Wahoos Remain In First Despite Loss

June 8, 2016

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos continue to struggle on the road going 15-17. Granted they are playing the Jackson Generals, who sit atop the Southern League North Division.

Jackson took a 2-1 lead in the five-game series matching first place teams by scoring four runs in the first two innings to win, 4-1, Tuesday at The Ballpark at Jackson.

Pensacola dropped to 33-24 but Biloxi lost, too, 6-3, to the Montgomery Biscuits to keep the Blue Wahoos a game ahead in the South Division. Jackson, the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, now owns the best record in the Southern League at 38-20.

The Generals jumped on Pensacola right-hander Sal Romano with two runs in the first and two more in the second to go ahead, 4-0.

Romano worked five innings giving up four earned runs on 11 hits and three walks and struck out two. He fell to 1-6 with a 4.90 ERA. Romano was in trouble in every inning except the fourth when he retired the side in order.

Pensacola relievers Evan Mitchell and Kyle McMyne pitched the three scoreless innings, allowing one hit, two walks and striking out three.

Jackson scored when center field Guillermo Heredia walked, went to second on a passed ball by Pensacola catcher Kyle Skipworth and then scored when shortstop Benji Gonzalez doubled in Heredia for a 1-0 lead. A second run came in when DH Leon Landry singled to left field to score Gonzalez to put the Generals up, 2-0, after the first inning.

The Generals’ Heredia drove a line drive to center that scored catcher Steve Baron in the second inning. Then Jackson right fielder Tyler O’Neill, the May Player of the Month who had a hit in 24 of 28 games, hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored third baseman Brock Hebert.

Jackson’s O’Neill is 1-9 with one run, a walk, an RBI and a strikeout this series.

In the sixth inning, Pensacola finally broke through for a run when left fielder Phillip Ervin doubled in first baseman Brandon Dixon to pull the Blue Wahoos within, 4-1.

Ervin led Pensacola at the plate Tuesday going 3-4 with two doubles and RBI. He’s now hitting .246 on the season.

Dixon earned the Southern League Player of the Week honors but in the two games since is 0-6 with four strikeouts and one RBI. During his six game hitting streak he was 15-24 (.625) with eight homers and 19 RBIs. He got to 10 homers faster than any other Blue Wahoo players in history by reaching that mark in 45 games, 147 at-bats and 162 plate appearances.

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