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Mack’s Blast Ignites Blue Wahoos Rally, Comeback Win
August 30, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
It’s been a while since the Blue Wahoos had an inning, or a home rally, quite like they staged Thursday.
And it’s only fitting that catcher Joe Mack was the centerpiece of the production.
Mack attacked the first pitch he saw in the sixth inning from knuckleball thrower David Fletcher, blasting a 3-run homer that tied the game, lit up the crowd, energized the home dugout and led to Pensacola’s 8-7 victory Thursday against the Mississippi Braves at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“He’s got the knuckleball and that’s pretty much the only pitch he’s going to throw,” said Mack, who has now hit 22 homers this season, second-most in the Southern League.
“So, I was just trying to put myself in a good spot to hit that pitch and hit (the ball) on the barrel and whatever happens, happens.
“And I was ready for it. And (the pitch) looked good for me and I just went and I ended up tying the game. Going around those bases it was awesome hearing the crowd cheer and I wanted to help my team win as much as possible and do anything I could.”
Pensacola trailed 5-1 entering the sixth inning. The M-Braves had built their lead against starter Evan Fitterer, who yielded nine hits and four earned runs in five innings.
The mood was glum.
And then more Mullet Magic happened.
This comeback win when taking on the team’s alternate identity on Thursdays as the Pensacola Mullets pushed the team’s record to 9-2 when wearing the Mullet uniforms. It’s the difference in the Blue Wahoos having a winning record at home, now 32-28.
The latest one kept the Blue Wahoos (64-57 overall, 26-27 in second half) continuing a push in the three-team battle for the second-half playoff spot in the Southern League’s South Division. They’re now 3.0 games behind Biloxi, who lost to Montgomery, with 15 games to play.
“This win is big and finishing this week and the upcoming week… these games are very important and we’ve got to do our best to put ourselves in a spot to succeed,” Mack said.
Nathan Martorella led off the sixth inning with a power shot over the right-center wall to cut the score to 5-2. Graham Pauley singled and Jared Serna walked with none out to set the table for Mack.
After his homer, Johnny Olmstead hit a two-out single to keep the inning alive. Cody Morissette followed with a run-scoring double.
The Blue Wahoos then tacked on two more runs in the seventh on Serna’s RBI double and a bases-loaded walk to Olmstead.
“I am really proud of these guys for not giving in during these games and just going with their best,” Mack said. “We did a great job hanging in there, locking in and getting the job done,” he said.
The M-Braves got a run back in the eighth inning, then had the tying run on second base when Blue Wahoos reliever Woo-Suk Go got a ground out against Geraldo Quintero to end the game.
It was Go’s second solid appearance this week and continued his own comeback. He lost a three-run lead and the game in a previous homestand against Montgomery, but has found success in the last two weeks.
“Woo is a great pitcher and he just needed to find some things that would give him a little cue here or there,” said Mack, who was behind the plate when the game ended. “He’s got really, really good stuff and we got with him and started working with him more and more and developed a plan for him that we use to help him do his absolute best.”
Blue Wahoos reliever Adam Laskey, who followed Fitterer, picked up the win with two scoreless innings. Tyler Eckberg got his first hold.
The series continues Friday with the Blue Wahoos sending righthander Jacob Miller on the mound against the M-Braves’ Ian Mejia.
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