Weather Clouds Wahoos’ Rallies In 4-2 Loss

August 31, 2023

With the sun still shining and rain falling, a brilliant rainbow formed before the game above Blue Wahoos Stadium.

That became the best bit of fortune Wednesday with the Blue Wahoos.

After Chattanooga jumped to a 4-0 lead amid some inclement weather, the Blue Wahoos halved the deficit, but left runners in scoring position in the final four innings of a 4-2 loss against the Lookouts.

In each of the last four innings, the Blue Wahoos had two runners on base, but were unable to get a two-out hit or a big blast to change the game.

The Blue Wahoos collected nine hits in the game, including seven of the nine batters in the lineup with at least one hit, but were unable to get a big inning.

Norel González had a pair of singles. Newcomer Tanner Allen, a Mobile area native, playing in his eighth game in the outfield, hit his first home run for the Blue Wahoos with a solo blast in the fifth inning. Catcher Paul McIntosh scored the team’s other run on a balk after moving to third on a wild pitch.

Starting pitcher Patrick Monteverde matched his second-shortest outing with 4.2 innings in a hard-luck loss. He gave up a leadoff triple to the Lookouts’ star centerfielder Blake Dunn, one of the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospects. Dunn then scored on a wild pitch. The Lookouts got three more runs against Monteverde in the second inning with Francisco Urbaez hitting a two-run homer as the big hit.

Three Blue Wahoos relievers – Caleb Wurster, Matt Pushard and Josan Méndez – combined to give up just two hits the rest of the way.

The Lookouts made several big defensive plays to take away hits and right fielder Rece Hinds, a former star at Niceville High, threw out Pensacola’s Cobie Fletcher-Vance in the third inning with a laser throw to the plate as Fletcher-Vance tried to score on a fly ball.

Cody Morissette hit a deep ball to the base of the right-center wall that just missed a homer and Victor Mesa Jr. was robbed on a leaping line-drive catch.

It was that kind of night for the home team.

The third game of the series will be Thursday.

by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos

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