Morissette Hits for Cycle in 12-9 Blue Wahoos Win

The Blue Wahoos' Cody Morissette on Tuesday became the second player in less than two months to hit for the cycle in leading Pensacola to 12-9 win against M-Braves. (Nino Mendez/Pensacola Blue Wahoos)

By Bill Vilona, Senior Writer

June 13, 2023

Pensacola, Fla. – Cody Morissette and Dalvy Rosario joined in a go-kart race Monday as part of a fun night outing with Blue Wahoos season-ticket holders at Pensacola’s Splash City Adventures. From that brief respite from baseball, the two helped create a hit-making, run-scoring tsunami Tuesday, power-surging the Blue Wahoos

Pensacola, Fla. – Cody Morissette and Dalvy Rosario joined in a go-kart race Monday as part of a fun night outing with Blue Wahoos season-ticket holders at Pensacola’s Splash City Adventures.

From that brief respite from baseball, the two helped create a hit-making, run-scoring tsunami Tuesday, power-surging the Blue Wahoos into a 12-9 victory against the Mississippi Braves to open their six-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Morissette became the second Blue Wahoos player in less than two months this season to hit for the cycle – one of the game’s rarest feats – after it had been done just once before in franchise history.

"(Jose) Devers and (Victor) Mesa (Jr.) were making it known during the game," said Morissette, 23, and Manchester, New Hampshire native and former star at Boston College. "You could have picked anybody in the lineup (Tuesday. Everybody was swinging the bat well.

"It's pretty cool (hitting cycle). My mom (Kristen) is here for the first time to see me play, It's definitely something to remember."

Dalvy Rosario has been on a tear with three homers since joining the Blue Wahoos June 9 from High-A BeloitNino Mendez/Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Rosario, meanwhile, continued to wow. Playing just his fourth game for the Blue Wahoos, he went 3-for-5, including his third home run. He joined the team Friday from the Beloit Sky Carp, the Miami Marlins' High-A affiliate, and promptly ignited his future with a walk-off homer.

The Blue Wahoos (36-22), who maintained a six-game lead against Biloxi in the Southern League division race, led 12-4 into the ninth inning, before the M-Braves got five runs off reliever Zack Leban. He recorded the final two outs.

Morissette, who went 4-for-6 with three RBI, was part of the Blue Wahoos’ season-high 18 hits. The infielder started with a run-scoring double in the third inning.

Cody Morissette slides in safely on his triple Tuesday as part of hitting for the cycle in the Blue Wahoos win.Nino Mendez/Pensacola Blue Wahoos

He then hit a solo homer in the fourth, tripled to lead off the sixth and spun a infield single in the seventh to get the four different hits for the cycle. Donald Lutz in 2014 was the only other Blue Wahoos player to get the feat prior to this season.

Victor Mesa Jr. hit for the cycle on April 18 against the Birmingham Barons. That game was a 10-4 loss.

This one was a middle-inning explosion for the Blue Wahoos. They scored a combined 10 runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Four other players had multiple hits.

With their win, the Blue Wahoos put Montgomery and Mississippi– the other two teams in the division – further back in the rear-view mirror at 8 and 8.5 games back respectively. There are now 11 games left in the first-half schedule to determine a playoff spot.

"We just come to the clubhouse looking to have some fun, win some baseball games," Morissette said. "It's playoff baseball every day. We are just trying to finish out this division. We've had a good first half so far. We just have to keep it going"

Troy Johnston began the scoring barrage with his solo homer in the first inning. He went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. After the M-Braves took a 3-1 lead in the third inning, the Blue Wahoos responded with 11 runs in the next four innings.

Rosario, 22, a centerfielder and Dominican Republic native, hit a 2-run, 2-out homer in fourth inning to regain the lead for the Blue Wahoos and change the game. It started with Cobie Fletcher-Vance taking a high pitch on a 3-2 count to reach base.

From there, four runs ensued. After Rosario’s bomb, Nasim Nunez tripled and Morissette blasted a ball into the right center berm.

In the fifth inning, Norel Gonzalez and Will Banfield led off with singles. Griffin Conine followed with a monster blast over the batter’s eye in center field. Conine and Johnston both had RBI singles in the sixth as the lead continued to build.

The second game of the series will be Wednesday and will include a post-game fireworks show, as part of the school’s out, mid-week displays in June and July.

Wednesday’s game is also the “Winning Wednesday” promotion with fans able to play baseball bingo during the game for prizes. And the Morgan Law Firm will be at the game as sponsor for Hurricane Prep Night.

First pitch from Blue Wahoos Stadium is scheduled for 6:35, with a live broadcast beginning at 6:30 on BlueWahoos.com, the MiLB First Pitch app (radio), Bally Live and MiLB.tv (video), plus a local television broadcast on WFGX MyTV 35. For more information, visit BlueWahoos.com or contact the box office at (850) 934-8444.