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Wahoos Open With Loss To Biloxi

Pensacola hosted its second historic season opening game in its four years of existence. This time, it was the Biloxi Shuckers first game in history and the city’s first game since 1908 – nearly 107 years ago.

The Shuckers earned its first Southern League win, 4-0, Thursday against the Blue Wahoos, thanks to shortstop Orlando Arcia’s double that knocked in two runs in the top of the third inning. The Wahoos managed just three hits in the loss.

The Shuckers scored its first runs in the third to go ahead 2-0. That’s when the Brewers’ No. 2 prospect Arcia, who was 3-4 with two doubles and three runs batted in, lined a shot over Blue Wahoos right fielder Kyle Waldrop that drove in both Biloxi’s Adam Weisenburger and Kyle Wren.

The Shuckers added another run in the 6^th when Michael Reed smashed a single off Pensacola reliever Chad Rogers down the third base line that scored Arcia for a 3-0 lead. Arcia singled in the 9^th inning to score Josh Fellhauer, a former Wahoos player, to put the Shuckers ahead, 4-0.

Blue Wahoos Manager Pat Kelly said he doesn’t envy the Shuckers’ extended road trip.

“That’s a really long time,” Kelly said. “They will either be really close or fighting all the time.”

Biloxi’s road game – Pensacola’s 105^th sellout in its history – was the first of 55 scheduled over the next two months for the Milwaukee Brewers’ Double-A affiliate. The team will spend 60 straight nights in a hotel in nine different cities reached by bus.

It’s one of the longest road trips in recent history after the franchise moved from Huntsville, Ala., to Biloxi in the offseason. Its home opener is tentatively scheduled June 6 in downtown Biloxi.

Just how excited were Shuckers fans for the team’s season opener? Interim Mayor Kenny Glavan showed up in a Biloxi jersey and threw out the first pitch with Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward.

“This is a historic day for Biloxi just as it was for Pensacola when they had their first opening day (in 2012),” Glavan said. “We look forward to a great relationship.”

Asked before the game who was going to win, Glavan, a likely mayoral candidate, sounded like a true politician: “It will be really competitive and the best team is going to win,” he said.

The Reds top prospect Robert Stephenson welcomed the Shuckers to Pensacola with five straight fastballs in the 95 mph range. He ended up striking out Wren, Milwaukee’s 19^th best prospect.

Stephenson, who had his 80-mph change up working, too, fanned Wren again in the 5th and had seven total in 5.2 innings. He gave up four hits, two walks and three earned runs.

Stephenson said he’s happy with the way his change up looked.

“I was a little bit amped up and that’s when I ran into trouble,” Stephenson said.

He also promised the Blue Wahoos would not pop champagne over the Shuckers first franchise victory.

“I can’t tell you we will be celebrating that,” he said smiling.

The second game of the five-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate Biloxi Shuckers is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Friday. RHP Daniel Wright makes his Double-A debut as he takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Shuckers RHP Tyler Wagner.