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Despite Two Conine Homers, Wahoos Fall To Shuckers In 10
August 2, 2023
Griffin Conine had already homered twice Tuesday when the Biloxi Shuckers chose to pitch to him in the ninth inning.
With Blue Wahoos teammate Jacob Berry on second base, Conine just missed hitting the trifecta for a dramatic walk-off win.
Instead, that final out caught at the base of the center field wall became defining when the Blue Wahoos lost a battle of the bullpens in a 9-6, extra inning loss against the Shuckers to open their series at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Blue Wahoos reliever and save leader Jefry Yan, who closed out three wins last week against the Mississippi Braves, struggled in the 10th. He gave up a go-ahead, run-scoring single against first batter Isaac Collins, then a two-run homer against Wes Clarke to seal the Shuckers win.
The game began three hours earlier with Eury Pérez on the mound for the Blue Wahoos in potentially his final time in Pensacola.
The first two innings were vintage Pérez. The Miami Marlins rookie star struck out six batters in two innings. But he ran into problems when the Shuckers struck for three runs off four hits in five batters in the third inning.
Pérez ended that inning without more damage. He struck out the only batter he faced in the fourth inning before being replaced, receiving a loud ovation from the crowd. He ended his night throwing 63 pitches, 43 for strikes, recording seven strikeouts, one walk and three earned runs.
Conine’s first homer in the second inning, followed by a Cody Morissette triple, led to a 2-0 lead that the Shuckers erased. Berry, the Marlins’ top draft pick in 2022 from LSU, tied the game with his RBI single in his first game in Pensacola.
The Blue Wahoos then took a 6-3 lead in the fifth inning. Victor Mesa Jr. had an RBI single and Conine blasted his second home run – a two-run bomb, giving him 17 for the season.
The Shuckers tied the game in the sixth inning against Blue Wahoos reliever Dylan Bice, which led to the late-game drama. With their win, the Shuckers took a 10-9 lead in the season-long matchup.
Prior to the start of Tuesday’s game, the Blue Wahoos honored Shirley Studer, the 98-year-old mother of Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer, who passed away last week. There were video tributes to Mrs. Studer, along with a moment of silence. A video of Mrs. Studer singing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” was played during the seventh-inning stretch.
She was among the Blue Wahoos’ most devoted fans, faithfully listening to radio broadcasts of each game since the team’s inaugural season.
Also in pregame, the Blue Wahoos saluted the Pace High softball team for reaching the Class 6A state title game and advancing three consecutive years to the state final four. The Patriots’ head coach Lexi Worrell threw out a first pitch as the players were behind home plate.
The series with Biloxi continues Wednesday.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
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