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Laskey Bears Down Against Former Team, Delivers Latest Wahoos Win
April 26, 2025
written by Bill Vilona
It didn’t take long for pitcher Adam Laskey to feel the ice water again dumped on his head, after once again being the Blue Wahoos’ latest star on the mound. “Just as cold,” he said, laughing.
In reality, so far this season, nothing has chilled nor fazed his performance.
Laskey, 27, a former Duke University star lefthander, continued an eye-opening start to his season, earning his first win after working five strong innings in the Blue Wahoos’ 4-2 victory Friday against the Knoxville Smokies before a capacity crowd of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The win gave Pensacola (14-5) a 3-1 lead in the series as it heads into the weekend. The players wore their Pensacola Pok-Ta-Pok uniforms in an alternate identity night — the first of three this season as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa La Diversión initiative to honor the game’s origins.
Laskey’s outing lowered his earned run average to 0.55 in four starts. This one came against the team he pitched for in 2023. The Chicago Cubs made him available in the Rule 5 Draft that December, and the Miami Marlins selected him.
It was his first start against the Smokies, though he worked 6.2 innings in two relief appearances against them last season without allowing an earned run. His focus Friday didn’t include thinking about his former organization.
“Honestly, just trying to stack good starts on top of each other,” said Laskey, who has done that this season. “Obviously, a lot of good friends over there, but once you’re on the mound, it’s time to attack and pitch as well as you can.”
When Laskey left — allowing one run on four hits, no walks, and four strikeouts — the Blue Wahoos bullpen took over. That group has been just as impressive through 19 games this season as the starters.
Relievers Josh White and Ricky DeVito were each credited with their second hold. Closer Lane Ramsey earned his first save by striking out all three Smokies batters in the ninth. His first strikeout pitch registered 97 mph. The last pitch to end the game was clocked at 99 mph.
After the Smokies took a 1-0 lead, Johnny Olmstead reversed that with one swing in the fourth inning. His two-run homer was a no-doubter over the left-field wall that exited his bat at 108 mph.
The Blue Wahoos added two more runs in the fifth inning on Jake Thompson’s RBI single and Nathan Martorella’s sacrifice fly to score Thompson, who had a big night. The Blue Wahoos left fielder reached base all four times with three hits and a walk. He led a lineup where seven players registered a hit.
The game’s most important sequence occurred in the eighth inning. The Smokies had scored a run and had runners on first and third with one out. DeVito made big pitches — a curveball to strike out Haydn McGeary, the Smokies’ No. 3 batter, and then got cleanup hitter B.J. Murray Jr., the team’s top slugger, to fly out to left.
The Blue Wahoos will have Dax Fulton on the mound Saturday to try to clinch the series against Knoxville on a Fireworks Saturday.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Knoxville Smokies vs. Blue Wahoos
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday
GAME TIMES: Saturday at 6:05 p.m., Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
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