Blue Wahoos Split Twin Bill With Barons

June 18, 2026

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Birmingham Barons 6-4 in the first half of their Wednesday doubleheader, but blew a late lead in the nightcap to lose 6-3.

Combined with a Biloxi Shuckers loss, the doubleheader split puts Pensacola in second place by 0.5 games with four to play before the end of the first half on Sunday.

In game one, the Blue Wahoos went deep three times to account for five of their six runs. Aiva Arquette hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the third inning, Dillon Lewis added his team-leading 14th later in the frame, and Cristian Hernández laced a two-run shot in the fifth inning.

Alex Williams (W, 4-5) outpitched Birmingham’s Gabe Davis (L, 0-2), working 5.2 innings of four-run ball. After surrendering a first-inning homer to Alec Briley, the righty settled down and effectively protected the Pensacola lead. Jack Sellinger (S, 3) inherited a pair of baserunners with the tying run at the plate in the sixth, but escaped the jam and returned for the seventh to secure a five-out save in a 6-4 final.

In game two, Lewis once again provided early offense with an RBI groundout in the first inning and an RBI single in the third. Connor Caskenette forced in the third Pensacola run with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth, though the Blue Wahoos squandered a chance to add on with the bases loaded and nobody out against reliever Phil Fox (W, 2-2).

Blue Wahoos starter Jacob Miller allowed a Brenden Dixon RBI double in the second inning, but otherwise looked sharp over 2.0 innings in his first start since coming off the injured list. Holt Jones was dominant in long relief, striking out seven batters over 3.0 one-hit innings, and Kade Bragg (L, 3-2) worked through a 1-2-3 sixth to send the game to the seventh and final frame.

Tasked with protecting a 3-1 lead, Bragg allowed an infield single and a pair of walks to load the bases. Colby Martin entered from the bullpen, getting a strikeout before allowing a game-tying two-run double to Pensacola native T.J. McCants. Martin struck out Samuel Zavala and intentionally walked Briley to load the bases for Caleb Bonemer, the top prospect in the White Sox organization who had made his Double-A debut in game one. A four-pitch walk forced in the go-ahead run, and Anthony DePino muscled a broken-bat single up the middle to score two more.

Jackson Kelley (S, 5) worked around a Lewis double in the seventh to close out a 6-3 Barons win.

The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Thursday.

written by Erik Bremer

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FRONT FEATURE, Sports, TOP sports