Biloxi Rallies Over Pensacola, 11-6

BILOXI, Miss., - The Biloxi Shuckers rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday to overcome the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 11-6, at MGM Park.

Pensacola entered the eighth inning ahead, 6-4, and got the first two outs of the inning before the Shuckers mounted their comeback. Biloxi sent 11 batters to the plate and earned four hits, two walks, a hit batter and one error.
Biloxi second baseman Wendell Rijo and pinch hitter Javier Betancourt scored the first two runs of the inning when center fielder Johnny Davis singled them both in to tie the score, 6-6. Shuckers right fielder Michael Choice doubled in two runs when Betancourt and Davis scored to go up, 8-6. The final three runs scored when left fielder Clint Coulter smashed a three-run homer to left field, his 10th this season, that scored Choice and catcher Jacob Nottingham to make the score, 11-6.
Pensacola relievers Zack Weiss and Brennan Bernardino pitched the eighth. Weiss gave up six runs, one earned, and got the loss, while Bernardino gave up one run on the homer to Coulter.
The rally spoiled a good start by Pensacola, which had a six-run inning of its own in the fifth inning that gave them a 6-1 lead.
Blue Wahoos pitcher Keury Mella doubled to drive in the first two runs in the fifth. Third baseman Josh VanMeter singled to score Mella. First baseman Nick Longhi, who the Cincinnati Reds picked up from the Boston Red Sox seven days ago, doubled to center field with the bases loaded in his first start for the Blue Wahoos to drive in left fielder Tyler Goeddel, VanMeter and center fielder Gabriel Guerrero.
Pensacola starter Keury Mella gave up just one run in the first five innings but then gave up three in the sixth inning that pulled Biloxi within, 6-4. Mella gave up hits to the first three batters he faced in the sixth inning, including Dustin DeMuth's two-run homer, his fifth of the season.
Mella ended up scattering eight hits and one walk over five innings and giving up four runs, while striking out five.
Biloxi relievers Jorge López and Matt Ramsey held the Blue Wahoos hitless and scoreless over the last three innings and combined to strike out four. Lopez got both victories in relief against Pensacola in the series and is 5-6 this season.
Tickets to the second half of the season are on sale now! Purchase tickets online at bluewahoos.com, visiting the Box Office or calling 850-934-8444. The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are the Double-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of the Southern League. Follow the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at BlueWahoos.com, facebook.com/PensacolaBlueWahoos and twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall.
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