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SL1 Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Another Walk-Off Gives Blue Wahoos a Sweep

July 27, 2019 - Southern League (SL1)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos News Release


Pensacola Blue Wahoos try to give Ben Rortvedt a Gatorade shower
Pensacola Blue Wahoos try to give Ben Rortvedt a Gatorade shower
(Pensacola Blue Wahoos)

Ben Rortvedt pumped both fists as Blue Wahoos teammates Aaron Whitefield and Lewin Diaz raced to be first in a celebratory leap into his arms near second base.

Remember the team's season-high losing streak carried into this week?

A distant memory now.

Rortvedt punctuated his first 4-hit night for the Blue Wahoos with a 10th-inning, walk-off gap shot for a 4-3 victory Friday night against the Mobile BayBears to sweep the five-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

What's more, the Blue Wahoos did it with a flair for the dramatics - three walk-off wins produced by three different players.

"It just looked like we were having a lot of fun this series," said Rortvedt, the Blue Wahoos' 21-year-old catcher, who went 4-for-5 in the game with two RBI. "Whenever you get beat, it's impossible to have fun. And we just wanted to feel a smile and in a winning mood."

Mission fulfilled.

An overflow, sellout crowd, most of whom stayed Friday for post-game fireworks, watched completion of a homestand that made the Blue Wahoos look like a different team than one bringing a six-game losing streak, and losses in 12 of 14 previous games into Monday's series-opener.

The Blue Wahoos (54-50 overall, 16-18 second half) are now 4.5 games ahead of the Mississippi Braves for second place among overall season records for teams in the Southern League South Division. Should first-half division winner Biloxi also win the second half - the Shuckers have a two-game lead - the Blue Wahoos would reach post-season as it stands now with the second-best overall mark.

Biloxi (22-12 second half) leads the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp by two games in the division. The Blue Wahoos just so happen to be traveling for a five-game series in Jacksonville, beginning Saturday night.

"We needed it honestly," Rortvedt said. "It pretty much turns our second half around. Now we'll go with momentum to Jacksonville, so it's going to be a lot of fun."

There was a lot of fun happening Friday away from the playing field. The Blue Wahoos had an Elvis Presley impersonator sing the National Anthem.

They themed the night as "Christmas in July" complete with Christmas songs from yesteryear, imitation snowflakes (bubbles) at the main entrance gate, a brother-sister Home Run For Life event in the fifth inning, then fireworks lighting the sky amid Christmas music.

The Blue Wahoos added to the festive scene by scoring two runs in the first inning. Lewin Diaz, who only lacked a triple to hit for the cycle, doubled with one out. Trevor Larnach followed with a single. With two out Rortvedt delivered an RBI single.

Ryan Costello, who joined the team this week from the Fort Myers Miracle, followed with a double.

The lead stayed through four innings behind Blue Wahoos starter Charlie Barnes. In the fifth, after Mobile took a 3-2 lead with a pair of runs, Diaz blasted a tying home run in the bottom of the inning.

From that point, teams traded zeroes. Barnes worked seven innings, scattering seven hits and no walks. Jorge Alcala entered in the eighth and made his first relief appearance, after being a starter in his career.

Alcala responded with two perfect innings.

"He was awesome," Rortvedt said. "Out of the bullpen he just needed to come and prepare and that's exactly what he did.

"(Alcala threw) off speed for strikes and he was pumping fuel out there... 98 (mph with fastball) and that was a lot of fun."

In the 10th, after the BayBears loaded the bases with two out, reliever Jovani Moran completed the Blue Wahoos solid night of pitching by getting Jack Kruger to ground out to Diaz and ended the scoring threat.

"Jovani needed that," Rortvedt said. "Coming back from a little time off to shut things down like that."

In the bottom of the inning, Larnach was placed on second base in the Blue Wahoos turn with the extra-inning format. With one out, Rortvedt laced a 0-2 pitch from Mobile reliever Adam Hofacket into the right-center gap as the crowd exploded in support.

"When you're on field (as a player), you don't really hear the fans that much," Rortvedt said. "But I heard them that time. They got pretty loud. It was a great crowd, so it was a lot of fun.

"(Hofacket) had been throwing everybody splitters (split finger fastballs) and I had already faced him one time, so I knew what to look for. I ended up putting a good swing on it."

BALLPARK MEMORIES

Another heartwarming Home Run For Life, showcased after the fifth inning, and arranged by the Studer Family Children's Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart, featured the young, sister-brother tandem of 7-year-old Reagan Brown and 6-year-old Lincoln.

Both were born prematurely. Reagan was born at just 27 weeks, weighing just two pounds. Her mother, Jennifer Brown, said Reagan spent nine weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She needed a ventilator to breathe. Her mother was unable to hold her for the first days after birth.

But through the care at the Children's Hospital, she was able to grow and become ready to experience normal infant care at home. Reagan will start second grade in a couple weeks. She loves to swim, Jennifer Brown said, and enjoys dance classes.

Her son, Lincoln, was born five weeks premature and spent one week in the hospital. He will start first grade and his youth league baseball team is on a 36-game win streak.

The siblings held hands as the stood at home plate, then took off around the bases as both teams, the umpires and coaching staffs lined each base line. With Kazoo dressed up in Christmas attire with a red stocking hat, the kids both hugged the masot at home plate as the crowd cheered.

Before the game, there were plenty of Christmas in July activities going on. Jay Briggs, who pulled off an Elvis Presley costume, complete with the hairstyle and open shirt, performed the National Anthem to loud applause.

Two youth league baseball teams, the Brewton (Ala.) 8-Under All-Stars and the Woodlawn Kids, were featured at the game. Woodlawn Medical Specialists also sponsored the post-game fireworks.

Check out the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Statistics




Images from this story

Pensacola Blue Wahoos rush the field
Pensacola Blue Wahoos rush the field
 Pensacola Blue Wahoos try to give Ben Rortvedt a Gatorade shower
Pensacola Blue Wahoos try to give Ben Rortvedt a Gatorade shower
  



Southern League Stories from July 27, 2019


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