Mesa’s Multi-Homer Game Not Enough Wahoos 7-4 Loss

August 4, 2023

One out into the third inning, the Blue Wahoos’ lefthander Luis Palacios was repeating his past two stellar outings.

The next five Biloxi Shuckers batters, however, changed the script and the game.

The top of their order ignited for five runs off Palacios in that sequence, including back-to-back homers, that led to Biloxi’s 7-4 win Thursday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

It continued Biloxi’s power brigade that has now produced 146 runs since mid-July’s season resumption – the most scored by any team in Minor League Baseball. The Milwaukee Brewers affiliate is 14-4 during this stretch.

Palacios, who had allowed just one unearned run on six hits in his past two starts, retired seven of the first eight batters he faced Thursday. But a one-out single against No. 9 hitter Felix Valerio was followed by a double, a run-scoring single, then a two-run homer by Isaac Collins and solo shot by Wes Clarke. For Clarke, this was his ninth homer since July 1 and fourth of the series.

The Blue Wahoos took a 2-0 lead in the second when Victor Mesa Jr. led off with the first of his two home runs Thursday. Bennett Hostetler then drove home Griffin Conine with a single.

Mesa repeated the leadoff feat in the sixth inning with his blast over the center field wall, which became the first multi-homer game of his career. He finished 3-for-4 with two RBI. Conine then reached on a hit batter and scored on Hostetler’s second RBI single, cutting Biloxi’s lead to 5-4.

But an errant throw by Hostetler after a seventh-inning strikeout against Shuckers star Jackson Chourio resulted in teammate Lamar Sparks scoring after he was headed for second on the play.

The Blue Wahoos had just one hit in the final three innings.

Pregame activities Thursday included the Jay High marching band, which performed the National Anthem and played outside the stadium before the game. The Jay High cheerleading squads were also part of pregame performances as part of the annual Jay High Spirit Night.

Jay baseball coach Duane Raley threw out a ceremonial first pitch and was among the athletic staff attending the game.

by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos

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