Wahoos Top Biloxi

April 18, 2016

For the second time in six days, Pensacola Blue Wahoos Beau Amaral started the game with a lead-off home run. It’s also the only two times the speedy center fielder has done that in his professional career.

Between Amaral’s first inning home run and starter Daniel Wright and relievers Nick Routt, El’Hajj Muhammad, Alejandro Chacin combining on a two-hit shutout, Pensacola defeated the Biloxi Shuckers, 5-0, Sunday at MGM Stadium. It was Pensacola’s pitching staff’s second shutout in a row, after beating the Jacksonville Suns, 3-0, at home Saturday.

The win improves the Blue Wahoos record to 9-2 – it’s best start in team history – and puts them in first place in the Southern League South Division. Biloxi falls to 7-3 on the season.

On a 1-1 count against Biloxi starter Jorge Ortega, Amaral jacked the next pitch over the right center field wall to put Pensacola ahead, 1-0. That would be all the runs Pensacola needed Sunday.

Amaral worked in the offseason on his hitting with his dad, Rich, who played 10 years in the big leagues. He was 2-5 in the Biloxi game and now leads the Blue Wahoos with two home runs and six RBIs and is batting .282.

However, after Amaral’s solo blast a pitching duel ensued. Wright, who was starting in place of Nick Travieso who went on the disabled list with a pulled groin, threw five scoreless innings of one-hit ball, walked one and struck out six batters.

Biloxi’s Ortega allowed six hits in 5.2 innings of work, struck out three and gave up Amaral’s blast.

Pensacola’s bullpen then continued to shut down the Biloxi lineup, giving up one hit and striking out three. The Blue Wahoos’ pitchers have also thrown four one-run games this year.

The Blue Wahoos added four runs in the top of the ninth for some wiggle room, lighting up Biloxi’s fourth pitcher of the game Hobbs Johnson.

Third baseman Eric Jagielo started the inning with a walk, left fielder Phillip Ervin singled, Tony Renda grounded out to Biloxi third baseman Nate Orf to force out Jagielo at third. Right fielder Pin-Chieh Chen then hit an infield single to Orf who threw the ball away trying to get Chen out at first, allowing Ervin, who was 4-4 on the day, to score from second for a 2-0 Blue Wahoos lead.

Hobbs walked Pensacola catcher Joe Hudson to load the bases and then threw a wild pitch that allowed the speedy Renda to score from third putting Pensacola ahead, 3-0. Orf then committed his second error of the game on a ground ball by first baseman Ray Chang that let Chen score, 4-0.

The scoring ended when shortstop Zach Vincej singled to left field to score Hudson for a commanding, 5-0, lead for the Blue Wahoos.

Chacin capped the shutout and win by setting Biloxi down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth with two strike outs.

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