Big innings lift Trash Pandas to Easter win, first series victory
MADISON – The Rocket City Trash Pandas (2-1) continued their high-powered offensive start to the season with a 9–8 win on Easter Sunday, clinching the opening series by taking two of three from the Biloxi Shuckers (1-2) at Toyota Field.
Rocket City “hunted Easter eggs” all weekend, scoring 24 runs over the three-game set—the most to begin a season in franchise history and tied for the fourth-most runs scored over the first three games of a Southern League season in the last 21 years. Of those 24 runs, 15 came across in four big innings, including a five-run third and a four-run fifth on Sunday.
The victory also marked the club’s second-ever Easter win (2-0), with the previous coming in a 1–0, 11-inning victory over Pensacola on April 17, 2022.
For the third straight game, Biloxi struck first, and on Sunday, it came quickly. Eric Brown Jr. launched the second pitch of the game off the batter’s eye in center field for the first of five Shuckers home runs. Later in the inning, Jesús Made scored on a Matthew Wood single, capping a four-hit first inning.
Rocket City starter José Gonzalez settled in after the opening frame, holding Biloxi scoreless until the fifth. He finished with 4.2 innings pitched, allowing four runs on seven hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
The Trash Pandas broke through with their first big inning in the third. The first three batters reached safely to load the bases. David Merson drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, Nick Rodriguez followed with a two-run double, and Harold Coll capped the five-run inning with a two-run home run, giving Rocket City the lead for good.
The Pandas added to their advantage in the fifth, plating four runs and sending nine batters to the plate to take a 9–4 lead. Five consecutive hitters reached with one out, starting with an RBI single from Nick Rodriguez that scored Raudi Rodriguez. David Calabrese followed with his second double of the game, driving in two more, and JJ D’Orazio added an RBI single to cap the inning.
Biloxi starter Tyson Hardin allowed the first five runs, while Sam Garcia surrendered the remaining four.
The Shuckers responded with a power surge. Former Trash Panda and Los Angeles Angel Jordyn Adams hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and Jesús Made, Blake Burke, and D’Andre Keith went back-to-back-to-back in the sixth to cut the deficit to 9–7.
Biloxi’s five home runs matched a franchise record, while the Trash Pandas earned their first win in club history when allowing four or more home runs in a game.
The Shuckers pulled within one run in the eighth on an RBI groundout from Keith. Adeurys Zabala (W, 1–0) allowed one run on two hits over 1.0 inning in his organizational debut to earn the win. Kenyon Yovan (S, 1) recorded the first save by a Trash Panda in 2026, tossing 1.1 innings, allowing one walk while striking out two to close out the victory.
Nick Rodriguez went 5-for-8 over the final two games of the series, collecting two doubles, four RBIs, three walks, and four runs scored. David Calabrese added a 2-for-4 performance with two doubles and two RBIs.
The series win marked Rocket City’s second straight over Biloxi at Toyota Field and its first home series win since July 18–20 of last season against Columbus. The Trash Pandas also improved to 1–0 on Sundays in 2026 after finishing 2–11 in Sunday games a year ago.
The Trash Pandas will begin a six-game road series on Tuesday night in Knoxville, TN. The first game begins at 6:05 pm CT at Covenant Health Park with RHP Bryce Osmond (0-4, 7.16 in’ 25) starting for Rocket City, opposite RHP Jake Knapp (AA Debut) for the Smokies. Fans can follow the action with Josh Caray on 97.7 ESPN The Zone (WZZN-FM), Talk Radio 97.7 FM HD-2.
