Bennett Shines, Strikes Out 11 as Biloxi Wins Ninth IN-a-Row
September 18, 2022 – Southern League (SL) – Biloxi Shuckers News Release
PENSACOLA, FL – Another stellar outing from their starting pitcher helped the Biloxi Shuckers (67-67, 33-34 2nd Half) win their ninth consecutive game, a 4-1 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (67-63, 33-34 2nd Half) on Saturday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Biloxi jumped out to a lead in the top of the second inning. Zavier Warren led off the frame with a solo blast to right, his second at Double-A, to make it 1-0 Shuckers. Tristen Lutz then lined a solo shot off RHP Cody Mincey (L, 5-7) over the left-field wall, going back-to-back with Warren to put Biloxi up 2-0. Ethan Murray doubled off the base of the left-field wall and Gabe Holt lashed a single to left, putting men on the corners with no outs, but Mincey got a strikeout and a double play to limit the Shuckers to just two runs.
On the hill for Biloxi, LHP Nick Bennett retired the first seven hitters that he faced, striking out four in the process. The lone mistake of the night for the southpaw came in the bottom of the third when Marcus Chiu hit a solo home run to left, his third of the year, pulling Pensacola within a run at 2-1. Bennett gave up a single to J.D. Orr with two outs before a lineout by Cobie Fletcher-Vance brought the third to a close. They were the lone two hits allowed by Bennett on the night.
The Shuckers added on another run in the top of the fifth inning when Nick Kahle blasted a solo home run to left, his fourth of the year, pushing Biloxi back in front by two at 3-1.
Bennett took the lead and ran with it, retiring 11 straight batters from the third through the seventh. The former sixth-round pick struck out two in the fourth, one in the fifth and struck out the side in the sixth, pushing him to double-digits strikeouts, just the second Shuckers’ pitcher to record 10 or more strikeouts in a game this year.
In the top of the seventh, Kahle singled with one out and advanced to second on a groundout. Jackson Chourio then ripped a single into left, driving home Kahle to widen the Shuckers’ lead to 4-1. Bennett came out for the bottom of the seventh and issued a one-out walk but struck out Bubba Hollins and got a flyout from Davis Bradshaw to complete seven innings. The 11 strikeouts are a new career high for Bennett and his seven innings matched a career high which he set back on July 22 at MGM Park against Pensacola.
RHP Arnaldo Hernandez (H, 3) struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning before giving the ball over to RHP Harold Chirino (S, 3) for the ninth. Fletcher-Vance singled but Chirino struck out each of the next two hitters for the first two outs in the frame. The righty walked the next two batters but struck out Demetrius Sims looking to secure the victory for Biloxi.
Winners of their last nine games, the Biloxi Shuckers conclude their 2022 season on Sunday afternoon at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Biloxi is set to send RHP Carlos Luna (5-5, 5.18) to the mound against Wahoos’ LHP Luis Palacios (0-0, 3.60) for a 4:05 pm first pitch. The game can be seen on MiLB.TV and heard locally on WGCM AM 1240/FM 100.9.
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