HOME OPENER: Biscuits wallop Blue Wahoo

Biscuits second baseman Tanner Murray turns an unassisted double play in the shutout win over Pensacola on Tuesday. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

Kenny Piper homered to get the party started and the Montgomery Biscuits broke open the game with a seven-run sixth inning to dispose of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 9-0 in front of 4,038 fans in the 2024 home opener at Riverwalk Stadium on Tuesday night.

Starter Ben Peoples went five innings and had help from a quartet of relievers as the Biscuits scattered five singles in an impressive outing that evened their record at 2-2.

The Blue Wahoos (3-1) suffered their first loss of 2024 but remain atop the Southern League South after opening the season with a three-game sweep of the Braves.

Pensacola never threatened as Peoples gave up singles in the first, second and fourth innings and walked a batter in the third, staying out of trouble with the help of an error-free defense. Shortstop Carson Williams, rated as one of the top prospects in the minor leagues, showcased that defense with a ranging stop and throw back across his body in the second inning to get Cody Morrissette and another snag of a hard-hit ball up the middle that he bobbled, recovered and threw out Jacob Berry in the fourth.

Williams also singled and scored in the fourth inning, stealing third and scoring on a passed ball, then driving in a run and later scoring in the sixth to finish 2 for 5 and lift his batting average to a team-best .308.

Piper’s solo shot over the left field wall in the second inning and Williams’ score in the fourth was all the Biscuits needed, but they greeted Pensacola reliever Josan Mendez with seven hits to open the sixth, chasing him after two-thirds of an inning and raising his earned-run average to 94.50.

Angel Macuare, who took the mound in relief of Mendez, gave up a pair of runs that were charged to Mendez on a two-out, two-run single by catcher Dominic Keegan.  

After Peoples’ five-inning start, the bullpen of Evan Reifert, Nelson Alvarez, Jeff Belge and Austin Vernon each tossed a scoreless inning to secure the victory, striking out seven while allowing just two hits.

Kevin Boles won his first home game as the new skipper of the Biscuits.

Cole Wilcox will take the mound for the Biscuits in the second game of the series on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. The series continues through Sunday.