Biloxi Ties Series With 5-2 Win Over Pensacola

April 19, 2016

Pensacola center fielder Beau Amaral tripled in two runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull the Blue Wahoos within one run, 3-2, but it was not enough as the Biloxi Shuckers held on to win Monday in MGM Park.

Biloxi first baseman Nick Ramirez hit his first home run of the year in the bottom of the seventh inning to help the Shuckers defeat Pensacola, 5-2. The victory pulled the defending Southern League South Division champions within a half game of Pensacola, improving its record to 8-3. Pensacola remains in first place at 9-3.

It was the Shuckers who showed the dominant pitching Monday. The Blue Wahoos left fielder Tony Renda, hitting .306 for Pensacola, led off the seventh inning with the team’s first hit off reliever Tristan Archer.

Milwaukee Brewers No. 14 prospect 22-year-old, lefty Josh Hader pitched a scoreless and hitless four innings with three walks and seven strikeouts in his third start of the season. Hader was the only southpaw starter in the Brewers camp this year.

Renda, who went 1-3, got Pensacola going. Pinch-hitter Sebastian Elizalde followed him with a two-out single to center off of Archer, who was then replaced by Stephen Peterson.

Peterson promptly served up a two-out triple to Pensacola’s Amaral that drove in two runs to pull the Blue Wahoos within, 3-2. Amaral upped his team-leading RBI total to eight this season, going 1-4.

But Biloxi came right back on the homer by Ramirez.

Pensacola catcher Joe Hudson caught outfielder Garrett Cooper trying to steal to end the eighth inning and gave the Blue Wahoos one last chance to tie or win it in the ninth inning. However, Biloxi’s leading closer Jay Chapman came in and set Pensacola down in order to earn his fourth save in five games. He has yet to give up a hit or run in five innings of work and has struck out seven.

Biloxi added two runs in the fourth, when it loaded the bases on singles by third baseman Nate Orf, catcher Jacob Nottingham and Cooper. With one out, shortstop Javier Betancourt singled to center in the bottom of the fourth inning to drive in Orf and Nottingham for a 3-0 Biloxi lead.

Biloxi scored, 1-0, when Cooper singled in the bottom of the first inning to score right fielder Brett Phillips.

Amir Garrett, the Cincinnati Reds No. 3 prospect according to Baseball America, threw six innings and allowed three runs, two earned on six hits and one walk, while striking out five.

But it was Hader, the only southpaw starter in the Brewers camp this year, who starred Monday. Received in a trade with the Houston Astros, some say the young lefty may make the Brewers team as soon as this year.

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