Blue Wahoos Squeak Past Shuckers in Rubber Match

In their first extra-inning home game of the year the Biloxi Shuckers (25-15) dropped a 3-2 rubber match to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (18-22) on a Wednesday morning.
Corey Ray put the Shuckers in the lead early with his second leadoff home run in less than 24 hours off starter RHP Wyatt Strahan. The homer was Ray's third in the last two games as well. He handed LHP Kodi Medeiros the lead, and the 21-year-old shut down Pensacola's offense through his first five innings by working out of trouble on several occasions.
The lefty allowed a leadoff base runner in five of his six innings on the mound. Twice on the day, his defense helped him by cutting down the would-be first run at the plate in the second and fourth innings. Medeiros scattered six hits over his six frames, but the last of which was a Gavin LaValley home run in the sixth that tied the game at one.
Troy Stokes Jr. answered in the bottom of the sixth with a solo laser of his own. Stokes belted his first home run since April 22 to give Biloxi the 2-1 lead. In the top of the eighth, LHP Nick Ramirez (BS, 2) allowed a leadoff walk to Luis Gonzalez. A pickoff throw that sailed wide of first allowed Gonzalez to take third with nobody out. LaValley provided the deep sacrifice fly the Blue Wahoos needed to tie the game at two.
Despite allowing a single in the ninth, LHP Brennan Bernardino (W, 1-0) struck out the side, stranding the winning run at second base to send the game to extras. The Blue Wahoos plated their bonus runner with a single from CJ McElroy off RHP Jon Olczak (L, 3-1) to take a 3-2 advantage. Bernardino came on to finish things in the bottom of the tenth. Wendell Rijo bunted Biloxi's bonus runner over to third, but Dustin Houle grounded out softly to second base, and Ray flied out to right field to end the contest. The Shuckers are now 1-3 in extra-inning games this season.
Biloxi continues their ten-game homestand by starting a five-game set with the Chattanooga Lookouts on Thursday night at 6:35 PM CT. RHP Thomas Jankins (6-1, 3.02) gets the ball for the Shuckers, as he faces LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-3, 5.17) on a Double Play Thursday.
The Biloxi Shuckers are the Double-A Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Shuckers play at MGM Park in Biloxi, Mississippi. For more information please visit biloxishuckers.com and follow us on Twitter @biloxishuckers and at facebook.com/biloxishuckers.com. Single game tickets for the Biloxi Shuckers 2018 season are on sale now and can be purchased at the MGM Park box office or over the phone through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Season tickets, flex plans and group outings are also available and can be reserved by calling 228-233-3465 or visiting www.biloxishuckers.com.