Conine Goes Deep, Reynolds Saves in Magical Night for Blue Wahoos

Pensacola, Fla. – Sean Reynolds turned toward teammates and pounded his chest with exhilaration.

It became the perfect ending for the Blue Wahoos' 3-2 victory against the Mississippi Braves on a Fireworks Saturday night, featuring one of the team’s all-time crowd experiences in Blue Wahoos Stadium history.

An overflow crowd of 5,000-plus, which completely filled the outfield berm and all of the party decks, watched Reynolds close out the final two innings with flawless relief. He struck out the side in the ninth with the final batter Drew Lugbauer – the most prolific home-run hitter in M-Braves history – whiffing on a 99-mile fastball for the final strike.

Reynolds earned his fourth save this season, second of the week, as he’s moved into the top closer role.

The traditional fireworks show then lit the sky with many of the Blue Wahoos players, attired in specialty Marvel “Defenders of the Diamond” uniforms worn this night, staying on the field with families and friends to take it in.

This all capped a game that began one hour and 14 minutes late due to weather concerns.

Blue Wahoos starter Dax Fulton made the most from the wait, producing his best outing of the season. He allowed just one hit, struck out six and yielded four walks in a five-inning performance.

The pivotal inning was his final one when the first two M-Braves batters reached on a single and walk, but Fulton then made huge pitches to strike out the next two batters and coaxed a groundout to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Will Banfield hit a pop fly double that fell between the shortstop and left fielder. Griffin Conine followed by rifling a pitch into the right-field berm for a two-run homer.

The M-Braves Jesse Franklin led off the sixth with a homer off Cristian Charle. The Blue Wahoos answered with Banfield’s RBI single that produced the eventual winning run. Banfield and Conine both collected two hits in the game.

Prior to the game, the Blue Wahoos honored Pensacola native and former M-Braves pitching coach Dennis Lewallyn, whose Escambia High class was celebrating its 50-year reunion at the ballpark.

The group was among more than two dozen big groups in attendance that enveloped all of the party decks.

After the fifth inning, Pensacola High head football coach Cantrell Tyson, who suffered a stroke in a mid-September 2022 game while on the sidelines, was provided a “Home Run For Life” celebration by Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital. Tyson circled the bases, high-fiving members of each team before hugging his doctors in an emotional scene at home plate.

The Blue Wahoos win was their fourth this week, sealing a series win. It was the team’s ninth win in the last 10 games.

The teams will close out their week-long series on Sunday. Top organization prospect Eury Pérez (2-1, 2.52) will make his second start this week for the Blue Wahoos.

It will be Family Sunday with children (12-under) able to run the bases following the game, along with families able to toss baseballs in the outfield for 30 minutes. There are tickets available for the game.

First pitch from Blue Wahoos Stadium is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. CT, with a live broadcast beginning at 4:00 on BlueWahoos.com, the MiLB First Pitch app (radio), Bally Live and MiLB.tv (video). For more information, visit BlueWahoos.com or call the box office at (850) 934-8444.

GAME NOTABLES

-- The National Anthem was performed by the Pensacola Christian College One Accord choir, which received a loud ovation of approval following the group's rendition of the anthem.

-- This was one of the largest nights for groups in stadium history. The groups included 500 nurses from the HCA Florida West Florida Hospital system. It was also National Nurses Day across the nation. They were among four groups with more than 100 people.

-- Youth baseball teams from Pace, Gulf Breeze and Robertsdale, Alabama were part of the pregame festivities and ran out with Blue Wahoos players.

-- There was an online, then in-game auction of the jerseys worn by Blue Wahoos players on the Marvel "Defenders of the Diamond Night."

-- The game was sponsored by Bubba's Sweet Spot on Palafox Street with co-owner and pro golf star Bubba Watson attending with his wife, Angie, and their two children.