Biscuits season comes to an end with Game 3 loss
Mason Montgomery started Game 3 on Friday, pitching three innings of scoreless ball. (File Photo)
STAFF REPORT
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Dax Fulton pitched six innings of one-hit ball and Norel Gonzalez singled in the game’s only run in the eighth inning as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos extended Montgomery’s postseason drought with a 1-0 victory to win the Southern League South Division series on Friday night.
Pensacola (70-64) spotted Montgomery a 1-0 lead in the series, then came back to capture the final two games to advance to the Southern League Championship series for the first time since 2017.
Montgomery (71-63) lost in a division series for the seventh consecutive time. Since winning back-to-back Southern League championships in 2006 and 2007, the Biscuits are 0-7 in divisional series.
Mason Montgomery pitched three innings of one-hit ball to keep even with Fulton, who struck out a professional-best 13 batters as both teams managed just four hits in the final game in the best-of-three series.
The Blue Wahoos made the most of their hits in the eighth inning as Thomas Jones doubled to left field and scored the game’s only run two outs later on a Gonzalez single to right.
The Biscuits, silent since the second inning, made some noise in the ninth with Kyle Manzardo hit a two-out single to right and Ronny Simon followed with an infield single, but Jordan Qsar flew out to center field to end the game.
In the North Division series, Harrison Wenson homered in the third and again in the eighth to lift the Tennessee Smokies to a 3-1 victory over Rocket City at Toyota Field on Friday.
Wenson went 2 for 3, scoring three runs and driving in a pair to put the Smokies in the championship series for the first time since 2011.
Chris Clarke pitched six innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits, while Samuel Reyes pitched the final three innings, allowing just two hits.
The home team won all three South Division games, while the visiting team won all three North Division games.
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
SOUTH DIVISION
Game 1, Montgomery 5, Pensacola 2
Game 2, Pensacola 6, Montgomery 5
Game 3, Pensacola 1, Montgomery 0 (Pensacola advances)
NORTH DIVISION
Game 1, Rocket City 9, Tennessee 5
Game 2, Tennessee 4, Rocket City 2
Game 3, Tennessee 3, Rocket City 1 (Tennessee advances)
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Game 1, Tennessee at Pensacola, Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
Game 2, Pensacola at Tennessee, Tuesday, 6:15 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary), Pensacola at Tennessee, Wednesday, 6:15 p.m.