This Day in Shuckers History: Sept. 11
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 three playoff games all-time on September 11 and have a 2–1 record.
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On September 11, 2015, Adrian Houser delivered the best pitching performance of Biloxi’s inaugural season, tossing a three-hit complete-game shutout in a 6–0 victory over Pensacola at MGM Park. Houser struck out ten batters and retired the first 18 in a row before Philip Ervin singled to open the seventh inning, and the other two base hits he surrendered were of the infield variety. Yadiel Rivera and Orlando Arcia continued to be a force at the top of the lineup for the Shuckers, combining to go 5-for-9 with Arcia mashing a two-run homer. Tyrone Taylor and Victor Roache each added an RBI single in a four-run fifth inning that broke the game open, and Garrett Cooper doubled home Michael Reed in the seventh. With the win, the Shuckers took a 2–0 lead in the series, needing just one win in the next three contests at Blue Wahoos Stadium in order to advance.
In 2018, the Shuckers received another dominant pitching performance in the postseason, this time led by the right arm of Braden Webb in a 7–0 victory. Getting the start in Game 1 of the Southern League Championship Series in Jackson, Webb also took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before a Domingo Leyba double ended the bid. At that point the Generals had runners on second and third with no outs, but Jeff Ames came in and put out the fire, retiring the next three batters without allowing a run to score. Jon Olczak and Miguel Sanchez each worked a scoreless frame in relief to finish the combined two-hit shutout. Biloxi got rolling offensively right out of the gate, as Troy Stokes Jr. doubled home Corey Ray immediately following a leadoff walk. After scoring another run in the first, the Shuckers increased their lead to 5–0 in the sixth, with most of the damage coming on a two-run double off the bat of Lucas Erceg. Weston Wilson delivered an RBI single in the eighth, and newcomer Dillon Thomas put an exclamation mark on the victory with his first home run in a Biloxi uniform in the ninth.
On this day last year, the Jackson Generals plated four runs in the top of the ninth inning to hand the Shuckers a 6–2 defeat and even the championship series at a win apiece. Cooper Hummel tied the game for Biloxi with a dramatic two-out, two-run single in the eighth, but Jackson had a massive answer. Ben DeLuzio, Daulton Varsho, Pavin Smith and Drew Ellis all delivered two-out run-scoring hits in the ninth after the first two batters were retired. Shuckers starting pitcher Dylan File was excellent once again, firing six innings of four-hit ball with just one unearned run allowed and nine punchouts.
Starting pitching has been nothing short of exceptional on this date in team history, as Adrian Houser, Braden Webb and Dylan File have combined to throw 21 innings while allowing just five hits and no unearned runs, with three walks and 26 strikeouts. Unfortunately, Shuckers second baseman C.J. Hinojosa was lost for the remainder of the championship series on this day last year after fouling a ball off his leg.
