The Pensacola Blue Wahoos held another late lead on Friday night, but a pair of rallies gave the Biloxi Shuckers a 5-4 comeback win in walk-off fashion.

With the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth, Zack Leban (L, 0-1) just missed the zone on a 3-2 pitch to give Thomas Dillard a walk-off walk.

One night after clinching a South Division First Half title, the Blue Wahoos jumped out to an early lead thanks to an unexpected power surge. Thomas Jones blasted his fourth home run of the year out to left field in the second inning, giving the Blue Wahoos a 2-0 lead, and J.D. Orr sent a liner over the left field wall in the third for his first professional homer.

J.D. Osborne hustled a misplayed liner into an RBI triple after the Orr long ball, giving the Blue Wahoos their fourth and final run of the night. Bryan Mitchell turned in a quality start for Pensacola, allowing three runs over 6.0 innings, but a two-run double from Dillard in the bottom of the third drew the Shuckers to within a run at 4-3.

Pensacola’s one-run lead would hold until the eighth, when Josh Simpson allowed a game-tying RBI single to Dillard. Brady Puckett escaped the eighth without further damage, but the Blue Wahoos couldn’t do anything against Nash Walters (W, 3-1) in the top of the ninth. Leban walked a man and hit two before walking Dillard, giving the first baseman his fourth RBI of the night and sending the Blue Wahoos to their third walk-off loss of the year.

The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Saturday.

by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos