SLCS: Extra day doesn't help as Biscuits fall in deciding Game 3

Before the rains came, Gregory Barrios (4) scored the first run of the game for the Biscuits in Game 3 of the SLCS at Riverwalk Stadium. (Graham Dunn)

By TIM GAYLE

For the second game in a row, the Birmingham Barons took advantage of miscues in the field and struggles at the plate by the Montgomery Biscuits to jump out to an early five-run lead over the Biscuits in the Southern League Championship Series at Riverwalk Stadium.

Even a rain delay that suspended the game until Thursday couldn’t help the Biscuits, who dropped a 6-3 season ending loss to the Barons on Thursday afternoon.

The Barons won back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025 at the expense of the Biscuits, extending Montgomery’s championship drought to 18 years.  

The Biscuits moved from Orlando to Montgomery prior to the 2004 season and quickly established themselves as a championship contender, beating Huntsville for the Southern League title in their first playoff venture in 2006 and repeating the win over the Stars in 2007.

Since then, 11 playoff appearances have ended in disappointment, including a Southern League-record 10 straight trips to the postseason. The Biscuits have reached the championship series three times in that stretch, losing to Mississippi in 2021 and Birmingham the last two years.

The script for Thursday’s final 4.5 innings followed a similar theme for a team that has struggled at the plate all season.

Trailing 5-1, the Biscuits resumed play with two runners on and Homer Bush at the plate with no outs in the bottom of the fifth. Bush drew a walk, loading the bases, before Colton Ledbetter struck out, Jadher Areinamo flied out to right to score a run and Will Simpson popped up to second base to leave two runners stranded.

The Biscuits would go 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and hit into inning-ending double plays in the sixth and eighth innings.

Montgomery’s Brayden Taylor hit a solo home run to right center field in the eighth inning for the game’s final run.

The game, which had been suspended after a 62-minute rain delay on Wednesday, had another 30-minute rain delay in the eighth inning.

Montgomery pitched Jackson Lancaster, Derrick Edington and Alex Cook over the final four innings, allowing just two hits and one unearned run.

Birmingham used Caleb Freeman, Jake Palisch, Adisyn Coffey and Tyler Davis over the final five innings, allowing four hits and one run.