Latest Headlines
- Vehicle Strikes Dollar General In Cantonment
- Escambia Commission Joins Lawsuit Against Clerk Childers Over Blocked Donations
- Silver Alert Issued For Pace Man That May Have Been Traveling West
- Atmore Man Arrested For Downtown Pensacola Battery
- Heavy Rain Washed Away Portion Of Road In McDavid
- Escambia Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Charge
- Blue Wahoos Bounce Back, Keep Playoff Hopes Alive With 9-2 Win
- Barrineau Park Bridge Over The Perdido River Closed
- Century Resident Maliki Haynes Earns Top Honor Marine Graduate Distinction At Parris Island
- Storms Leave Hundreds Without Power Across Escambia County
After Record Rain Delay, Matheus Lifts Wahoos To Late-Night Win
June 21, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Birmingham Barons waited nearly four hours to play their Saturday game at Blue Wahoos Stadium, getting started past ten o’clock and dueling for seven innings in a 4-0 Blue Wahoos win to keep Pensacola’s first half playoff hopes alive.
Prior to this week, the longest rain delay in Blue Wahoos Stadium history had been 2 hours and 55 minutes. A seventh-inning rain delay on Thursday night lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes, sending the game to a 1 a.m. curfew and a shortened eight-inning game. Saturday’s pregame delay lasted even longer, pushing back a scheduled start time of 6:05 to 10:04, by far the latest first pitch in the stadium’s history as well as the longest weather delay.
Despite the unprecedented wait, hundreds of fans from what was initially a sellout crowd stuck around. Fireworks, intended to be shot off postgame, lit up the tarp-covered field around 8:30. Because the game had playoff implications, with the Biloxi Shuckers poised to clinch a first half South Division title upon a Blue Wahoos loss, the umpire crew went to unprecedented lengths to get the game in.
Luis Palacios made the start for the Blue Wahoos in his first appearance since being named Southern League Pitcher of the Week on Monday. The lefty endured shaky command, allowing only one hit but walking four batters over 3.1 innings. Kade Bragg (W, 4-2) inherited a pair of runners in the top of the fourth, coaxing a lineout from Colby Shelton and striking out Jeral Perez to escape the jam.
Barons starter Dylan Cumming (L, 1-5) was perfect through three innings, but the Blue Wahoos built a rally in the fourth. Cam Cannarella dropped down a bunt single, Aiva Arquette reached on a fielding error that could have been a double play grounder, and Juan Matheus launched a three-run homer to right field to put Pensacola ahead 3-0.
Bragg walked the bases loaded in the fifth, but struck out three Birmingham batters to keep the lead intact. Cannarella added insurance with a solo homer, his first at Double-A, in the sixth inning. Colby Martin (S, 3) earned a four-out save to finish off a combined three-hit shutout.
With the win, the Blue Wahoos’ first half playoff hopes remain alive. On Sunday, they would need the Biloxi Shuckers to play – no sure thing, given that they have only been able to play two of their scheduled games this week at Keesler Federal Park due to heavy rain and unplayable field conditions – and lose twice to the Columbus Clingstones. The Shuckers and Clingstones will complete a suspended seven-inning game from Friday, tied 1-1 in the third inning, and play another seven-inning contest. The Blue Wahoos would also need to win their series finale against the Barons.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series, and the first half schedule against the Barons, on Sunday afternoon.
written by Erik Bremer
Comments