Blue Wahoos Take Opener In Biloxi 4-3

Pensacola Blue Wahoos reliever Dusten Knight punctuated another Wahoos win with his signature backflip on Monday night in Biloxi.
Knight picked up his third save, preserving the Blue Wahoos 4-3 victory against the Shuckers to begin a five-game road series at MGM Park. The win was the fifth for the Blue Wahoos (8-3) in the past six games, maintaining their spot at the top of the Southern League standings.
Monday, Knight ended Biloxi's (5-6) eighth-inning threat, entering the game with two runners on base and escaping the jam. He then retired Biloxi batters in order in the ninth.
Blue Wahoos starter Jorge Alcala continued his strong start to the season, working 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits, and striking out seven.
The Blue Wahoos wasted no time producing a big inning. They took a 3-0 lead in the first inning that began with shortstop Jordan Gore's one-out single. He moved to third on a single by Tanner English, who collected a pair of hits in his fourth game with Pensacola.
Gore then scored on a wild pitch for the first run with Brian Schales at the plate. Schales followed with a two-run homer over the centerfield fence, his second homer of the year. It was the team's ninth home run, the most in the Southern League.
The Blue Wahoos added a run in the fourth inning to go up 4-0. Jimmy Kerrigan led of with a single. He moved to second on Taylor Grezalowski's ground out at second.
Joe Cronin followed a single to move Kerrigan to third. Left fielder Mark Contreras, who joined the Blue Wahoos Monday, hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Kerrigan.
The score remained that way until the sixth. With one out, Biloxi's C.J. Hinojosa started the rally with a double. He moved to third on a ground out. Acala walked Weston Wilson to load the bases. Patrick Leonard's double cut the deficit in the half.
Blue Wahoos manager then summoned reliever Jovani Moran to replace Alcala. He ended the inning with a strikeout.
The Shucker got their third run on C.J. Hinojosa's solo homer in the eighth before Knight entered and closed out the game.
Alcala's strong start continued an unbelievable start to the season for Wahoos starting pitchers. Through 11 games Pensacola starters hold a 1.37 ERA, having allowed just nine runs in 59.1 innings while striking out 60.
Pensacola will play at MGM Park through Friday night, then return home to begin an Easter weekend series on Saturday against the Mobile BayBears.