Blue Wahoos Beat BayBears

July 22, 2012

Blue Wahoos center fielder Ryan LaMarre collected two-hits, including a solo homer in the fourth inning, while the bullpen trio of Drew Hayes, Josh Ravin and Justin Freeman combined for four hitless frames as Pensacola bested the Mobile BayBears 4-2 on Saturday night at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

With the victory, Pensacola improved to a 17-12 mark to guarantee at least a share of first place with Montgomery in the South Division’s second half standings. Mobile fell to a 13-16 record since the league’s All-Star Break with the loss. Once again, several busloads of Blue Wahoos fans were on hand, as the team offered a free trip with tickets to the contest for season-ticket holders.

The BayBears were held to just three hits in the contest, with starter J.C. Sulbaran (5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO) giving up all three, in addition to two earned runs as he received a no-decision. The reliever triumvirate of Hayes (1.0 IP, 1 SO), Ravin (1.1 IP, 2 BB, 2 SO) and Freeman (1.2 IP, 1 SO) supported Sulbaran by shutting down the BayBears bats, totaling just two walks in their four hitless frames. Hayes earned the win, while Ravin was handed his first hold and Freeman notched his tenth save.

Mobile took an early 2-0 lead in the third thanks to the longball. After BayBears starting pitcher David Holmberg singled with two outs to extend the frame, 2B David Nick made the Wahoos pay with his two-run blast to left. It was the fourth roundtripper of the year for the infielder.

The Blue Wahoos however, would answer with single tallies in the fourth and fifth frames to even the contest at 2-2. LaMarre led off the fourth inning with his third big fly of the year to left, while RF Andrew Means reached on a fielder’s choice before scoring on Pensacola starter Sulbaran’s RBI triple to left-center.

The Fish would then take their first and only lead in the seventh. 2B Brodie Greene led off with a base knock and 1B Donald Lutz doubled prior to Barnhart’s RBI groundout, which plated Greene. Lutz subsequently scored on pinch hitter Billy Hamilton’s infield single to increase the margin to two.

LaMarre (2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Greene (2-4, 1 R) both recorded a pair of base knocks in the game, while no BayBears batters tallied two hits or more in the contest.

Holmberg (8.0 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 SO) fired eight inning for Mobile and suffered the loss after yielding four earned runs on ten hits to fall to 2-3, while relief pitcher Bryan Woodall (1.0 IP, 2 SO) tossed a scoreless final frame and tallied two punchouts.

With Pensacola leading the series 2-1, the two teams will square off Sunday afternoon in the series finale, with first pitch scheduled for 2:05 p.m. in Mobile. The Blue Wahoos are expected to send RHP Wirfin Obispo to the hill, while the BayBears are expected to counter with RHP Derek Eitel.

By Andrew Green

Photo by Chris Nelson for NOrthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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