MONTGOMERY - The Montgomery Biscuits (32-25; 66-61) stopped a four game skid Wednesday night by narrowly holding off the visiting Tennessee Smokies (29-29; 56-72) for a 6-4 win.

The Biscuits jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on Smokies starter Grant Johnson after Erold Andrus lifted a sacrifice fly in the first inning followed by an RBI single in his next at bat in the third. Johnson lasted just three and 2/3 innings after being saddled with three runs on five hits.

Tennessee answered right back in the fourth frame, when Tyler Colvin took Biscuits starter Jeremy Hellickson (5 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR) deep, with Doug Deeds on first base, making the score 2-2. Those would be the only runs Hellickson would allow, through five innings.

In the fifth inning Pat Cottrell connected for his first hit since returning from the disabled list and it could not have come at a better time for Montgomery. After a Gaby Martinez single and double from Andrus, Cottrell launched a three-run shot over the left field wall, giving the Biscuits a four run cushion, 6-2. It was Cottrell's first home run since May.

Doug Deeds homered and Matt Matulia slapped an RBI single, cutting the lead in half against Eddie Morlan in the eighth inning. The Smokies left the bases loaded in the eighth and two more in the ninth after Neil Frontz entered to relieve Morlan. On the way to his seventh save, Frontz made it interesting, allowing two hits in the final frame, but struck out Mark Reed to cement the Biscuits' first win of the series.

Game four will feature James Houser in his second outing since returning from minor knee surgery, with Jino Gonzalez to follow. First pitch is 7:05.

Courtesy: Biscuits Media Relations