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Birmingham Beats The Blue Wahoos
May 17, 2021
The Blue Wahoos sustained a second hard-luck loss Sunday to end their first homestand of the season.
After holding a 5-4 lead in the ninth, the Birmingham Barons rallied with a pair of runs after loading the bases and held for a 6-5 win before a crowd of 4,102 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The comeback followed the Barons rally in the late innings Saturday to take that game.
The losses, however, were countered by a week where the Blue Wahoos (6-6) returned to their bayfront stadium for the first time in 20-plus months and played six games in sunset settings.
Sunday’s game began with the Blue Wahoos honoring the Pensacola Ice Flyers for their SPHL President’s Cup championship, complete with team captain Garrett Milan throwing out the first pitch.
The day ended with kids of families at the game running the bases amid perfect weather.
The bright sunlight Sunday created havoc for any fly balls in the outfield. That benefited both teams in scoring runs.
Trailing 4-0 in the fourth inning, Blue Wahoos third baseman Nick Lovello hit a fly ball that eluded Barons left fielder Craig Dedelow for what became a 3-run double.
Lovello then followed with a flare in the sixth inning that hit inside the right field line for a 2-run triple, giving him 5 RBI for the game.
The Blue Wahoos carried a 5-4 lead into the ninth with top closer Anthony Maldonado in to finish the game.
The Barons (9-3) tied the game on an RBI single from Ian Dawkins. On the third pitch Maldonado threw against cleanup hitter Micker Aldofo, he winced in pain with an arm injury.
He immediately left the game, forcing Tanner Andrews to rapidly warm up when called from the bullpen. Andrews, the sixth pitcher the Blue Wahoos used Sunday, threw a wild pitch that allowed the winning run to score.
In the Wahoos’ ninth, leadoff batter Connor Justus laced a pitch that reliever Andrew Perez snared. JJ Bleday followed by following off several two-strike pitches before striking out. Perez then ended the game on the next batter to record his first save.
In addition to Lovello, Jerar Encarnacion and Riley Mahan each had two hits.
The Blue Wahoos will have Monday off, along with all minor league teams, before facing the Rocket City Trash Pandas – one of newest minor league teams – for six games at Blue Wahoos Stadium beginning Tuesday.
The Trash Pandas, a franchise formed after formerly being the Mobile BayBears, are managed by Jay Bell, a Tate High graduate, who went on to a lengthy, distinguished career in Major League Baseball.
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos Senior Writer
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