Braves Beat Wahoos 7-3 Before Capacity Pensacola Crowd

May 27, 2012

The Braves collected six straight singles as part of a five-run eighth inning, as first baseman Ian Gac recorded three hits, to lead Mississippi to a 7-3 win over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in front of another capacity crowd of 5,038 on Saturday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

It was the 17thh sellout crowd of the year at the bayfront stadium in their 23rdd home opening of 2012. The victory clinched the series for the Braves, who improved their record to 22-26 this season, while the Blue Wahoos fell to 23-26 this year.

Pensacola entered the eighth inning leading 3-2, but Mississippi plated five runs on six straight singles to grab a 7-3 advantage they would not give up. Prior to their late inning scoring spurt, Mississippi brought home single scores in the fourth and sixth innings, including Gac’s RBI double in the sixth.

The Blue Wahoos took an early 1-0 lead in the second thanks to RF Andrew Means’ first home run of the year, while C Brian Peacock drove in the next two tallies for the Fish. The Pensacola backstop drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth, and later drove in 3B David Vidal with an RBI single in the sixth.

Both starters did not factor in the decision despite quality starts, with Pensacola RHP Daniel Corcino (6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO) yielding just two earned runs on six hits in six frames, while Braves LHP Sean Gilmartin (6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 9 SO) tied a season-high with nine strikeouts and gave up three runs in his six innings of work.

Braves reliever Andy Russell (2.0 IP) earned the victory after throwing two shutout innings in relief of starter Gilmartin, while RHP Mark Serrano (0.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER) suffered the loss to fall to 3-1 on the year.

Along with Gac (3-5, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI) LF Alden Carrithers (2-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB) collected two or more hits for Mississippi, while 3B David Vidal (2-4, 1 R, 1 2B) and RF Andrew Means (2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI) recorded multi-hit efforts in the defeat.

The Braves and Blue Wahoos will meet for the final time this series on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch set for 2:00 pm at the bayfront stadium. Pensacola is scheduled to send RHP Tim Crabbe to the hill, while Mississippi is expected to counter with RHP David Hale.

by Andrew Green

Pictured Andrew Means homered for the first time this year as the Blue Wahoos lost to the Braves in Pensacola Saturday night. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.


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