Blue Wahoos Fall 9-4 To Mississippi Braves

June 3, 2021

A few days earlier, Mississippi Braves acclaimed catcher Shea Langeliers was named the Double-A South player of the week for past performance.

He followed Wednesday with a one-night show at the Blue Wahoos expense.

Langeliers, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2019 draft, flashed his Major League potential in a powerful way by going 4-for-5 and blasting three home runs in the M-Braves 9-4 win against Pensacola at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Langeliers, who is considered among the top catchers in all levels of Minor League Baseball, helped the M-Braves race to a 4-0 lead after three innings. He then played a role as Mississippi answered a Blue Wahoos rally in the fourth with a combined five runs in the middle innings.

Most of the crowd of 4,109, however, stayed to enjoy the first Wednesday night fireworks show of the season.

That was part of the School’s Out Summer Bash, which included a lemonade and watermelon stand as fans entered the ballpark, then an inflatable obstacle challenge for kids in the right field party deck. It was part of a family style party night with other activities at the ballpark.

Before the game, the Blue Wahoos paid tribute to baseball icon Lou Gehrig with a video presentation on the first MLB Lou Gehrig Day.

The team also honored the memory of Jimmy Calhoun, a Cantonment native who passed away in 2018 with the same disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly know as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which claimed the life of the New York Yankees Hall of Famer in 1941 when he was 37-years-old.

Once the game began, Langeliers took charge, clubbing a two-out solo homer in the first inning. His next time up, the Keller, Texas native sent a rocket over the left-center wall to lead off the third inning. He is ranked the Braves’  No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline.com, following a star collegiate career at Baylor.

It was part of a tough night for Blue Wahoos starter Brandon Leibrandt, who gave up seven runs on 11 hits in four innings. After having two previous solid outings, this one became his roughest this season.

The Blue Wahoos (16-10) cut the M-Braves (13-13) lead in half on second baseman Riley Mahan’s two out, two run single in the fourth inning.

But in the fifth, the M-Braves chased Leibrandt with three consecutive hits to start the inning, including back-to-back doubles, as part of a three-run inning.

Trailing 9-2 in the ninth, the Blue Wahoos kept battling in the final at-bat, highlighted by Mahan’s 13-pitch at-bat when he fouled off eight pitches around a 3-2 count, then singled.

Tristan Pompey followed with a two-run triple before the M-Braves summoned Chris Nunn to end the game on two strikeouts.

The teams combined for 27 hits, but only three walks and neither team made an error.

The Blue Wahoos were led by Pompey, who went 3-for-4. Mahan, and JJ Bleday each had two hits. The series is tied at 1-1 heading into the final four games beginning Thursday.

by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos senior writer

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