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Mahan’s Ninth-Inning Homer Powers Wahoos to Sixth Straight Win
May 27, 2021
Riley Mahan couldn’t have picked a better time to deliver his first home run of the season. In a 2-2 game in the top of the ninth, Mahan drilled a three-run homer off Jake Cousins (L, 0-1) and the Wahoos held on for a dramatic 5-4 win against Biloxi on Wednesday night for the sixth consecutive victory.
Cousins, who was the fifth pitcher used by Biloxi on Wednesday, entered the game in the ninth with the game tied at 2-2. Nick Fortes led off the inning with a single before Cousins struck out Tristan Pompey. After he walked Lazaro Alonso to put runners on first and second, Mahan crushed a no-doubter to deep left center to put Pensacola up 5-2.
Biloxi put up a fight in the bottom of the ninth against Brian McKenna (W, 3-0), who was in his second inning of relief.
David Fry homered on the first pitch he saw in the ninth to bring the Shuckers to within two. After back-to-back strikeouts, Tyler Fries singled to center before Ryan Aguilar drew a two-out walk.
The next batter was Tristen Lutz, who dropped a run-scoring single into shallow center to make it a 5-4 game. That brought up Brice Turang, who enters this season as the Brewers #1 prospect according to Baseball America. With the tying run at third, Turang flew out to left field to end the game.
The late-game drama in Wednesday’s game distracts slightly from the start of the contest, which featured two of best young pitching prospects.
Jake Eder made his fourth start of the year for the Blue Wahoos and allowed one hit in five innings. He allowed one run that was unearned in the third, after the Wahoos made two separate errors that allowed Friis to both reach base and score.
Outside of that, Eder was virtually untouchable, with Biloxi’s only hit a bunt single that was momentarily misplayed by Alonso in the bottom of the fifth. Eder struck out eight, bringing his season total to 34, which after tonight is the most in the Double-A South.
Biloxi had their #2 pitching prospect (_Baseball America_), Ethan Small on the mound who also struck out eight in five innings of work. He allowed two runs in his start, the first of which came after a first-inning walk to JJ Bleday and then an RBI double to Fortes. In the third inning, Peyton Burdick doubled and eventually scored after a couple of wild pitches.
The road trip continues tomorrow night when both teams will once again send out a couple of lefties on the bump. Brandon Leibrandt gets the nod for Pensacola (0-1, 9.00) while Biloxi will go with Leo Crawford (0-1, 9.26).
by Chris Garagiola, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
File photo.
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