Jensen's jack jolts Jacksonville to extra-inning win
Kyle Jensen launched a solo home run in the top of the 11th inning, accounting for the only run in the game as the Jacksonville Suns extending their winning streak to five games with a 1-0 win over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Monday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium in front of 4,018 fans.
Neither team mounted much of a rally through the first 10 innings of the contest, as both offenses continued their respective early-season struggles. Pensacola had only two runners reach third base the entire game with the best chance coming in the fourth. The Wahoos had runners on second and third with two outs for hot-hitting Tucker Barnhart, but starter Brian Flynn got Barnhart to ground out to end the threat.
Pensacola also had a runner thrown out at the plate to end the third inning as David Vidal was caught trying to score from second on an infield single from Ryan LaMarre.
Flynn, the Southern League's strikeout leader entering the game, struck out just two over six innings but yielded only three base knocks. Edgar Olmos (1-0) earned the win for the Suns by tossing two innings of relief with two strikeouts. Michael Brady picked up his fourth save of the year with a perfect bottom of the 11th.
Jacksonville had a base runner in every inning except the eighth and 10th before finally scratching across a run on Jensen's first round-tripper of the year. Chris Manno (0-1) took the loss for Pensacola as he gave up the run on three hits while striking out three in the 11th.
Blue Wahoos starter Daniel Renken went 5.2 innings in his second Double-A start, allowing five hits while striking out two and walking three. Renken continued a strong stretch of starting pitching for the Wahoos. Pensacola starters have given up just two runs in their last 27.2 innings pitched, an ERA of 0.65 over the last five games. However, the Wahoos are a combined 1-4 in their last five.
A big highlight of the evening was the presentation from Ballparks.com's Joe Mock, awarding the Blue Wahoos their plaques for earning "Ballpark of the Year" last season from the website.
The five-game series continues on Tuesday night with Josh Smith taking the ball for the Wahoos against the Suns' James Leverton. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. from Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. It's Team Tuesday and select players will sign autographs on the concourse before the game.