Wahoos Sweep Doubleheader Against Mississippi Braves

August 31, 2017

Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Joe Hudson hit a slow roller toward Mississippi Braves second baseman Travis Demeritte who fielded the ball on the infield grass, but threw the ball wide past the first baseman Jonathan Morales.

The result — a walk-off error — scoring center fielder Jonathan Reynoso from third base to give Pensacola a, 6-5, victory in the second game of the doubleheader Wednesday in front of 4,789 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Pensacola won the first game, 4-3, to sweep the Braves and capture the series, 3-2. It snapped a streak of two series losses at home.

Hudson, not exactly known for his speed, said he closed his eyes and ran as fast as he could once he made contact.

“I really got a hold of that one,” Hudson said jokingly of the Blue Wahoos sixth walk-off win this season. “You can hit four liners in a game and not get a hit and hit one off the end of the bat and get a game winner. That’s baseball.”

Pensacola manager Pat Kelly also teased Hudson about the game-winner in the 10th inning that improved the Blue Wahoos’ record in extra-inning games to 3-6.

“It’s the Wahoo Way,” Kelly said. “He put the ball in play and obviously his speed is what got it.”

Pensacola trailed Mississippi, 5-4, heading into the bottom of the 10th. Right fielder Gabriel Guerrero hit a one-out double down the right field line. With two outs, Reynoso lined a single to center field, scoring Guerrero to tie the game, 5-5.

Reynoso also had the clutch, game-winning hit in the first game Wednesday as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning. The 24-year-old, hitting .286, singled to right field with two outs to drive in first baseman Gavin LaValley, who led off the inning with a double off the top of the yellow bumper pad in left-center field.

“He’s been really clutch since coming up,” said Kelly of Reynoso who came up from High-A Daytona Tortugas on Aug. 5. “He has a knack for putting the ball in play and finding holes.”

In the second game, Blue Wahoos second baseman Arismendy Alcantara tripled to right field when the ball scooted by Mississippi’s Connor Joe, allowing LaValley to score and tie the game, 4-4, in the fifth inning.

Mississippi took the lead, 4-3, in the fifth inning when catcher Joseph Odom crushed a solo homer to left field, his first for the Braves this season.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos first baseman Reydel Medina launched a two-out, three-run homer to left field in the fourth inning with Guerrero and Reynoso.on base to tie the game, 3-3.

Leading Mississippi at the plate was Austin Riley who hit a solo homer in both of Wednesday’s games to increase his total to eight on the season.

Mississippi hit four homers total including one by the Braves Game 2 starting pitcher Wes Parsons who ripped his first career homer to left field with two outs in the fourth inning for a 3-0 lead. Mobbed by his teammates in the dugout, Parsons is now 3-18 with two RBIs this year.

Other first game highlights included Pensacola taking a 3-1 lead in the second inning when Alcantara lined a two-out, bases-loaded doubled into the left center gap, driving in right fielder Aristides Aquino, catcher Chad Tromp and pitcher Jesus Reyes.

Additionally, Pensacola closer Tanner Rainey picked up his second save in two days for the Blue Wahoos. In his last three relief appearances, the 24-year-old, whose fastball reaches triple digits, has struck out nine of the 11 outs. For the Blue Wahoos he has 25 strikeouts in 15 innings over 12 appearances with a 1.80 ERA.

The Blue Wahoos, who improved to 31-34, are guaranteed to play in the Southern League South Division playoffs after winning the first half. They play their last five-game series of the regular season against first place Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, who they will likely play again Sept. 6 in the playoffs.

Kelly said he hopes that Cincinnati Reds top ranked prospect, third baseman Nick Senzel, is in the starting lineup soon after taking medication for an inner-ear infection.

Hudson, who has played in four consecutive minor league playoffs in the Reds farm system, said it’s odd playing Jacksonville in two-series in a row.

“We’ve always fallen short,” Hudson said. “We’d like to win one for (manager) Pat (Kelly) and for our city.”

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