White Stands Tall, but Wahoos Kept Quiet in Loss

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Pensacola Blue Wahoos got a solid start from Brandon White on Friday night, but saw their offensive woes continue in a 3-0 loss to the Knoxville Smokies on Friday night.

White (L, 0-1) was outdueled by Knoxville's Grant Kipp (W, 1-0), as the reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week continued his dominance. The righty allowed only one hit over 5.0 innings while striking out seven, giving him 13.1 scoreless innings to begin the season.

The Smokies took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a pair of singles from Alex Ramirez and Karson Simas, followed by a double steal that sent Ramirez home for the game's first run. They stretched the lead in the second inning, rallying with two-out singles from Ramirez and Jordan Nwogu to take a 3-0 advantage.

White would settle down after the rocky first two frames, completing 5.0 innings and retiring the final 10 men he faced.

The Blue Wahoos managed only five hits, highlighted by an eighth-inning triple from Payton Green. After a 1-for-3 performance, the Pensacola shortstop ended the day leading the Southern League with a 1.306 OPS.

Luis Martinez-Gomez (S, 1) earned a rare 12-out save in long relief for the Smokies, working around a pair of singles in the ninth to finish the combined 5-hit shutout.

The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Smokies on Saturday. First pitch from Blue Wahoos Stadium is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT, with a live broadcast beginning at 6:00 on Blab TV, Bally Sports Live, BlueWahoos.com/radio or the MiLB app. For ticket information, visit bluewahoos.com.