by Hunter Dawkins, Owner/Publisher – editor@thegazebogazette.com or hdawkins@supertalk.fm
BILOXI (GG) — The Biloxi Shuckers (14-18) and Columbus Clingstones (16-16) each salvaged a win to conclude the series in a Sunday afternoon doubleheader. The Shuckers triumphed in game one, 9-6, headlined by a five-run fifth inning with the second Matthew Wood grand slam of the series. In the game two, the Shuckers fell 6-1 after a five-run second frame for the Clingstones.
In game one, Columbus took an early lead courtesy of a Luke Waddell RBI-double in the first inning, but Biloxi punched back in home half with Blake Burke’s 10th home run of the season and a Mike Boeve RBI-single to make it 2-1.
Jesús Made added to the advantage with an RBI-base knock of his own in the second. The Clingstones came back to tie things after a Patrick Clohisy homer in the third inning, and an RBI-single in the fifth, and eventually retook the lead with a David McCabe sacrifice fly.
In the bottom half, Mike Boeve drove in his second run on a groundout to tie the contest again, before a Matthew Wood grand slam doubled the Shuckers lead. Wood’s last two hits have been grand slams. Boeve would add some insurance in the sixth with an RBI-double. David McCabe would mash a two-run homer in the seventh to make it a three-run deficit. Brett Wichrowski (2-1) got the win.
In the second game, the Clingstones struck for all six of their runs in the first two frames, with Luke Waddell RBI-single getting things started in the first, followed by a Kevin Kilpatrick RBI-hit and a Waddell grand slam in the second inning.
The only Shuckers run was a result of Blake Burke’s second home run of the afternoon and 11th of the season. Ryan Bourassa was recognized as the winning pitcher, while former Mississippi State pitcher Tyson Hardin (0-3) took the loss.
Blake Burke became the fastest Shucker to reach 10 home runs in franchise history, achieving the mark in 31 games. Burke leads the Southern League with his 11 homers. Last week, Burke was named the Brewers Minor League Player of the Month Award for April. The award is Burke’s second monthly honor of his career, and his first since August, 2025, when he was named the Southern League Player of the Month.
Burke was one of four Biloxi players with multi-hit performances in game one, including Damon Keith (G1: 2-for-4), Mike Boeve (G1: 2-for-4), and Dasan Brown (G1: 2-for-4). Keith also tied his career-high reaching base in 16-straight contests. Boeve (3) and Matthew Wood (4) tallied the lone multi-RBI outings as well in the first game.
Additionally, Minor League Baseball announced last week that Biloxi Shuckers outfielder Damon Keith has been named the Southern League Player of the Week. For Keith, the weekly award is his first since he was named the Midwest League Player of the Week on August 21, 2022, as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. The award marks the first weekly honor for a Shucker this season and the first since Luis Lara was named the Southern League Player of the Week on September 15, 2025. Keith was acquired by trade on March 27, 2026, from the Dodgers.
Also in game two, Anthony Flores (0.1 ip, 0r), Ryan Birchard (2.0ip, 0r), and Cameron Wagoner (1.0ip, 0r) each delivered shutout performances out of the Biloxi bullpen.
The Shuckers are idle on Monday before they matchup against the Montgomery Biscuits for the first time this season on Tuesday. First pitch for the first-of-six games is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
The Biloxi Shuckers are the Double-A Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Shuckers are members of the Southern League and play at Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi, Mississippi. For more information, please visit biloxishuckers.com and follow us on Twitter @biloxishuckers and at facebook.com/biloxishuckers
