Pensacola Wahoos Snap Skid With 6-3 Win Over Suns

April 17, 2013

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos offense awakened from its nearly weeklong slumber by pounding their way past the Jackonsville Suns 6-3 on Tuesday night in front of 3,358 fans at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.

Pensacola rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to score six runs in their first three at-bats. In the last of the first inning, Donald Lutz launched a laser over the right field wall for a two-run homer, scoring Brodie Greene who had singled earlier in the frame. The blast was Lutz’s fourth of the season, the most in the Southern League in the young 2013 campaign, and it knotted the game at two apiece.

The Wahoos added to their lead with a four-run third inning against Jacksonville starter James Leverton. With one out, Ryan LaMarre and Greene singled before scampering home on a two-run opposite-field double from Bryson Smith to give Pensacola a 4-2 lead. Lutz was then hit by a pitch and after a lineout and a pitching change, Devin Lohman dropped a double down the left field line to score Smith and Lutz to give the Wahoos a four-run advantage.

That was more than enough for Pensacola starter Josh Smith (1-2) who had his best start of the season by giving up two runs on six hits over five frames. Smith’s lone mistake was yielding a two-out, two-run single in the first to Mark Canha to give the Suns a brief 2-0 lead. Smith was also able to wiggle out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth by forcing Chris Gutierrez to pop up in foul territory to the catcher.

Jacksonville scored a run in the ninth on a single from Daniel Pertusati and brought the tying run to the plate with one out, but Lee Hyde struck out Derek Dietrich and Curtis Partch came on to earn his third save of the year by punching out Chris Gutierrez.

Leverton (0-1) picked up the loss in his first start of the season after his first three appearances of the year came out of the bullpen. The southpaw went just 2.2 innings, allowing six runs (all earned) on six hits. Jordan Conley, Scott McGough and Rett Varner kept Pensacola at bay the rest of the contest, limiting the Wahoos to just three hits over the final 5.1 frames.

The series continues on Wednesday night as Tim Crabbe looks for his second win of the season for Pensacola against Jacksonville southpaw Adam Conley. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Story by Kevin Burke


Pictured top: Donald Lutz smacked his league-leading fourth home run of the season on Tuesday night. Photo courtesy Emmele Photography for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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