Wahoos Win Over B’ham

September 5, 2016

This time it was Sebastian Elizalde who doubled in three runs with one out in the top of the ninth to deliver a second consecutive victory Sunday for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in its last at bat against the Birmingham Barons.

This time, Pensacola won, 5-4, over Birmingham at Regions Field, after scoring four runs in the ninth on Saturday to beat the Barons 6-2. The Blue Wahoos have won four of the five games against the Barons with the final game at 12:30 p.m. Monday.

The Blue Wahoos entered the ninth inning Sunday, trailing 4-2, when pinch-hitter Phillip Ervin singled to third base to start the inning, catcher Joe Hudson hit a single back up the middle. They both moved up to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by center fielder Jeff Gelalich. Then Pensacola second baseman Alex Blandino walked to load the bases with one out.

That’s when Elizalde hit his bases clearing double on a fly ball to center field for the 5-4 lead. Elizalde went 2-5 with one run scored and three RBIs. In four games in the five game series against Birmingham, Elizalde is 10-20 or .500 with four runs scored, a double and six RBIs.

The 24-year-old left-handed hitter has had four-straight multi-hit games and now has 35 multi-hit games on the season to lead Pensacola, plus he leads the team with a .298 batting average.

Pensacola then brought in closer Alejandro Chacin, who was the only Blue Wahoos player named to the post season Southern League All-Star team, then sewed up the victory. Chacin earned his franchise record 30th save, striking out one in one inning of work. On the season, he has 75 strikeouts in 60.2 innings and is 5-2 with a 1.78 ERA.

Sal Romano, the hottest starter for Pensacola in the second half, tossed six innings giving up four runs on five hits and one walk. The Cincinnati Reds No. 17 ranked prospect had four strikeouts giving him 144 this season, which is good for second in the Southern League.

Meanwhile, Pensacola, which won the first half Southern League crown, improved to 39-30 (80-59) for second place during the second half, putting pressure on division leader Mississippi (39-28, 73-63) to beat the Biloxi Shuckers on Sunday.

Pensacola jumped out in front of Birmingham Sunday. Blue Wahoos shortsop Zach Vincej singled to center in the first inning to knock in Elizalde for a 1-0 lead. On the previous play, Pensacola center fielder Jeff Gelalich was thrown out at home when left fielder Brandon Dixon bounced back to Birmingham pitcher James Dykstra, who threw home to catcher Sean O’Connell to catch him.

With the bases loaded in the third inning and no outs, Vincej drove in his second run of the game for Pensacola when he grounded out to first, allowing second baseman Alex Blandino to score to put the Blue Wahoos up, 2-0.

Vincej was 2-5 with two runs batted in Sunday for his 27th multi-hit game of the season. He is also hot in the series against Birmingham, going 9-18 (.500) and two walks and driving in six runs for 47 RBIs this year.

However, Birmingham came back in the fourth inning when right fielder Keenyn Walker doubled, his 16th of the year, and scored when DH Courtney Hawkins hit a ground ball to third base. Barons left fielder Marcus Lemon singled to drive in Hawkins to tie the score, 2-2.

In the sixth inning, Birmingham then went ahead, 4-2, when first baseman Keon Barnum hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Barons second baseman Joey DeMichele. Lemon then hit a line drive single to center field to score Hawkins with Birmingham’s fourth run.

Meanwhile, Birmingham starter James Dykstra and reliever Colton Turner combined for five shutout innings. Turner pitched two scoreless innings, allowing no hits, while walking one and striking out three. Pensacola scored all three runs to win the game off of Barons closer Brian Clark.

Comments

Comments are closed.

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