Fast Start, Strong Relief Give Blue Wahoos Series Win over Biscuits

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Fast Start, Strong Relief Give Blue Wahoos Series Win over Biscuits

April 13, 2025 - Southern League (SL)
Pensacola Blue Wahoos News Release


Pensacola Blue Wahoos outfielder Mark Coley II gets the Gatorade treatment
Pensacola Blue Wahoos outfielder Mark Coley II gets the Gatorade treatment
(Pensacola Blue Wahoos)

Pensacola, Fla. - Getting a fast start Sunday proved enough for the Blue Wahoos to finish a nine-game, season-opening homestand in a desired position.

After scoring three runs in the first inning, then taking a 4-0 lead into the middle innings, Blue Wahoos pitcher Luis Palacios was flawless in a rare relief role to seal a 4-3 victory and series win against the Montgomery Biscuits.

A crowd of 4,457 on a postcard perfect setting at Blue Wahoos Stadium watched the Blue Wahoos win for the fourth time this week and start their season at 7-2 before the first road trip.

"I'm very pleased," said Blue Wahoos first-year manager Nelson Prada, saluting his players. "They played hard every time. They've come out with a good work ethic. They want to come and play the game hard every day and that's a big thing for me."

This was the second Family and Military Sunday, co-sponsored by WKRG-News 5 and Great Clips. The big crowd amid perfect weather included children running the bases following the game and families catching soft baseballs in the outfield for 30 minutes.

Palacios entered the game to start the seventh inning and did not allow a hit. A one-out walk in the ninth inning was the only base runner he allowed. The lefty finished the game with a strikeout and a ground ball to earn his first save in four years and only third of his professional career.

He's been primarily a starter since 2021, including Tuesday night's series opener against the Biscuits. He worked four innings in that game, allowing four hits and a run in a game the Blue Wahoos went on to win - matching their best start in franchise history.

He breezed through the Biscuits lineup Sunday, not long after Montgomery rallied for three runs in the fifth inning to chase Blue Wahoos starter Orlando Ortiz-Mayr, who had been strong to that point.

Ortiz-Mayr allowed only one hit and three walks until the fifth inning. But two walks and three singles resulted in a big inning for the Biscuits. Zach McCambley followed and gave up a run-scoring hit, but ended the inning and pitched a scoreless sixth inning to set the table for Palacios to finish.

The Blue Wahoos began their first inning with the first three batters reaching and scoring. A wild pitch scored Jared Serna with the first run after he had led off with a single. Mark Coley II had the biggest hit with his two-run double.

"The one thing that stands out for me (in the first nine games) is that different hitters have done something every day," Prada said. "So it's not the same guy every time. A different hitter every day for me is big."

A familiar guy, Kemp Alderman, who has been a big hitter in a bulk of games, produced again Sunday with a two-out single to score catcher Sam Praytor, who had singled earlier in the team's at-bat.

But from that point, the Blue Wahoos had only two hits and three baserunners in the last seven innings.

The Blue Wahoos will now have Monday off before taking their first road trip, which will be a historic one. The Blue Wahoos will be in Columbus, Georgia, as the Southern League's new team the Columbus Clingstones have their home opener in remodeled Synovus Park.

The stadium, which opened in 1926 as Golden Park and included Babe Ruth as one of the stars of yesteryear to play there, underwent a $50 million renovation to become the Atlanta Braves' relocated Double-A affiliate. It will be a return of affiliated baseball to Columbus, which had teams from 1969 through 2008 in consecutive fashion.

GAME NOTABLES

--- Kazoo's Reading Program had its first pregame parade with 120-plus children who completed the reading assignments and were able to receive a free ticket, along with on-field parade before the game.

--- The Tiger Point Sports Association followed with the organization's parade of youth baseball and softball players. The group had 250 players, parents and friends in attendance. Following the game, many in the group remained to watch the movie "Sandlot" on the stadium video board.

--- During pregame activities, Chick-Fil-A saluted 12 area scholarship winners with a ceremony behind home plate. The Chick-Fil-A on Navy Boulevard had a group outing on the left field party deck.

--- Other groups in attendance included Allen Turner Automotive, which had 180 people on the Publix Party Porch.

WHAT'S NEXT?

WHO: Blue Wahoos vs. Columbus Clingstones

WHERE: Synovus Park, Columbus, Georgia

WHEN: Tuesday through April 20

LIVESTREAM AUDIO: Listen to Blue Wahoos announcer Erik Bremer's broadcast through www.bluewahoos.com/radio or the MiLB App

LIVESTREAM VIDEO: Available on the Bally Live app or MLB.TV

NEXT HOME SERIES: Begins on April 22 against the Knoxville (Tenn.) Smokies

TICKETS: Available at www.bluewahoos.com or at the stadium box office which reopens Tuesday during normal business hours

Check out the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Statistics




Images from this story

Pensacola Blue Wahoos outfielder Mark Coley II gets the Gatorade treatment
Pensacola Blue Wahoos outfielder Mark Coley II gets the Gatorade treatment
   

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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