Future major leaguer Sean Newcomb slowed the Shuckers bats with just two hits and one run allowed in six innings, and the M-Braves staved off a late Biloxi comeback for a 7–4 win in 2016. Brett Phillips tripled in two runs and Javier Betancourt blasted a solo homer as part of the Shuckers rally.
On this day in 2017, Biloxi dominated in all aspects of the game in a 7–0 victory over Mobile in a game that was called in the sixth inning due to rain at MGM Park. Luis Ortiz got credit for a six-inning complete game shutout and the bats erupted. Clint Coulter, Michael Choice and Michael Reed all homered to account for six of the seven Shuckers runs. Coulter also doubled in the contest, as did Jacob Nottingham and Javier Betancourt. The defense was on point as well as Choice doubled off a runner at first base, one of three twin-killings Biloxi turned on the night.
Despite 15 strikeouts by the pitching staff, the Shuckers fell 6–1 in the series finale to Mississippi in 2018. Trey Supak struck out seven Braves in four innings while Brad Kuntz and Miguel Sanchez each fanned three, sandwiched around a pair of punch outs by Danny Reynolds in a scoreless inning of relief.
Biloxi began a series at TrustMark Park against the M-Braves last year and rolled to a 9–1 victory led by Alec Bettinger and Trent Grisham. Bettinger pitched six innings of three-hit, one-run ball with nine strikeouts, while Grisham launched a three-run homer in the fifth inning as part of a four-RBI night. The Shuckers broke the game wide open with five runs in the top of the ninth, led by a two-run single from Joantgel Segovia. Nate Griep earned the 100th save of his minor league career as he entered with a 4–1 lead in the eighth inning and pitched the final two frames.
Excellent pitching and long balls have been a theme for the Shuckers on June 2 as of late, with Luis Ortiz and Alec Bettinger shutting down a pair of lineups and Clint Coulter and Trent Grisham smashing three-run blasts to put the opposition away. Last year’s home run for Grisham marked the third straight game in which he went deep.
