Wahoos Fall To Mississippi

May 16, 2016

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos came close to matching the heroics of Saturday’s walk-off win but left the tying run at third base as the Mississippi Braves held on for a 4-3 victory Sunday afternoon.

Jeff Gelalich walked to lead off the ninth inning and advanced to third on a pair of infield outs. But Stephen Janas coaxed a first-pitch swing from Tony Renda to end the game.

“We gave ourselves a chance,” Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said. “We got the tying run on base and winning run at the plate. He was only 90 feet away.”

Chris Ellis earned his Southern League-best sixth win for Mississippi before turning the game over to Janas, who held the Wahoos to one hit in their last three innings. Ellis helped his own cause with three of Mississippi’s eight hits, including an RBI double to open scoring in the third inning. He later scored on a single, the first of two hits for the Braves’ top prospect Dansby Swanson.

The Blue Wahoos led off the fourth inning with two walks before Gelalich’s RBI single, the first of his Double-A career, tied the game. Alex Blandino gave Pensacola a 3-2 advantage on his third home run in 10 games, but the lead was short-lived.

Swanson’s leadoff double to left field started a bases-loaded rally that forced Jackson Stephens out of the game. Former Pensacola catcher Matt Kennelly got a run home on a double play before Matt Lipka hit the eventual game-winner, an RBI single up the middle.

With Biloxi’s 2-1 loss to Chattanooga, the Wahoos remain a half-game out of first place in the Southern League South Division.

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