Jacksonville Suns Outshine Pensacola Blue Wahoos 5-4

July 1, 2013

The Jacksonville Suns saw an early three-run lead evaporate, but ended up walking off winners in 11 innings, 5-4, over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Sunday evening at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

Danny Black started the 11th inning rally for the Suns with a leadoff single against Loek Van Mil. Zack Cox then walked to put runners at first and second before Mark Canha sacrificed both runners over. Pinch-hitter Michael Main was intentionally walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Taylor Krick. Van Mil’s 2-2 offering ran up and in on Krick and glanced off his left wrist for a hit by pitch to force in the game-winning run.

Jacksonville appeared to have gone ahead for good in the eighth after entering the frame tied at three. With two away in the inning, J.T. Realmuto drew a five-pitch walk against Chris Manno, which seemed harmless at the time. However, Realmuto stole second base and on the very next pitch, Jake Marisnick smoked a single to right field, scoring Realmuto to put the Suns on top 4-3.

Pensacola responded in the top of the ninth, though, against Suns closer Michael Brady. Corey Wimberly led off the frame with a first-pitch single before stealing second base and advancing to third on a throwing error by the catcher Realmuto. Wimberly was then driven home on a sacrifice fly by Marquez Smith to knot the game at four.

The Suns jumped out to a 3-0 lead early on in the contest against Pensacola starter Tim Crabbe. The first four batters reached in the first inning against Crabbe, with a run coming across on a fielding error by first baseman Marquez Smith and another scoring on a Mark Canha RBI single to give Jacksonville a 2-0 lead.

In the third inning, Danny Pertusati put the Suns up by three with a sacrifice fly to score Krick. Crabbe battled through four innings before being lifted, after allowing three runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

The Wahoos slowly chipped away, scoring single tallies in three separate innings to eventually tie the game at three. In the fourth, Tucker Barnhart slapped a two-out single up the middle, scoring Donald Lutz to cut the lead to 3-1. Barnhart tried to score on Ryan LaMarre’s single later in the inning, but Jake Marisnick threw him out from center field for the final out.

In the fifth, Yorman Rodriguez continued his torrid pace with an RBI double scoring pinch-hitter Theo Bowe from second. Pensacola eventually loaded the bases with one out in the frame, but Smith struck out and pinch-hitter Matt Kennelly flew out.

Pensacola loaded the bases again in the seventh inning, this time with nobody out. Lutz was plunked with an 0-2 pitch from Edgar Olmos to push across the tying run. However, the Wahoos couldn’t convert on the golden opportunity to take the lead as Smith struck out and Kennelly grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

Van Mil took the loss for Pensacola, falling to 0-5 by allowing the game-winning run on two hits and three walks in 1.1 innings.

Grant Dayton (2-3) picked up the win for Jacksonville by firing two shutout innings with five strikeouts. Dayton was the sixth pitcher used by Jacksonville as starter Sam Dyson went five innings and gave up two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

The two teams square off again in a Monday matinee at 11:05 a.m. CT. Ryan Dennick (3-9, 3.44) gets the call for Pensacola against fellow southpaw Adam Conley (7-2, 3.97).

by Kevin Burke

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News