by Hunter Dawkins
Despite serious weather conditions through last weekend, the Biloxi Shuckers won six games in a row for a 57-39 overall record and a lead in the second half of the season.
After sweeping the Chattanooga Lookouts on the heels of Tropical Storm Barry, they began their 10-game road stretch with a victory over the Mobile Bay Bearcats 7-3 Thursday night.
Shuckers starter Drew Rasmussen allowed two early runs and exited the game, but Biloxi rallied in the top of the sixth inning led by a Dylan Thomas home run.
Biloxi second baseman C.J. Hinosa secured the victory in the top of the seventh with a two run-home run putting the lead 7-2 Shuckers.
Covering the last doubleheader before the break, the Biloxi Shuckers completed a five-game sweep of the Chattanooga Lookouts on Tuesday night at MGM Park, winning both legs of a doubleheader 8-0 and 4-1. Ace starter Trey Supak tossed the first complete game of his career in Game One, coming one out shy of throwing a no-hitter, while Bowden Francis allowed just one run in five innings of work in Game Two.
Supak (W, 10-4) came out firing for the Shuckers, retiring the first 12 men that he faced in order. The Brewers’ #11 prospect allowed his first baserunner on a walk to Ibandel Isabel in the fifth but didn’t allow the runner to advance as he sat down the next three batters in order.
Biloxi’s offense gave their ace plenty of run support throughout the game. Cooper Hummel started the scoring in the second when he launched a leadoff homer to left off Lookouts Scott Moss (L, 6-4), Hummel’s eighth homer of the season and third in four games, to put Biloxi on the board 1-0. Bruce Caldwell supplied two more runs in the third with a two-RBI double, extending the Shuckers lead to 3-0.
In the home half of the fifth, Weston Wilson singled to start the inning and Hummel followed with a sharp single to left, his third hit of the night. Two batters later, Joantgel Segovia doubled down the left-field line, scoring both runners to push the Shuckers to a 5-0 lead. Segovia would move to third on a wild pitch from Cory Thompson and scored on a passed ball by Chris Okey.
Chattanooga put one man on base in the sixth on a fielding error, but Supak handled the next two Lookouts batters without allowing a hit. Yet again, the Shuckers offense gave their right-hander some time to relax in the dugout in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs on an RBI double by Bruce Caldwell and a fielding error in left by Taylor Trammel.
Still carrying his no-hitter into the seventh, Supak induced a one-hopper to the mound from Mitch Nay for the first out and struck out Isabel for the second out, Supak’s ninth strikeout of the night. Jose Siri stepped in for Chattanooga and lined a single up the middle with two outs, breaking up the no-hit bid for Supak.
The La Grange, TX native finished off the complete game with a groundout from pinch hitter Gavin LaValley. All told, Supak hurled seven innings and allowed just the one hit and one walk while not allowing a run and striking out nine.
It is the second time this season Supak has come one out from throwing a no-hitter, as the righty took a no-hitter to two outs in the ninth against the Tennessee Smokies on May 30 at MGM Park.
The Biloxi Shuckers are a Milwaukee Brewers AA affiliate.
