MADISON, Ala. — The Rocket City Trash Pandas could not hold a pair of early leads as they fell 8-7 to the Biloxi Shuckers Thursday night at Toyota Field.
After going scoreless on Wednesday, the Trash Pandas struck first in the first. Outfielder Gustavo Campero belted a leadoff homer in the first for his team-leading eighth on the season. Later in the inning, Rocket City infielder Sam Brown singled in a run to put the Trash Pandas up by two.
The Shuckers got one of those runs back in the second as catcher Darrien Miller picked up a run-scoring single.
Flexing their muscles again in the bottom half, Rocket City added to their lead with a two-run homer from outfielder Orlando Martinez who extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Miller responded again for the Shuckers in the fourth with his second single of the night to bring a run home. Biloxi would tie the game at four as a double from outfielder Adam Hall scored a pair.
The score stayed tied until Rocket City catcher Caleb Hamilton unknotted things in the sixth with a two-run homer to put the Trash Pandas ahead.
Biloxi managed to tie the game and then some in the seventh against Trash Pandas reliever Brady Choban (L, 0-1) who was making his Double-A debut. A wild pitch from Choban scored two to tie the game before infielder Mike Boeve hit a two-run home run to give the Shuckers their first lead of the night.
The Trash Pandas kept fighting as outfielder Eric Wagaman led off the bottom of the seventh with his eighth home run of the season. It was a solo shot to cut the deficit to one against Shuckers reliever Kaleb Bowman (W, 4-1).
Rocket City would get runners to second and third with two out in the ninth before Shuckers closer Blake Holub (S, 4) induced a game-ending groundout to first from Trash Pandas infielder Sam Brown to give Biloxi the 8-7 win.
Rocket City and Biloxi will face off in game four of the series on Friday for Defenders of the Diamond Superhero Night and Friday Night Fireworks sponsored by Blue Orbit Sign Studio. First pitch is set for 6:35 CT.
