Wahoos Beat Biloxi 7-3

July 24, 2016

Blue Wahoos down Shuckers, 7-3, to clinch series.

Pensacola right fielder Sebastian Elizalde has struggled at the plate in the second half but Saturday he looked like his old self, smashing a two-run homer over the right field fence in the first inning.

Elizalde also finished the game with four RBIs, while starting pitcher Sal Romano limited Biloxi to three hits to lead Pensacola to a 7-3 victory Saturday in front of its 23rd sellout of 5,038 this at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

The former Mexican League player now has four homers and 30 RBIs and saw his batting average reverse its steady fall and go up four points to .270 in his first season in Double-A for Pensacola. He was 2-4 with two runs scored and it was his third game this season that he’s knocked in four runs.

“I always say baseball is the same everywhere,” Elizalde said. “A lot from Mexico come to states. We have a chance. We have to just try to enjoy it.”

The 24-year-old Elizalde signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization in 2013 and is playing in his third season in the minors. He started his baseball career with four seasons in the Mexican League for the Sultanes de Monterrey.

In bottom of first inning, Elizalde got all of a fastball rocketing it over the right field wall for a two-out, two-run homer. His fourth dinger of the season also scored Alex Blandino who singled on a ground ball to left field.

Blue Wahoos shortstop Zach Vincej then drove in the third run of the first inning on a line drive that bounced off the left field wall, allowing Pensacola third baseman Taylor Sparks to score from first and give the team a 3-0 lead.

Elizalde hit a line drive to the wall in the left center gap for a stand up double in the third inning that drove in left fielder Jeff Gelalich to put Pensacola up, 4-0. Sparks then clobbered a grounder past the third baseman to score Elizalde to make the score, 5-0.

Elizalde came through one more time in the seventh inning when his ground out to second base scored Blandino to give Pensacola a 7-1 lead.

Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said Elizalde has always played well on offense and worked hard to improve his fielding. He said he could see Elizalde playing one of the corner outfield spots for the Reds one day.

“To me, he has always hit wherever he’s gone,” Kelly said.

Part of that, Elizalde said, is being able to clown around with his teammates to stay relaxed.

“We have to have fun and enjoy it, ‘cause baseball is a game,” he said. “There’s no pressure. It’s a game. Enjoy it.”

Elizalde also gave kudos to Pensacola starting pitcher Sal Romano.

In 11 starts, Romano, the Cincinnati Reds’ 23rd round draft pick in 2011, lost nine games before blanking Biloxi over seven innings for his second win of the season on July 12. He picked up his third win of the season (3-10, 4.25) by limiting Biloxi to one unearned run on three hits and two walks, while striking out three in 5.2 innings.

His three strikeouts gave him 100 for the season in 103.2 innings, making him the first Southern League pitcher to reach the mark.

Romano gave way to Pensacola relief pitcher Abel De Los Santos, who earned a save in his first Blue Wahoos appearance, with the bases loaded in the sixth. De Los Santos blew two fastballs in the low-90s past catcher Rene Garcia and then caught him looking on a 76 mph fastball.

“Those are two power arms right there,” Kelly said about Romano and De Los Santos. “When you have a breaking ball that good (like De Los Santos) and a 94 mph fastball you have a little bit of escapeability.”

Kelly said, too, that Romano has been a better pitcher than the one in the first half.

“He’s changed his pregame preparation and we’ve seen a big change in the second half,” Kelly said.

Pensacola improved to 15-14 in the second half and the first half South Division champions are 56-43 overall. Biloxi fell to 10-18 in the second half and 50-49 on the season.

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