SL DIVISION CHAMPS AGAIN: Biscuits clinch second-half division title; opens playoffs next week

Manager Kevin Boles and the Montgomery Biscuits clinched the second half of the Southern League division on Thursday and will play Biloxi in the Division Series beginning next Tuesday, Sept. 17. (File Photo)

STAFF REPORT

PENSACOLA -- The Montgomery Biscuits got home runs from Dominic Keegan, Tre’ Morgan, Xavier Isaac and Brayden Taylor to defeat the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 10-3 and clinch the Southern League South Division second half championship.

Montgomery (80-54) lost an opportunity to clinch the second half on Wednesday when Hurricane Francine postponed the game until Thursday. The two teams played a pair of seven-inning games on Thursday, with the Biscuits winning both to register 80 wins for just the ninth time in the city’s history as a Southern League franchise.

After winning the first half division title, the Biscuits won both halves of the division race for only the second time in club history. Despite its South Division dominance, the Biscuits will have to settle for second in the overall Southern League standings behind Tennessee.

In the first game Thursday, the Biscuits tied the game in the fourth inning on Keegan’s solo blast to center field, then took the lead in the fifth on RBI singles by Morgan and Carson Williams. In the seventh, Morgan hit a solo home run and Isaac and Taylor followed with two-run shots to increase the lead to 10-1.

Chandler Simpson went 3 for 5 and Mason Auer went 3 for 4 to lead the offense. Sean Hunley started the game for Montgomery and allowed just two hits and a run in three innings. Antonio Jimenez (3-0) picked up the win in relief, pitching the fourth and fifth innings and allowing just one hit.

In the second game, Williams slugged a three-run homer in the first and drove in Jalen Battles with an RBI single in the second for a quick lead as the Biscuits held on for a 4-3 win. Duncan Davitt pitched the first 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and three runs, before Evan Reifert (2-0) picked up the win in relief, allowing just one hit over 1.2 innings. Vernon Austin picked up his ninth save with a scoreless seventh.

Much like the first half, which Montgomery closed out with a 7-2 record in the final nine games, the Biscuits are peaking at the right time, having won eight of their last nine games.

First-year manager Kevin Boles said he “juggled some things around” late in the first half and would do the same as the Southern League playoffs approached.

“We’re going to start doing some things a little bit different and start getting them into playoff mode,” he said. “It’s not something you script, but you can tell. We did some different moves (late in the first half of the season) as far as the pitching goes and with the lineups. The players responded and did a nice job with it. It’s the same thing with the (upcoming) playoffs. The regular season is over, once it’s time for the playoffs, you’re going to go for it.”

The Biscuits are almost a different team in September, with several new faces dotting the lineup, but Montgomery pitcher Adam Leverett said the new players have blended in well with the lineup.

“I think with the new guys we’ve added, getting us to jell with the new guys we have coming up and the trade guys, I think honestly we kind of have a revitalization and we’re going to have the momentum going toward that playoff spot just because we’re going to have a new team but we’re going to play together,” he said. “So that’s going to give us momentum. It’s all about perspective and how you look at it.”

Fans are hopeful the Biscuits can advance past the divisional round of the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Biloxi’s sweep of Mississippi gave the Shuckers a five-game lead over Pensacola and Mississippi with three games left to play, assuring the team of a playoff berth in the divisional series. The Shuckers (65-67) will play host to Montgomery on Tuesday, Sept. 17 in the best-of-three divisional playoffs, then travel to Riverwalk Stadium after a day off to play the second game on Thursday, Sept. 19. A third game, if necessary, will be held the following night.

 The winner of the South divisional series will host the Southern League championship series on Sunday, Sept. 22. After a day off, the best-of-three series will move to the North Division team on Tuesday, Sept. 24. A third game, if necessary, will be played the following day at the North Division site.

MOST WINS BY MONTGOMERY (SOUTHERN LEAGUE)

88 -- Biscuits, 2019

86 -- Rebels, 1977

81 -- Biscuits, 2007

81 -- Rebels, 1976

80 -- Biscuits, 2024 (current)

80 -- Biscuits, 2023

80 -- Rebels, 1967

80 -- Rebels, 1968

80 -- Rebels, 1973

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

Divisional Series (best-of-three)

Montgomery at Biloxi, Sept. 17

Birmingham at Tennessee, Sept. 17

Biloxi at Montgomery, Sept. 19

Tennessee at Birmingham, Sept. 19

Biloxi at Montgomery, Sept. 20 (if necessary)

Tennessee at Birmingham, Sept. 20 (if necessary)

Championship Series (best-of-three)

Tennessee-Birmingham at Montgomery-Biloxi, Sept. 22

Montgomery-Biloxi at Tennessee-Birmingham, Sept. 24

Montgomery-Biloxi at Tennessee-Birmingham, Sept. 25 (if necessary)