Jackson Gets 8-4 Win Over The Pensacola Blue Wahoos

June 9, 2016

All night Wednesday Jackson Generals DH Tyler O’Neill delivered and he did it again in the ninth inning when he hit a two-out, walk-off grand slam against Pensacola Blue Wahoos closer Carlos Gonzalez.

The Southern League Player of the Month for May drove in all eight of Jackson’s runs in its, 8-4, victory over Pensacola at The Ballpark in Jackson.

O’Neill entered the game going 1-9 with one run, a walk, one RBI and a strikeout in the series. But Wednesday, the 20-year-old was 3-4 with a run scored, a double and a home run. He’s now batting .332 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs on the season. He is second in homers and batting average and first in RBIs in the Southern League.

Both teams were tied, 4-4, after the first five innings. But both team’s relievers buckled down. Barrett Astin and Nick Routt held Jackson scoreless over 3.1 innings on two hits, a walk and three strikeouts.

But Pensacola’s Gonzalez took over in the ninth, loaded the bases and then gave up the grand slam with two outs to O’Neill.

Pensacola right-handed starter Rookie Davis worked 4.2 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk and struck out four.

Jackson relievers Forrest Snow and Dan Altavilla no-hit the Blue Wahoos over the last 3.2 innings with one walk and five strikeouts.

They came in for Generals starting pitcher Jordan Pries, who worked 5.1 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits, one walk and struck out seven.

It was a back and forth game up until the ninth inning. In the top of the second inning, Pensacola center fielder Phillip Ervin and first baseman Kyle Parker both hit solo home runs to left field to take a 2-1 lead. It was Ervin’s sixth and Parker’s fourth of the season. Pensacola left fielder Tony Renda singled to left field to drive in third baseman Eric Jagielo, who singled to center, to put the Blue Wahoos up, 3-1.

Jackson scored first in the first inning when O’Neill got his first run-batted in when he hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored center fielder Ian Miller to go ahead, 1-0.

O’Neill then knotted the score, 3-3, in the third inning when he smashed a single to left field that scored both shortstop Benji Gonzalez and right fielder Guillermo Heredia.

Pensacola’s Renda put the Blue Wahoos back on top in the fifth inning, 4-3, when he singled sharply to left field and scored when second baseman Brandon Dixon grounded out to second base.

O’Neill then smacked his 17th double of the season to drive in Heredia with two out and tie the game, 4-4, in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Pensacola is 15-18 on the road this season. They are now 33-25 on the season and are tied for first place with the Biloxi Shuckers.

Jackson, the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, owns the best record in the Southern League and sits atop the North Division at 39-20.

Dixon earned the Southern League Player of the Week honors but in the three games since is 0-9 with five strikeouts and two RBIs. During his six game hitting streak, he was 15-24 (.625) with eight homers and 19 RBIs.

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