Columbus Clingstones Era Begins with Opening Night Loss at Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, Al., — The Columbus Clingstones (0-1) reached a milestone in Montgomery with their inaugural game, but hard-luck fielding and solid pitching from Montgomery sent the club to a 5-3 loss against the Biscuits (1-0) on Opening Night.

Decisive Plays: Montgomery jumped out early against the Clingstones with an RBI single in the first inning from Will Simpson off Drue Hackenberg (L, 0-1). In the second, Tatem Levins battled through a 12-pitch at-bat before dropping a flare down the left-field line that eluded left fielder Geraldo Quintero. The result was a two-run triple that pushed the Biscuits' lead to 3-0. Montgomery added another run later in the inning to stretch the advantage to 4-0.

James McCann, the veteran catcher who joined the Clingstones earlier in the day, delivered the first RBI in team history with a two-run double in the second. David McCabe made more history in the sixth, launching the franchise’s first home run—a solo, opposite-field shot that cut the deficit to 4-3.

Hunter Stovall added insurance for the Biscuits in the eighth with a bases-loaded walk. JJ Goss (S, 1) closed it out in the ninth, getting Cal Conley to ground out with the tying runs aboard to seal the win.

Key Contributors: McCabe (1-for-3, HR, RBI) recorded his first home run of 2025 and McCann (2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI) showed his Major League experience with a pair of doubles in his first two plate appearances. The Columbus bullpen of Landon Harper, Jake McSteen, Rolddy Munoz, and Shay Schanaman (6.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 8 SO) collectively kept the Clingstones in the game. For Montgomery, Levins (1-for-3, 3B, 2 RBI) and Stovall (1-for-2, 2 RBI) provided much of the offensive spark.

Noteworthy: Several firsts were achieved on Opening Night for the Clingstones:

First hit: James McCann, double off Brody Hopkins in the 1^st inning.

First strikeout: Drue Hackenberg against Colton Ledbetter (swinging) in 1^st inning.

First run: Carlos Rodriguez scored off McCann two-RBI double in 2^nd inning.

First stolen base: Cal Conley in the 5^th inning.

First home run: David McCabe McCabe (solo) off Trevor Martin in the sixth inning.

Next Game (Saturday, April 5): Columbus at Montgomery, 7:05 pm ET at Riverwalk Stadium. RHP Lucas Braun starts for the Clingstones opposed by RHP Jacob Baumeister for the Biscuits. Radio Broadcast: 6:55 pm ET on Sports Visions 92.1 FM.

Next Home Game (Tuesday, April 15): Columbus vs. Pensacola, 7:05 pm ET at Synovus Park. The first-ever Clingstones home game will feature a Commemorative Ticket for the first 3,000 fans and Postgame Fireworks to celebrate the milestone event.