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Blue Wahoos Drop Series Finale To Chattanooga As Montgomery Clinches Division
June 24, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
Sometime in the top of the sixth inning Sunday, it became official from afar that the Montgomery Biscuits had clinched the Southern League’s first half South Division crown.
Coincidentally, the Blue Wahoos had their game lead evaporate and never reclaimed as the Chattanooga Lookouts took a 6-4 win in the series finale that left a quiet mood among a crowd of 4,488 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Pensacola’s bid for a third straight First Half divisional win in the league, and accompanying playoff qualifying spot, came up 1.5 games behind Montgomery in the standings as the season now resets for the second half.
But the week still ended full of impact.
The Blue Wahoos twice wore jerseys this week, including Sunday, to honor the Pensacola Seagulls and their impact during a segregated era. Sunday’s game was part of Minor League Baseball’s “The Nine” to recognize the number Jackie Robinson wore during his Minor League career before breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947.
The Blue Wahoos’ (38-30) second-place finish came with a seventh winning record in the past eight half-seasons with three different affiliations.
And this year’s edition stayed in contention until the Biscuits scored an eighth-inning run and held off the Birmingham Barons 5-4 in their final first half game.
Sunday started just fine for the Blue Wahoos.
They took a 4-0 lead after two innings. Three of the first four batters in the first inning reached base. Zach Zubia hit a two-run double and Nathan Martorella followed with a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
Cody Morissette blasted a solo homer in the second inning on a ball that traveled 455 feet and hit the top of a table umbrella on the Coors Light Cold Zone in right field.
Paul Mcintosh led off the third inning with a double, but was stranded. It became one of the Blue Wahoos’ last scoring opportunities.
The Lookouts (20-49), the Cincinnati Reds’ affiliate, who struggled to finish with the worst record in all minor league levels, concluded their final first half with a series split in Pensacola.
They got a two-run homer from Ivan Johnson off Blue Wahoos starter Jonathan Bermúdez in the third inning, then a solo blast from No. 9 hitter Jose Torres in the fifth inning.
In the eventful sixth, the Lookouts loaded the bases, got an RBI groundout by Torres, then a two-run double by Johnson off reliever Dale Stanavich that became the game-winner.
Two Chattanooga relievers to shut out the Blue Wahoos in the final four innings.
The Blue Wahoos will now take Monday off, recharge, then begin the second half of the schedule on Tuesday in Biloxi against the Biloxi Shuckers.
WHAT’s NEXT?
WHO: Blue Wahoos vs. Biloxi Shuckers
WHEN: Tuesday through Sunday (June 30).
WHERE: Keesler Federal Park, Biloxi, Miss.
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