Blue Wahoos Blow Out Barons In Historic Sweep
May 13, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos completed two games on Friday, wrapping up Thursday’s suspended game and playing a seven-inning contest against the Birmingham Barons. They won both, taking the first 22-6 in blowout fashion and cruising to a 5-1 victory in the nightcap.
Thursday’s suspended game, picked up with the Blue Wahoos leading 6-0 in the second, saw the Blue Wahoos set new team records with an 11-run eighth inning and 22 total runs scored.
The Blue Wahoos got a great performance from Dax Fulton (W, 2-4) on the mound and poured on the runs at the plate for their fifth consecutive win.
Fulton allowed three runs and struck out nine over 5.2 innings of long relief after starting pitcher M.D. Johnson was used up in an inning of work on Thursday. After Bennett Hostetler’s grand slam against Vince Vannelle (L, 1-1) on Thursday set the tone for the offense, the Blue Wahoos got two more home runs from Victor Mesa Jr. and Troy Johnston to stretch their lead out further.
Five runs into Pensacola’s eighth inning outburst, more rain arrived and caused a delay of another two hours. The game eventually resumed, and the Blue Wahoos tacked on six more runs for 11 in total. It marked the most runs scored in a single inning in team history, surpassing a nine-run second inning against Chattanooga on on July 13, 2021.
The 22 total runs surpassed a 17-1 win over the Jacksonville Suns on April 21, 2014 for the most runs scored in a game in Blue Wahoos history.
In game two, Jake Walters allowed only an unearned run over 4.0 solid innings and Will Stewart (W, 1-0) fanned six batters over 3.0 hitless innings of relief as the Blue Wahoos won their sixth in a row.
Trailing 1-0 in the fourth, Griffin Conine drew a bases-loaded walk against Matt Thompson (L, 1-3) before Jan Mercado hit a go-ahead two-run double and J.D. Orr added insurance with a two-run single.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Saturday night in Birmingham.
by Erik Bremer
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