Hostetler Homers, Bermúdez Pitches Blue Wahoos To 8-1 Win

August 5, 2023

The morning temperature Friday was already well-past uncomfortable when Bennett Hostetler was on the field at Blue Wahoos Stadium, helping create memories for youth baseball players.

Hostetler and six other Pensacola teammates were volunteer instructors at the annual Chevy Youth Clinic weekend.

Many hours later, he produced a good memory of his own.

Hostetler hit a two-run homer, reached base three times, scored a pair of runs and made several strong notable putouts at first base as the Blue Wahoos cooled off the Biloxi Shuckers with an 8-1 victory before a sellout crowd.

The win evened the series at two games apiece and was the first time Biloxi was held under five runs since July 15. The Shuckers’ 8.1 runs per-game in the stretch is the best in Minor League Baseball. The Blue Wahoos (59-40) also evened the well-contested season matchup with Biloxi at 11-11.

Blue Wahoos starter Jonathan Bermúdez had his second-best outing in a season of majority quality starts. He shined with his array of breaking pitches, twirling six scoreless innings with three hits, two walks and five strikeouts on 89 pitches.

He got run support early.

In third inning Friday, Hostetler, 25, a Bozeman, Montana native, was part of a 3-run rally when he followed Cody Morissette’s single with his own base hit. Morissette had a big game as well, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.

Morissette scored on Dalvy Rosario’s sacrifice fly. Hostetler scored on José Devers’ two-run double.

In the Shuckers’ sixth inning, Bermudez gave up a leadoff double, then hit the next batter. Biloxi’s Tyler Black then followed with a line drive that Hostetler snared, then stepped on first base for a pivotal double play. Bermúdez ended the inning with a flyout.

The Blue Wahoos followed in the bottom half of the inning with a 4-run burst. Morissette’s RBI double was followed by Hostetler’s 2-run homer. Rosario made it back-to-back bombs with his solo shot that produced a 7-0 lead.

Griffin Conine hit the Blue Wahoos’ third homer of the night in the seventh inning. Relievers Chandler Jozwiak and Eli Villalobos finished off the win.

Blue Wahoos righthander M.D. Johnson (1-4, 5.57) will be on the mound against Shuckers righthander Tobias Myers (6-3, 5.67).

by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos

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