Blue Wahoos Fall In Finale With Biscuits

June 19, 2023

The Blue Wahoos stumbled to the end of their two-week homestand.

But they remained standing on the doorstep Sunday of clinching another half-season division win and securing a chance to defend their Southern League championship.

Trailing 7-1 in the eighth inning with only two hits in the game, the Blue Wahoos got a flyover from the Blue Angels, learned of Montgomery’s win, staged a five-run rally, then had the winning run at the plate in the ninth before the Mississippi Braves held on for a 7-6 victory.

A capacity crowd (5,038) – the third straight of the weekend at Blue Wahoos Stadium – went from silent to screaming in the final two innings. M-Braves’ top closer Victor Vodnik struck out the final two batters, Norel González and Griffin Conine, to strand tying runner Nasim Nuñez at first base and seal the win.

After winning the first two games of this series, the Blue Wahoos have lost four straight for the first time this season.

All was not lost, however.

The Blue Wahoos continued receiving help from the Montgomery Biscuits, who held off the Biloxi Shuckers 6-5 to win their series Sunday and set up a simple scenario.

There are six games left in the first half of the Southern League schedule. The Blue Wahoos need just one road win against the Tennessee Smokies when that series begins Tuesday to clinch the first half. The other three teams in the division – Biloxi, Montgomery, Mississippi – would each have to go 6-0 in series against North Division teams to avoid elimination.

The Biscuits, now in second place, trail by five games. But the Blue Wahoos hold the tie breaker in this case. The Blue Wahoos lead Biloxi by six games – the Shuckers hold the tiebreaker – so it would take six losses and six Biloxi wins against the Chattanooga Lookouts to change the South Division standings.

Same with the M-Braves, who face Rocket City and trail by 5.5 games.

The North Division standings are much closer. The Lookouts, the Cincinnati Reds affiliate, lead the Smokies by a half-game after Sunday’s results.

The M-Braves continued their winning formula Sunday against the Blue Wahoos. They jumped to a big lead on big blasts and put the Blue Wahoos in a deep mid-inning hole.

Four different M-Braves hitters smashed home runs against three different pitchers. That equated into 18 homers struck in the six games this week against Blue Wahoos pitchers.

Meanwhile, M-Braves starter Tanner Gordon, who was hit hard Tuesday, carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before J.D. Orr’s single.

In the seventh, Cody Morissette drove in the first run after González walked and advanced on a wild pitch.

Trailing 7-1 in the bottom of the eighth, the Blue Wahoos produced five runs on one hit. Three M-Braves pitchers combined to give up six walks and a hit batter, leading into the rally. The Blue Wahoos finished with just three hits in the game.

But it took Vodnik fanning González, then getting Conine on a 100-mph fastball, to end the game and thwart the Blue Wahoos’ improbable comeback.

Blue Wahoos starter Jake Walters, making only his second start this season, struggled in four innings, allowing a pair of home runs to absorb the loss.

The Blue Wahoos will now begin another two-week road trip to conclude June, beginning on Tuesday against the Tennessee Smokies, who are battling for first-place against the Lookouts for the Southern League North Division first half title.

The Blue Wahoos will use Monday as a travel day for their longest road trip, an eight-hour bus ride to Kodak, Tennessee, located near Knoxville. They will finish the first half schedule with a six-game series against the Tennessee Smokies beginning Tuesday. The Smokies are the Chicago Cubs’ Double-A affiliate.

by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Comments

One Response to “Blue Wahoos Fall In Finale With Biscuits”

  1. Dan Paquette on June 19th, 2023 1:54 pm

    Mr. Vilona. I totally appreciate your almost daily coverage of the Blue Wahoos. As a fan and frequent game attendee it is great to read the games summary from a real sports writer, which unfortunately appears to becoming a lost art. A a big THANK YOU to North Escambia News for publishing. Go Wahoos ! Dan (Molino)

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