Chattanooga Beats The Pensacola Blue Wahoos In 12 Innings
July 13, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly sees the positive side of his team’s matchup against the Chattanooga Lookouts.
The Blue Wahoos have taken three of the last five games from the Lookouts, although they lost Wednesday’s game, 5-3, in front of 4,423 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. In the three head-to-head series, Pensacola is 3-11 against Chattanooga, which is the first half North Division champions and own the best record in the Southern League.
“Every game we play against Chattanooga is like this,” Kelly said. “They seem to find the holes and we don’t. We can play head-to-head with them. We beat them three of the last five times.”
Pensacola left fielder Tyler Goeddel smoked a line drive over the left field wall to tie the score, 3-3, to lead off the seventh inning. It was his fifth homer of the season for the Blue Wahoos. Goeddel also played the hero in Tuesday’s game, drilling a bases-loaded double to left field to propel Pensacola over Chattanooga.
But the Lookouts scored two runs in the top of the 12th inning when DH Andy Wilkins hit a line drive double down the left field line to score shortstop Nick Gordon to put Chattanooga up, 4-3. First baseman Jonathan Rodriguez then scored on a sacrifice fly by Max Murphy that made it a 5-3 game.
Pensacola dropped to 1-6 in extra-inning games and are 10-10 in the second half. The South Division champions in the first half are 50-40 overall. Meanwhile, Chattanooga improved to 15-5 in the second half and 57-33 overall.
Chattanooga went up, 3-2, in the fifth inning on a controversial call. The Lookouts started a two-out rally when second baseman Alex Perez hit a double on a fly ball down the left field line that was ruled a fair ball. Perez then scored when Gordon, the Minnesota Twins top prospect, singled to center field with two outs. Lookouts left fielder LaMonte Wade, the Twins No. 12 prospect, then hit a soft liner to left field that drove in both catcher Dan Rohlfing and Gordon.
Kelly said the call changed the momentum of the game. He also expressed dissatisfaction that the No. 9 hitter batting .141 followed with a walk.
“It didn’t have to be a three-run inning,” Kelly said.
Pensacola right fielder Gabriel Guerrero lead off the fourth inning with a double off the left field wall and then scored on a chopper by catcher Chad Tromp to make the score, 2-0. Chattanooga third baseman T.J. White looked Guerrero back to the bag and then threw to second baseman Alex Perez for a force out. Perez saw Guerrero sprinting home and threw it on the mark but Guerrero slid wide of the plate for the run. Guerrero was 2-6 with two doubles off the wall in left center field for his team-leading 26th multi-hit game of the year.
Pensacola scored in the first inning to go ahead, 1-0, when third baseman Nick Senzel smacked a two-out grounder up the middle to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. First baseman Gavin LaValley earned a walk and then Blue Wahoos left fielder Nick Longhi blasted a single to center field that drove in Senzel from second base.
Senzel, the Cincinnati Reds top prospect, was 3-6 with a run scored and now has five multi-hit games this season. He is hitting .318 for Pensacola since being called up June 22 from the High-A Daytona Tortugas.
Chattanooga right-hander Felix Jorge was starting in his first game back with the Lookouts after making two starts with the Minnesota Twins. Jorge, the Twins eighth-ranked prospect, made his Major League debut July 1 and earned the win.
Against Pensacola, he worked six innings, giving up two runs, one earned on five hits and three walks, while striking out three. He is 8-1 on the season with a 3.14 ERA.
Pensacola had a chance to win its third straight game against Chattanooga in the eighth when it loaded the bases with one out against Lookout relievers Raul Fernandez and Todd Van Steensel. The Blue Wahoos loaded the bases when catcher Chad Tromp was hit in the head with an 84-mph breaking ball, knocking him flat on his back.
But Aristides Aquino came in to pinch hit after that and struck out and then Goeddel hit a chopper to third base that allowed the Lookout’s White to make the force out at second to end the scoring threat.
Kelly reported after the game that Tromp passed all the concussion tests but said he would probably hold him out of the next two or three games.
Alabama Triple Murder Suspect Commits Suicide At Navy Federal
July 12, 2017
Update - Alabama triple murder suspect Kenneth Dion Lever committed suicide Wednesday afternoon in a parking lot at Navy Federal Credit Union’s call center on West Nine Mile Road near I-10, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. He took his own life after deputies caught up with him on Nine Mile Road. He pulled into a parking lot, got out of the car and shot himself.
“We have confirmation from the US Marshals Office in Escambia Co. FL that Kenneth Lever committed suicide,” Gardendale Police released.
Lever was awaiting trial on two Pennsylvania child sexual assault cases, including charges of corruption of a minor, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old and deviate sexual intercourse with a child.
Previous story:
The hunt for a triple murder suspect from Alabama has extended into Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Three people — an adult male and two adult women — were found shot to death at a mobile home park in Gardendale, AL, just north of Birmingham. Police have said they believe the shooting to be domestic related,. The victims have been identified as Dana Reeves, 50, of Gardendale; Bonnie Reeves Foshee, 65, of Fultondale; and Don Austin Foshee, 69 of Fultondale.
The Gardendale Police Department has named 51-year old Kenneth Dion Lever, 51, as their suspect. He is described as being 5-foot, 10-inches tall, 220 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a camouflage t-shirt.
Authorities believe Lever could be headed to Escambia or Santa Rosa counties. He has lived in Santa Rosa County before — the Santa Rosa County Jail list an address on Lancaster Gate Drive in Pace as of an arrest there in 2015. Authorities also believe he has connections to an address in the Pensacola area.
Police believe he may be driving a 2017 red Nissan Sentra Georgia tag# RGC6858. An actual photo of the vehicle is at the top of the page.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 911.
Woman Charged With Attempted Murder After Hitting Deputy, Woman And House
July 12, 2017
An Escambia County woman has been charged with attempted murder after hitting a house, an Escambia County deputy and another woman Tuesday afternoon.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office had responded to another call on Wildflower Lane when 26-year old Star Perkins veered off the roadway and struck Deputy Timyron Young and Brenda Gonzalez before hitting a house where debris struck Dickson Gonzalez who was walking to the front door. Her vehicle came to final rest with its front portion inside the house. Perkins also struck a couple of parked vehicles.
Perkins was arrested Tuesday night by the Florida Highway Patrol and charged with attempted murder on a law enforcement officer, attempted murder, driving under the influence with serious bodily injury and driving under the influence with property damage. She was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Deputy Young was treated for a leg injury and is in serious condition, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Gonzalez was in critical condition.
Photos courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
CSX: Return Of Gulf Coast Passenger Train Is Not Workable
July 12, 2017
A top CSX executive has told a Louisiana newspaper that the return of passenger rail service to the Gulf Coast — including cities like Atmore and Pensacola — is not workable due to federal on-time standards.
Amtrak’s Sunset Limited passenger train, which included service from New Orleans through Pensacola to Jacksonville along CSX tracks, came to an end along the Gulf Coast due to damage from Hurricane Katrina.
For the past couple of years, the Gulf Coast Rail Service Working Group, the Federal Rail Administration and the Southern Rail Commission have worked on studying the feasibility of the service return. The FRA is expected to soon report the findings to Congress.
The study included the roll of an Amtrak inspection train across the coast in early 2016, packed with Amtrak officials, local officials and VIPs and the media to gauge the reaction to the possible return of rail service to the Gulf Coast. The train arrived former Sunset Limited stops such as Mobile, Atmore and Pensacola with tremendous fanfare as local government have supported the service restoration.
At least 22 Gulf Coast mayors, including Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward and Atmore Mayor Jim Staff, provided letters of support calling for Congress to restore local passenger rail service. The project is also supported by several regional transportation organizations, including the West Florida Regional Planning Council, the Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization, the NW Florida Regional Transportation Planning Organization and the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission.
But not so fast, says David Dech, assistant vice president for passenger operations for CSX. In a letter to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, he said CSX has a genuine interest in the communities of the Gulf Coast, but new legal requirements now stand in the way of new Gulf Coast passenger rail service.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Sunset Limited rain on time only seven percent of the time in the year leading up to Katrina. But new federal regulations took effect in 2016 requiring that passenger trains run on schedule at least 80 percent of the time at each station.
And there’s no workaround, he said, because there are 17 drawbridge on the New Orleans to Florida route where priority is given to essential maritime traffic.
There is also a requirement effective in 2008 that requires passenger rail lines to be equipped with what’s know as a Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system. There’s no proposal from the Gulf Coast Working Group for such a system on the Gulf Coast to prevent accidents such as train to train collisions and derailments from excessive speed. Instead, the group is seeking a waiver.
“CSX is proud to support safe, reliable passenger rail transportation. We also must keep faith with the traveling public, comply with the law and preserve our ability to serve area businesses by moving freight safely and reliably. Two years of shared and committed study, including ideas that involve dramatic spending commitments, still have not yielded a single proposal that would come close to addressing these issues,” Dech wrote in his letter to Louisiana newspaper.
Pictured: An Amtrak inspection train rolls in Atmore (top and bottom) and Pensacola (inset) in February 2016. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
All Students At Many North Escambia Schools To Receive Free Lunch This Year
July 12, 2017
All students at many North Escambia schools will receive free breakfast and lunch this year, thanks to the expansion of a two-year old Escambia County School District program.
Bratt, Byrneville, Molino Park, Ernest Ward and Northview are among the 17 new schools added through the district’s participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
Free breakfast and lunch will begin on the first day of school at the following locations in Escambia County (new schools are in bold):
Elementary Schools: Bellview Elementary, Bratt Elementary, Brentwood Elementary, C.A. Weis Elementary, Ensley Elementary, Ferry Pass Elementary, Global Learning Academy, Holm Elementary, Jim Allen Elementary, Lincoln Park Elementary, Lipscomb Elementary, Longleaf Elementary, McArthur Elementary, Molino Park Elementary, Montclair Elementary, Myrtle Grove Elementary, Navy Point Elementary, Oakcrest Elementary, Pine Meadow Elementary, Pleasant Grove Elementary, Scenic Heights Elementary, O.J. Semmes Elementary, Sherwood Elementary, Warrington Elementary, and West Pensacola Elementary
Middle Schools: Bellview Middle, Ernest Ward Middle, Ferry Pass Middle, Jim Bailey Middle, Warrington Middle, Woodham Middle, and Workman Middle
High Schools: Escambia High School, Northview High School, Pensacola High School, Pine Forest High School, Booker T. Washington High School
Special Centers: Camelot, Lakeview Center, Judy Andrews, McMillian PreK Center, and Escambia Westgate Center
Alternative Education/Charters: Byrneville Charter, Capstone, Escambia Charter, and Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy
Vocational School: George Stone Technical (Phoenix Initiative Program)
Parents of the students at these schools are not required to submit an application for the free and reduced Lunch program at that school — all meals are free.
Families with students attending other ECSD schools are encouraged to apply for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. Applications will be sent home or parents and guardians to complete and return to their student’s school.
Pictured top: Sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables and crackers on the lunch menu at Jim Allen Elementary School. Pictured below: Lunch at Bratt Elementary and Ransom Middle School. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Flomaton Welcomes Home Teen Fireworks Accident Victim
July 12, 2017
Residents of Flomaton came together Tuesday night to welcome home a fellow resident, firefighter, classmate and friend that endured a tragic accident on the Fourth of July.
Hunter White, who turns 17 on Thursday, suffered major injuries to his right hand during an explosion as fireworks were being lit. He was taken to the hospital in Brewton and then airlifted to the regional burn center at the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile. He was released from the hospital Tuesday.
White received a big welcome home back in Flomaton, with last-mile ride to house in a Flomaton fire truck with a police escort. White is a junior member of the Flomaton Fire Department.
The Flomaton High senior received a warm welcome at home from about 100 people.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Boulevard Cash Advance Business Robbed
July 12, 2017
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man that robbed a Pensacola Boulevard business Tuesday afternoon.
A black male held up the Advance America Cash Advance near Walmart. Deputies say he walked in and demanded money. It was not immediately known if he was carrying a weapon.
The suspect was described as about 165 pounds, 5-foot, 9-inches tall last seen wearing a white long-sleeve shirt and denim shorts.
Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Reader submitted photos by Sheena StPierre for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Barrineau Park 4-H Raises Hogs For Local Food Banks
July 12, 2017
The Barrineau Park 4-H Club raised two hogs and donated the fresh pork to two local food banks. Over 300 pounds of fresh pork was delivered to the food banks at Aldersgate United Methodist Church and Molino Outreach. The fresh pork was distributed in their food boxes. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Grad Bates Signs Transfer To LSUA Generals
July 12, 2017
A 2015 Northview High School graduate is one of four junior college transfers to the LSU-Alexandria Generals.
E’Layzha Bates, a 5′10″ forward from Molino, joins the Generals from Baton Rouge Community College.
Last season with the Bears, Bates started all 13 games she appeared in, averaging five points per game on 41.5 percent shooting from the field in 28.5 minutes played each time out. A key feature to her game will be rebounding, where she grabbed just over five boards per contest last season, which was second on the BRCC squad.
Bates also boasted the highest GPA on her team and was named a team captain.
At Northview, Bates was also team captain and most valuable player of her high school squad. She plans on majoring in kinesiology at LSUA.
Three In A Row: Wahoos Beat Chattanooga
July 12, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos starting pitcher called his nine strikeouts against the first 10 Chattanooga Lookouts batters “just another game.” But to all the other onlookers Tuesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium, his performance was impressive.
The 22-year-old right hander struck out a career-high 11 batters and the left fielder Tyler Goeddel hit a clutch bases-loaded double to left field as Pensacola rallied to beat Chattanooga for the second straight game.
Coming into the four-game series, Pensacola, the South Division first half champions, were 1-9 against Chattanooga, the North Division first half champions. The Blue Wahoos now lead the series, 2-1.
Pat Kelly said he was disappointed Lopez failed to get the victory. Instead, reliever Geoff Broussard got the victory striking out two in his one scoreless inning of relief to improve to 3-1 with a 3.58 ERA.
“It’s a shame he didn’t get the win,” Kelly said. “He really pitched exceptional, especially against that club. He dominated them. That was fun to see.”
Lopez said he has worked with pitching coach Danny Darwin to tweak his mechanics.
“I threw every pitch for a strike,” Lopez said. “I was just pounding the zone. I’ve turned things around a little bit.”
That’s an understatement. Lopez had a no-hitter through the first 4.2 innings before right fielder Max Murphy, playing his fourth game for the Lookouts, smacked his first Double-A homer just over the right field fence on a curveball.
Lopez tied his career-high of 10 strikeouts in the sixth inning when the hurler got Chattanooga first baseman Jonathan Rodriguez out to end the inning. He then set a new career-high of 11 when he struck out the Lookouts leadoff batter in the seventh, DH Andy Wilkins.
Lopez gave up just three hits and a walk. It’s his second strong outing in a row, after throwing eight scoreless innings in his previous start against the Biloxi Shuckers.
He credited Pensacola catcher Joe Hudson for his performances in both games, who directed Lopez to pound hitters inside, throw his breaking balls and elevate the ball in the strike zone.
“I love it,” Lopez said. “We’re on the same page. I trust him to watch the hitters for things I don’t pick up.”
Trailing, 1-0, Pensacola loaded the bases with one out to start the eighth inning. That’s when Chattanooga manager Jake Mauer called for his left-handed reliever Randy Rosario to face leadoff hitter Goeddel, who doubled in center fielder Gabriel Guerrero and right fielder Aristides Aquino to put Pensacola ahead, 2-1. Second baseman Josh VanMeter then hit a grounder to Chattanooga second baseman Ryan Walker who threw it past catcher Carlos Paulino to allow both shortstop Blake Trahan and Goeddel to score for a 4-1 Blue Wahoos lead.
Pensacola turned to Zack Weiss for the second straight game in the ninth inning and the right-handed closer earned his fourth save in five opportunities.
“We’re testing him,” Kelly said. “We’re testing his elbow to see how it feels. I think his stuff was better tonight (Tuesday). It’s a really good sign that he is able to go back-to-back.”
Meanwhile, Chattanooga starter Fernando Romero, who MLBPipeline.com ranks as the No. 4 prospect for the Minnesota Twins, worked five scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked one and struck out five before turning the game over to Lookouts reliever Ryan Eades.