Homer-Happy Wahoos Rout Shuckers 11-2

Biloxi, Miss. – The Pensacola Blue Wahoos hit a season-high four homers in a blowout 11-2 win over the Biloxi Shuckers on Saturday night.

Patrick Monteverde (W, 6-1) allowed just an unearned run over 5.0 innings to earn his league-leading sixth win, lowering his season ERA to a league-best 2.16 in the process.

Trailing 1-0 in the second, the Blue Wahoos manufactured the game-tying run against Shuckers starter Nick Bennett (L, 2-2) with a José Devers double and a Griffin Conine RBI infield single. An inning later, Victor Mesa Jr. brought home the go-ahead run with an RBI single to give the Blue Wahoos a 2-1 lead.

Will Banfield greeted Biloxi reliever James Meeker with a solo homer to lead off the fourth, and Devers launched a three-run blast in the fifth for his first homer of the season. Conine capped the five-run fifth with a solo blast of his own, extending the lead to 8-1.

Dane Myers added an RBI single in the sixth, and Mesa highlighted a four-hit, four-RBI night with a two-run shot to right field one batter later.

A.J. Puk made his third rehab appearance for the Blue Wahoos in the eighth, retiring the first two batters he faced before Tristen Lutz hit a drive to the right-center gap. Mesa was injured in a collision with the wall, allowing Lutz to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Sean Reynolds came in to get the final four outs of the game for Pensacola.

The Blue Wahoos gained a game in the South Division standings, and are now 6.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi and Montgomery with 19 games to play in the first half.

The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Shuckers on Sunday. First pitch from MGM Park is scheduled for 5:05, with a live broadcast beginning at 5:00 on BlueWahoos.com, the MiLB First Pitch app (radio), Bally Live and MiLB.tv (video).For more information, visit BlueWahoos.com or contact the box office at (850) 934-8444.