Wahoos Walk With 4-3 Win

June 14, 2012

Blue Wahoos catcher Mark Fleury laid down a suicide squeeze bunt to score right fielder Josh Fellhauer from third in the bottom of the 11th to give Pensacola a 4-3 walk off victory over the Mobile BayBears on Wednesday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

The win gives the Fish a team-high fifth straight victory to improve Pensacola’s record to 32-33 in 2012, while the defeat drops Mobile to a 38-28 record this year. Before the game, Oakland Athletics first round draft pick and Pace High School grad Addison Russell was honored and threw out a ceremonial first pitch.

After Fellhauer was hit by a pitch to begin the 11th frame, CF Andrew Means drew a free pass and LF Yordanys Perez was intentionally walked to set the stage for Fleury with one out. The Blue Wahoos backstop then put down a bunt to the third base side as Fellhauer charged home and scored without a play to cue the celebration.

Pensacola also started the game’s scoring in the opening frame with a single tally, marking the sixth time in eight contests the club has scored in the first inning. CF Ryan LaMarre led off with a single and was brought home from first when SS Didi Gregorius doubled to right center to put the Blue Wahoos ahead 1-0.

Mobile however, would counter in the fifth with two scores of their own to take their first lead of the game at 2-1. LF Dan Kaczrowski started the rally with a single, moved to second on SS Wladimir Sutil’s walk and then third on a fielder’s choice, before coming plateward on a sacrifice fly off the bat of CF Evan Frey. Sutil subsequently scored on 2B David Nick’s run-scoring double to push the BayBears in front.

The Blue Wahoos then answered right back to draw the game even at 2-2 in the bottom half of the frame by playing small ball. Fleury began the inning with a double and was advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt before being sent home on LaMarre’s sacrifice fly to center.

Mobile then grabbed back the lead in the seventh courtesy of a solo shot from 3B Matt Davidson, which was his Southern League leading 15thh of the year, while the Fish tied it up in the next inning. Following a lead off double from Gregorius, and a sacrifice bunt to move him to third, RF Josh Fellhauer delivered with an RBI single to right to once again even the margin.

Fleury (3-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI) recorded three hits in the game to lead Pensacola, while Gregorius (2-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB) and 3B David Vidal (2-5, 1 2B) each collected a pair of base knocks. Kaczrowski (3-5, 1 R, 1 BB) paced the BayBears with his three base hits, while Davidson (2-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB) and C Rossmel Perez (2-5, 1 2B) also notched multi-hit efforts.

Seven different Pensacola relievers held Mobile to just four hits and a run in their 6.2 innings of work in support of starter Tim Crabbe (4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO), with RHP Curtis Partch (1.0 IP) earning his third win of the year, while Mobile LHP Eury De La Rosa (1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB) suffered the loss after allowing the final run. BayBears starter Gaby Hernandez (6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO) did not receive a decision despite yielding just two earned runs on six hits in six frames.

The Blue Wahoos and BayBears will square again Thursday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm. LHP Tony Cingrani, the Reds’ No. 15 prospect according to Baseball America is slated to take the hill for the Fish, while Mobile is expected to counter with LHP Tyler Skaggs, who was tabbed as the third-best prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ system, and the 14th best prospect overall before the season.

By Andrew Green

Pictured top: Mark Fleury’s suicide squeeze in the 11th gave the Wahoos a 4-3 walk off win. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports