Blue Wahoos Stage More Walk-Off Magic On Fireworks Night, Sellout Crowd 

His teammates stared from the dugout, hands on heads, almost in stunned disbelief, as Troy Johnston had just done it again with a game-tying, home-run that sent a sellout crowd at Blue Wahoos Stadium into a frenzy.

Oh, but wait, they weren’t done yet.

Three batters, two more baserunners later, Luis Aviles Jr. led into post-game fireworks with a deep fly that easily scored Griffin Conine from third base on the sacrifice fly, completing an incredible four-run rally and Pensacola’s 8-7 walk-off win Saturday night against the Biloxi Shuckers.

“When things are clicking, things are going well, you just ride the wave as long as you can,” said Johnston, who has collected 11 hits, 10 RBI, including four home runs in this week-long series.

Right now, the wave this team is surfing has become a magic carpet experience.

With Johnston involved both times, the Blue Wahoos have walked it off in back-to-back nights against Biloxi, giving them four wins in the series. It pushed their first-place lead to 2.5 games in the Southern League South Division.

Saturday night, the Blue Wahoos twice tied the game in the early innings, beginning with Johnston's solo homer in the first inning. They lost a one-run lead in the seventh, then trailed 7-4 in the ninth and down to their final two outs with no one on base.

And, of course, they won.

After Blue Wahoos reliever Jefry Yan had his roughest appearance, giving up an uncharacteristic four runs in two innings, a different kind of ending seemed imminent.

Instead, with Yan rooting from the dugout, the Blue Wahoos started their ninth-inning rally with a one-out single from J.D. Orr. Jose Devers followed with a run-scoring triple.

Up stepped Johnson, who had the walk-off hit in Friday's 9-8 win against the Shuckers. His .500-plus batting average in the last two weeks has made him the hottest hitter at all levels of professional baseball.

On a 3-2 changeup from Biloxi reliever Taylor Floyd, he sent the ball into the outfield berm behind the right-center wall as kids raced to get the souvenir.

“One of the better changeups I’ve seen this week,” said Johnston, the Miami Marlins' 17th round pick in 2019 out of Gonzaga University. “(Taylor) was pounding that changeup low and the slider low. Got me to chase on those changeups low.

“He then threw another changeup right down the middle, so that was the one I hit out.”

The moment, the noise explosion caused Yan to leap from the dugout steps onto the field, then fall backwards as he feigned fainting from the excitement.

‘Usually when those things happen I tend to black out,” Johnston said. “I don’t even remember touching first base. I barely remember touching second. That is what video replays are for.

“Jefry Yan is an absolute character. He is the heart and soul of this team. He is one of a kind.”

More big at-bats followed. Conine foul off pitches before getting a walk on a 3-2 pitch to put the winning run on first. Paul McIntosh followed by hitting a fastball that eluded centerfielder Sal Frelick to put runners on second and third.

After missing two pitches, Aviles Jr., who played two seasons for the Shuckers, sent a 1-2 offering into left center that put the exclamation on the rally.

“He was very excited (on earlier pitches),” Johnston said. “Came out of his shoes on a fastball. But after that , he toned it down, did what needed to be done.

“He’s a veteran guy. In that situation, all you need is a sacrifice fly.”

GAME NOTABLES

--- At one poiht in Saturday's game, the teams had combined for five solo homers among the six runs scored. In addition to Johnston's first-inning homer, Ray-Patrick Didder homered in the fourth inning and catcher Paul McIntosh homered in the sixth inning.

--- Blue Wahoos starter Jeff Lindgren had another quality start, working six innings, allowing just four hits, two runs and getting five strikeouts. Colton Hock pitched to just one batter in the ninth, yet got the win.The only batter he faced hit a loud line-out that Aviles snared with a leaping catch.

--- The post-game fireworks were sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union, which also had a mass group outing with 200-plus employees, families and friends on the Winn-Dixie Party Deck.

--- Fans in attendance may have noticed the wireless camera operator on the field for pregame activities and during the game. He was Blue Wahoos team president Jonathan Griffith in a fill-in role.

--- The National Anthem was performed by Jaylene Perez.

--- There were three different youth teams – the Niceville Traveling Eagles, Opto & Novo and the Wolves -- on the field with players running with Blue Wahoos starters in pregame introductions.

BLUE WAHOOS HOMESTAND FINALE

WHO: Biloxi Shuckers vs. Blue Wahoos

WHEN: Sunday, 4:05 p.m.

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium.

TICKETS: Online at www.bluews.com/tickets, or at the stadium box office beginning 12 p.m. on Sunday. Or by calling 850-934-8444.

RADIO: ESPN-Pensacola (99.1 FM and 1330 AM and WYCT 98.7 HD4).

TV: YurView (check provider) and MILB.tv (streaming) through www.milb.com/live-stream-games with subscription discount using BLUE WAHOOS.

PROMOTIONS:

Sunday is Military-Family Sunday, sponsored by WKRG-News 5 and StepOne Automotive with kids able to run the bases following the game and families able to play catch with baseballs in the outfield.

NEXT HOMESTAND: Begins on June 14 vs. Tennessee Smokies.