Blue Wahoos Breeze To 3-1 Win Over Clingstones

July 23, 2026

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos defeated the Columbus Clingstones by a final score of 3-1 on Wednesday night behind consistent bats and tactical pitching performances.

The Blue Wahoos (47-43, 11-10) claimed the first game of the series after Tuesday’s game was postponed due to weather. Pensacola improved to 9-4 over the Clingstones (42-44, 13-9) this season with the win tonight.

A 10-hit night yielded three runs for the home side, with all but one Blue Wahoo recording a knock. Pensacola was led at the plate by the newly-acquired Ethan O’Donnell, who went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. It was his first three-hit performance of the 2026 season after spending a majority of the year with Triple-A Jacksonville.

Brandon Compton continues to provide the power for Pensacola, mashing his ninth home run in 15 games in the sixth inning. He leads all minor leaguers in the Marlins system with 21 home runs, having managed 12 with High-A Beloit prior to his promotion.

A trio of consecutive singles in the second inning saw the Blue Wahoos on the board first, with Ryan Ignoffo scoring on a drive into left field by Payton Green.

Pensacola starter Luis Moreno (W, 5-4) kept the Clingstones scoreless through five innings, allowing only four hits and one walk while striking out four. The Blue Wahoos extended their lead in the fifth with an Ian Lewis Jr. single into center field that pushed O’Donnell home from second base. Columbus starter Julio Robaina (L, 2-3) was saddled with the loss.

Columbus cut the deficit in half in the top of the sixth with an RBI groundout from Jordan Groshans, but it’d be answered immediately with a first-pitch solo home run by none other than Compton in the bottom of the frame to establish a 3-1 edge that the Blue Wahoos would defend through the ninth.

Relievers Holt Jones and Colby Martin (S, 5) defended well after Moreno exited in the fifth, delivering two innings each to combine for two hits and six strikeouts with just a run relented.

In the interest of fan safety amid high coastal winds, the Blue Wahoos were unable to shoot fireworks after Wednesday’s game as originally planned. Fans with tickets to Wednesday’s game can visit the box office for a voucher to one of the five remaining fireworks games on July 25, August 5, August 8, August 22 or September 12.

The Blue Wahoos continue their series with a doubleheader against the Columbus Clingstones on Thursday.

written by Maddy Branning

Comments





Have a comment on this story?

We welcome your comments on this story, but there are some rules to follow::

(1) Be Nice. No comments that slander another, no racism, no sexism, no personal attacks.

(2) No Harrassing Comments. If someone says something bad about you, don't respond. That's childish.

(3) No Libel. That's saying something is not true about someone. Don't do it.

(4) Keep it clean. Nothing vulgar, obscene or sexually related. No profanity or obvious substitutions. Period.

(5) NorthEscambia.com reserves the right to remove any comments that violate our rules or we think to be inappropriate. We are not responsible for what is posted. Comments may not appear right away until they are approved by a moderator.

(6) Limit your comments to the subject in this story only, and limit comments to 300 words or less. Do not post copyrighted material. Comments will not be added to stories that are over 30 days old.

(7) No posts may advertise a commercial business, political candidate or political group, or link to another commercial web site or political site of any kind.