Pensacola Takes Series from Mississippi

PEARL, Miss., -  Led by Alex Blandino's bat and another quality start from Deck McGuire, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos topped the Mississippi Braves, 4-2, at Trustmark Park to clinch the series and extend its first-place lead in the Southern League South Division by three games. 

The Blue Wahoos got on the board first with a two-run inning in the second inning. Blandino hit a two-run home run to left field to bring home Aristides Aquino, who got on base with a double to right-center.
In the top of the sixth, Aquino got on base again, this time with a single to left-center. Blandino, once again, knocked in Aquino with his 12^th double of the season. Blake Trahan drove home Blandino with a single to give the Blue Wahoos a 4-1 lead.
After a slow start in Mississippi going 1-for-8, Blandino has hit a home run in back-to-back games for the first time since 2015 when he was with the Daytona Tortugas. Blandino is now 3-for-6 the past two games in Pearl and finished Saturday's game 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs with a walk.
After giving up only one run in his past three starts, McGuire held Mississippi's lineup to four hits and two runs with a season-high nine strikeouts. McGuire gave up his third homer of the year, and last since April 20^th, when Mississippi's Kade Scivicque hit a solo shot in the bottom of the third.
McGuire has now won each of his last four decisions and has only allowed three runs in his last 25 innings pitched.
The Pensacola bullpen once again shut down the competition as Domingo Tapia threw two hitless innings with three strikeouts while Geoff Broussard picked up his fifth save of the season with a perfect inning of work.
RHP Keury Mella (1-4, 5.06) takes the mound for Pensacola against LHP Michael Mader (3-2, 2.16) Sunday for the final game of the series.
Tickets to the 2017 Southern League All-Star Game are on sale now! Purchase tickets online at bluewahoos.com or visiting the Box Office. Orders can also be placed over the phone by 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.
--www.bluewahoos.com--