Wahoos Walk Off With 3-2 Extra Inning Win Over Lookouts

August 10, 2012

Blue Wahoos second baseman Brodie Greene drove home the winning run with a walk off single to left in the tenth, while left fielder Bryson Smith recorded three hits and shortstop Billy Hamilton stole two more bases to lead Pensacola to a 3-2 extra-inning victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Thursday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

With the victory, the Fish improved to 25-22 in the second half to move to within one game of the Jacksonville Suns for first place in the South Division. Chattanooga fell to 26-21 since the league’s midpoint after the defeat. It was the first walkoff victory for Pensacola since June 13 versus Mobile.

Smith reached on an error to begin the bottom of the tenth, took second on 3B David Vidal’s sacrifice bunt and third on an error to set the stage for Greene. With a 1-1 count, the infielder grounded the pitch through the hole between shortstop and third base to cue the celebration. It was the first and only time the Blue Wahoos led all game.

Chattanooga took their first lead in the fifth, when starting pitcher Aaron Miller helped his own cause with a solo homer to left. It was the hurler’s first career roundtripper in his fourth season of his professional career. The Blue Wahoos tied it at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame when Hamilton tripled before coming across on a fielder’s choice.

The Lookouts then grabbed the advantage again at 2-1 in the seventh thanks to their second longball of the evening. LF Brahiam Maldonado began the frame with a solo blast to left, his fifth homer of the season.

Pensacola answered the tally in the bottom of the seventh when Hamilton led off with a bunt single, stole second for the second time on the evening and moved to third on a flyout before coming home on Smith’s run-scoring single to center, which would force extra innings.

Smith (3-5, 1 R, 2 RBI) and Hamilton (2-4, 2 R, 1 3B, 1 BB, 2 SB) each recorded multi-hit efforts in the contest for the Blue Wahoos, while Maldonado collected three hits for the Lookouts. With his two steals tonight, Hamilton has now totaled 133 this year, bringing him to within 12 of tying Vince Coleman’s single-season record of 145, set in 1983.

Blue Wahoos starter Tony Cingrani (6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO) did not factor in the decision despite giving up only a lone earned run on just four hits while fanning six in six innings of work, while RHP Curtis Partch (1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 SO) earned the win after firing the final 1.2 frames. Chattanooga reliever Chris Withrow (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 SO) suffered the loss to fall to 3-3 on the year after yielding the final unearned run.

With Pensacola leading the series 2-0, the two clubs are scheduled to meet again Friday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the bayfront stadium. RHP Kyle Lotzkar is expected to get the nod for the Fish, while RHP Allen Webster is slated to take the hill for Chattanooga.

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