Biscuits Survive Smokies Rally, 6-5

KODAK, TN. - The Biscuits (15-16) had a 6-1 lead entering the sixth inning, and this time the Smokies (18-13) could not complete the comeback on Friday night at Smokies Stadium.

Montgomery got the bats rolling early in Kohl Franklin’s (0-1) Double-A debut with an RBI-double from Blake Hunt and an RBI-single from Alexander Ovalles to make the score 2-0 in the opening frame. Tennessee responded in the bottom of the inning with a solo-home run from BJ Murray Jr. to open Mason Montgomery’s seventh start of the season.

After both sides were retired in order during the second inning, Mason Auer and Diego Infante hit back-to-back RBI-singles to extend the Biscuits’ lead to 4-1 in the third. Montgomery dominated on the mound in the bottom-frame, picking off Bradlee Beasley and striking out two.

Alika Williams blew the game open with a two-run homer in the top of the fourth as the Biscuits led 6-1 entering the next frame. Montgomery dominated on the mound once again, bringing his strikeout tally to five on the evening after sending two more down swinging.

The Biscuits could not muster much offense against Blake Whitney in the top of the fifth, and the Smokies threatened to cut into the lead in the bottom-half. With two runners in scoring position, the Biscuits retired the next two batters before Victor Muñoz stepped on to send the game into the sixth after throwing just one pitch.

Whitney retired the side in order in the top-frame and the Smokies began to cut into the lead after Pete Crow-Armstrong and Murray Jr. hit solo-home runs to make the score 6-3. It was the second and third home run of the evening for the league leaders of that category, but the Biscuits got two groundouts to keep the lead at three.

The Biscuits failed to find any offense in the top of the seventh, and the Smokies continued their rally in the bottom-half after an RBI-single from Crow-Armstrong. With two outs and runners on first and third, Muñoz struck out Luis Vasquez to send the game into the eighth inning.

Hunter Bigge replaced Whitney to start the frame and the righty sent the next three batters down to make it nine-straight retired for the Biscuits. Franklin Dacosta made his first Double-A appearance on the mound this season, but Chase Strumpf hit the fourth home run of the day for Tennessee to put the Smokies within one run as the game entered the final inning.

Gionti Turner recorded Montgomery’s first hit since the fifth inning with two outs in the ninth before Williams flied out to put the Smokies up to bat down one run. A quick fly-out and a strikeout for Pablo Aliendo put the Smokies down to their last out. Crow-Armstrong was unable to keep the rally alive, and the Biscuits earned their first win at Smokies Stadium in over two years.

Montgomery and Tennessee will play again on Saturday, May 13th in the penultimate matchup of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET, and the projected pitching matchup for tomorrow night pits Anthony Molina (0-2) for the Biscuits against Jordan Wicks (2-0) for Tennessee.

The Biscuits return to Riverwalk Stadium on Tuesday, May 16th for a six-game series against the Mississippi Braves.