Burdick's Latest Bomb, Stewart's Strong Outing Lead Blue Wahoos Amid Sellout Crowd 

His girlfriend was somewhere in the right field stands, along with other friends, when the Blue Wahoos’ Peyton Burdick rounded first base and pointed in their direction.

With another big, late-inning swing, Burdick lit up a sellout crowd, wowed his teammates, poured emotion and changed the game with his three-run homer in the seventh inning, leading into the Blue Wahoos 6-3 victory Saturday night against the Biloxi Shuckers.

This has become so frequent with this team it seems normal.

“It was just a real competitive (at bat),” said Burdick, who went 3-for-4 Saturday and is the Blue Wahoos’ leader in every power-hitting category. “I kinda went out there with the mindset of next man up.

“I was battling. I got a good pitch to hit with two strikes, put a good swing on it and it just happened to leave the yard.”

His face was aglow as he acknowledged the crowd around the bases.

“My girlfriend’s in town and I had some friends there, too, and just the fans here,” said Burdick describing his reaction. “The fans here are great. Little bit of everything.”

It was a game, too, with a little bit off everything.

Diving catches. Three home runs combined. Five hit batters. A batter’s interference that worked in the Blue Wahoos favor.

The win pushed the Blue Wahoos (32-21) back into first place in the Double-A South with the best overall record.

Joining Burdick on the showcase stage was Blue Wahoos starter Will Stewart. The lefthander rebounded from a rough outing June 27 against Birmingham to work six shutout innings, allowing just two hits, no walks, five strikeouts.

His only blemish was plunking four batters, but he was able to overcome those mistakes each time.

“Biggest difference is that I didn’t walk guys,” said Stewart. “I know I hit four guys, but those things sometimes happen.

“But definitely cutting down on the walks propelled me forward. I had six innings and it’s the first time I have down that in a while, so it felt really good.”

In his prior start, Stewart was touched up for seven runs in 10-3 loss against Birmingham.

“You do as bad as I did the last start and go out and do as good as I did tonight and it felt like night and day,” Stewart said. “It is a big confidence boost.”

The Blue Wahoos carried a 1-0 lead into the seventh. The game’s only run was scored when Galli Cribbs Jr. reached on a hit batter, moved around to third and scored on a wild pitch.

Biloxi (16-36), which lost its 11th game in the past 12, jumped to a short-lived lead in the seventh inning on Brent Diaz’ 3-run homer off Wahoos reliever Jose Mesa Jr.

But in the bottom of the inning, Devin Hairston led off with a double, Victor Victor Mesa walked and Burdick connected on a two-strike fastball and sent it 416 feet into the right center berm, where a mob of happy kids were sitting on the grass slope.

“Peyton swings harder than anyone I have ever seen in my entire life,” said Stewart, watching the blast from the dugout. “It’s impressive just to see him hit the ball.

“I guarantee you can walk through our dugout and anytime someone is calling a bomb every time he is up at bat.”

After that, Chris Chinea followed Nick Fortes, after he was given first base on a catcher’s interference. His two-out, RBI single scored Jerar Encarancion.

In the eighth, Hairston came back up and homered over the left field wall to pad the lead. Dylan Bice pitched two scoreless innings to earn his first save in Double-A for the Blue Wahoos.

And after that, post-game fireworks ensued as the Blue Wahoos staged a special Fourth of July weekend show.

“The atmosphere here is like a college game,” Stewart said, referring to largest crowd. “

GAME NOTABLES: Blue Wahoos team owner Quint Studer led the crowd in a “Happy Birthday” song for the Blue Angels on their 75th anniversary.

The game fireworks were sponsored by Hancock-Whitney Bank. It was also a night for the Manna Food Bank with tables on the concourse.

Pensacola Christian College was part of the sellout crowd with 100 tickets sold.

Among the on-field guests were the Niceville Eagles 9-under youth baseball team, which stood behind home plate for the National Anthem.

BLUE WAHOOS HOLIDAY FINALE

WHO: Biloxi Shuckers vs. Blue Wahoos

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium

WHEN: Sunday, 4:05 p.m.

RADIO: ESPN-Pensacola (Chris Garagiola on play-by-play) on 99.1 FM, 1330 AM.

PROMOTIONS: Fourth of July – Family Sunday with kids able to run the bases, plus family toss in outfield. All fans able to stay through the evening to enjoy the annual Pensacola Sertoma Club July 4 Fireworks Show that will be held downtown off Ninth Avenue and visible from the stadium.

Fans without tickets to Sunday’s game can enter the stadium free of charge following the game. Concessions will be open and two VIP dining options are being offered for $35 and $50 will full buffets, beverages, deserts on the Winn-Dixie Party Deck and the Hancock-Whitney Club Level.

TICKETS: Single game tickets are available online at www.bluewahoos.com or at the stadium box office.