SL PLAYOFFS: Simpson's smash lifts Biscuits into championship series

Will Simpson broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning to secure a Biscuits’ win and a berth in the Southern League Championship series. (File Photo)

By TIM GAYLE

Will Simpson homered for the second consecutive game and Alex Cook retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to lift Montgomery into the Southern League Championship Series with a 4-2 win over Biloxi on Thursday at MGM Park. 

Montgomery will face the winner of the North Division on Sunday at either Chattanooga or Birmingham. That series is tied at 1-1 after the Lookouts won the first game 8-6 before the Barons tied the best-of-three series with a 4-0 victory on Thursday.

The two teams will decide the North Division champion on Friday at Chattanooga’s AT&T Field, with the winner hosting the first game of the championship series on Sunday before traveling to Riverwalk Stadium on Tuesday.

Simpson, who hit his 12th homer on the final day of the regular season, went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a solo home run on Tuesday, then went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run on Thursday that tied the game at 2-2.

The Shuckers had grabbed a 2-0 lead with a solo home run by Jesus Made in the third and an RBI single by Blake Burke in the sixth before the Biscuits rallied with four runs in the eighth.

Jadher Areinamo drew a leadoff walk from reliever Austin Roberts before being forced out at second base on a grounder by Cooper Kinney. Simpson followed with a home run to left center to tie the game.

Brayden Taylor followed with a walk and later scored when Gregory Barrios reached on an error that gave the Biscuits the lead. Barrios went to second on a balk and added an insurance run on a Noah Myers’ single

Cook, activated from the 60-day injury list in early July, recorded three saves for the Biscuits since his promotion from Bowling Green and pitched the eighth inning in Tuesday’s game. On Thursday, he pitched the ninth, retiring Garrett Spain on a flyout, striking out Luis Lara and getting Made to ground out to third to end the game.

Biscuits starter T.J. Nichols allowed two runs on seven hits over 5.1 innings. Trevor Martin pitched the remainder of the sixth, Owen Wild picked up the win by pitching into the eighth and Jackson Lancaster was credited with a hold after getting the final out in the eighth inning.

Montgomery’s 2-0 sweep of Biloxi was the first for the Biscuits in 13 playoff appearances. Montgomery also swept Jacksonville in 2006 but that was a best-of-five series.  

SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISIONAL SERIES

Best of three

TUESDAY

Montgomery 7, Biloxi 2

Chattanooga 8, Birmingham 6

THURSDAY

Montgomery 4, Biloxi 2 (Montgomery wins series, 2-0)

Birmingham 4, Chattanooga 0

FRIDAY

Birmingham (82-58) at Chattanooga (74-62), AT&T Field, 6:15 p.m.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

SUNDAY

Montgomery (80-60) at Chattanooga-Birmingham winner, 1:15 p.m.

TUESDAY

Chattanooga-Birmingham winner at Montgomery, 6:35 p.m. (A third game, if necessary, will be played at Montgomery on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m.)