Walkoff Win For Blue Wahoos
April 29, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
The players raced from the dugout and a filled ballpark erupted in glee.
The Blue Wahoos couldn’t have dreamed a better ending to their only two-week homestand and one of their greatest Sunday crowd settings in franchise history.
Harrison Spohn’s bases-loaded ground ball found the right place, the throw home bounced away, and Jacob Berry scored as the Blue Wahoos pulled off a 3-2 walkoff win in 10 innings against the Biloxi Shuckers, affixing a bright bow on their fifth win in the week’s six-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“You just try to keep things simple,” said Spohn, who put the ball in play well enough that Shuckers shortstop Freddy Zamora had to make a tough throw. “When the game is on line, you just want to slow your heart rate down and just find some barrel and put the ball in play.”
That’s all it took. But that’s only part of the showcase this day became.
Nearly an hour before Sunday’s finale, the ticket line formed at the stadium box office. And it continued to swell. So much so, that more than 1,000 walk-up fans purchased tickets.
They combined with a massive turnout of school children and parents from the Blue Wahoos’ Kazoo Reading Program incentive where area kids could earn a free ticket by reading four books at their age level and get their teacher’s confirmation.
It created a spectacular crowd at the ballpark’s 5,038 capacity with kids filling the outfield berm area, the party decks jammed and the concourse area teeming with people.
“I think it’s the biggest Sunday crowd we’ve ever had,” said team president Jonathan Griffith.
The Blue Wahoos have now attracted capacity crowds in eight of their first 15 home games, including three straight capacity crowds to complete the weekend.
The hundreds of school children also created a special scene before the game when they paraded from the right field service entrance and did a lap around the field to build memories. There were also several large group outings for this gamef
The Blue Wahoos took a 1-0 lead without a hit in the first inning. Berry walked, moved around on a wild pitch and ground out, then scored on a second wild pitch from Shuckers’ starter Jacob Misiorowski.
Berry also had the game’s best defensive play. Playing in right field in this game, Berry threw out the Shuckers’ Ethan Murray, who had tagged up on a fly ball in the third inning that Berry played perfectly with a catch and throw to the plate to compete a double play.
The Shuckers then tied the game on a pair of hits and took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning on an Ernesto Martinez towering home run into the berm.
After getting their first hit in the game on Cody Morissette’s fifth inning double, the Blue Wahoos kept the deficit at one run behind strong pitching and defense. In the eighth inning, Sean Roby led off with a single, then scored on Dalvy Rosario’s two-out single to tie the game.
In the top of the 10th, Blue Wahoos closer Austin Roberts pitched out of a two-on, none-out situation when first baseman Bennett Hostetler, converted from catcher, snared a line drive and stepped on first for a double play. Roberts then got Biloxi’s Mike Boeve to ground out to Hostetler to end the inning.
In the 10th, Berry started on second as the automatic runner. Roby singled to put runners on the corners. Morissette intentionally walked. Hostetler flied out. Spohn delivered and the celebration ensued.
GAME NOTABLES
— The Blue Wahoos’ April attendance finished at 63,195. It is the highest April attendance since 2014.
— Before the game, the Blue Wahoos players signed autographs for 30 minutes exclusively for season-ticket holders in a special event on home plate concourse area.
— Twelve different area schools from four counties had students at the game, part of the 30-plus schools the Blue Wahoos have visited since the winter in the Kazoo’s Reading Program.
— The Helen Caro Elementary School choir performed the National Anthem and a smaller chorus then entered the field to sing God Bless America in the seventh inning.
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Blue Wahoos vs. Mississippi Braves
WHEN: Tuesday (April 30) Thru Sunday (May 5).
WHERE: Trustmark Park, Pearl, Miss.
Three Dead In Escambia County After Shots Fired Into Parked Car
April 28, 2024
Three people are dead following a shooting into a parked car early Sunday morning in Escambia County.
There are no known suspects.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shots fired call at an “adult birthday party” about 1:15 a.m. in the area of West Jackson Square at 65th Avenue and Jackson Street. Deputies arrived to find three adult males had been shot while inside a vehicle parked in a lot alongside 65th Avenue. Two were pronounced dead at the scene, and the third was pronounced deceased a short time later.
“This is a terrible tragedy that we are investigating as a targeted ambush,” Sheriff Chip Simmons said.
All available ECSO investigators have been called in and the real-time crime center has been activated. Investigators are also asking anyone who attended the party to review any videos or photos and provide any useful information to ECSO investigators.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Photos WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Byrneville Elementary Names Students Of The Month
April 28, 2024
Byrneville Elementary School recently named their Students of the Month. They are:
- 1st Grade: Liam Price and Rebecca Cooley
- 2nd Grade: Derri’ashia Grice and Jagger Scott
- 3rd Grade: Emrey Fowler and Conner Fowler
- 4th Grade: B.J. McCall and Devon Black
- 5th Grade: Jaxon Wilson
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Grad Ethan Harper Takes Navy Oath of Enlistment On Stage At NFL Draft
April 28, 2024
Enlistees from all branches of service swore their “Oath of Enlistment” in a Joint Enlistment Ceremony on stage during the NFL football draft Saturday in Detroit.
The recruits included 19-year-old Ethan Harper, a 2023 Tate High School graduate who joined the Navy.
He is the son of Julie and Johnny Harper.
Photos by Chief Petty Officer Harper and Nicole Harper for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
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Explosions, Fire Destroy Shed Near Bratt Park
April 28, 2024
A fire and explosions destroyed a storage shed near a Bratt park Saturday afternoon.
The fire happened just after 5 p.m. in the 4500 block of West Highway 4, adjacent to the Travis M. Nelson Park.
The fire in the small shed was reportedly sparked by an accidental yard fire that spread. At least two propane tanks exploded, rattling the park and neighborhood.
A 30 pound propane tank explosion (pictured above and below) sent shrapnel flying some 150 feet or more, according to reports.
There were no injuries reported.
The fire mostly burned itself out following the explosions was partially knocked down by individuals.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid and Century stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue and the Atmore Fire Department were dispatched to the blaze.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
EREC Holds 85th Annual Meeting (With Photo Gallery)
April 28, 2024
Escambia River Electric Cooperative members held their 85th annual meeting Saturday at Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill.
Dozens of door prizes were awarded, most of them electric, and one lucky member won the grand prize of a $500 credit on their electric bill.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Members met in a business session after voting on board members. Ernie Hester and James Earl Hall were reelected to the board of trustees for Escambia County. For Santa Rosa County, Philip Marshall was elected to the board for the first time. A total of 758 votes were cast in person and absentee.
Northview High School senior Maggie Rose Godwin and Central School senior Anna Marie Hernandez were recognized as winners of the annual Herman D. Johnson Scholarships, providing each of them with $1,000 per year for four years of college.
Lelia Mason from Northview High School and Tucker Nowling from Jay High School were recognized as recipients of the first-ever EREC Trade/Vocational Scholarship for $1,000 each per year. Nowling plants to become an electrical lineman after trade school.
EREC was formed in 1939 with 88 members in their first month. The cooperative now serves about 12,770 members in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties with 1,800 miles of energized line and has 1,600 water meters in Escambia County.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Barrineau Park Historical Society Awards Scholarships
April 28, 2024
The Barrineau Park Historical Society presented their annual academic scholarships Saturday afternoon at the Barrineau Park Community Center.
The recipients were:
- Lillian Hatch. The West Florida High School senior was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. She plans on attending Florida State University and major in nursing.
- Isabella Young. She is a senior at West Florida High and received at $1,000 scholarship. She plan to attend the University of South Florida- Tampa and will continue to study theater and the arts.
- Berklee Hall, a Northview High School senior, received a $500 Lynda Minchew Scholarship. She plants to attend Coastal Alabama Community College to pursue a nursing career.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jay Graduate Bledsoe Makes History As Candidate For National FFA Officer
April 28, 2024
A Jay High school graduate is making history as the first-ever Santa Rosa County candidate for a national FFA office.
Makenleigh Bledsoe, a 2023 JHS graduate and 2023-2024 Florida FFA state vice president, was selected recently to represent Florida as a 2024 national FFA candidate.
Each year, the National FFA Organization selects six student members to represent the organization as a national FFA officer.
The primary responsibility of a national officer is to serve the organization in local, state, national, and international activities in a way that will inform, motivate, and inspire FFA members, advisors, state staff, teachers, and others to achieve the mission, strategies and core goals of the organization.
National officers dedicate one year of service to the organization. The time is spent representing student membership during meetings with the National FFA Board of Directors, facilitating workshops that bring leadership and knowledge to FFA members, delivering motivational speeches, and serving as advocates for FFA.
National FFA officers will be selected by a nominating committee at the National FFA Convention & Expo this October in Indianapolis.
Blue Wahoos End 4-Game Streak
April 28, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
The Blue Wahoos were unable Saturday to extend their week-long winning streak.
But the game wasn’t lacking for notable moments.
An overflow crowd, which packed the party decks and went rows deep on the concourse, saw the Biloxi Shuckers rally from a three-run deficit in the middle innings to produce a 4-3 victory at Blue Wahoos Stadium, ending Pensacola’s four-game win streak that was the longest of the early season.
Aside from that aspect, however, the crowd of 5,038 watched a 3-year-old boy who overcame a heart defect throw a ceremonial first pitch and an 8-year-old girl who survived a life-saving procedure take a “Home Run for Life” trip around bases.
It was that kind of special night, even without the desired scoreboard result.
The Blue Wahoos took an early lead in the game when loading the bases on consecutive singles by Zach Zubia and Sean Roby, plus a Cody Morissette fielder’s choice play with an error on a force out attempt.
Bennett Hostetler hit into a double play that scored Zubia, then a strikeout ended the inning.
In the third inning, Zubia hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to score Shane Sasaki, who led off with a single. Roby flew out to end that inning, and both of these early opportunities for big innings proved pivotal later in the game.
Morissette made it 3-1 in the fourth inning when he lined a home run inside the foul pole down the right line – a feat more pronounced with the wind blowing in from the bay at a brisk pace.
The Shuckers tied the game with a two-out rally in the sixth inning. They produced three consecutive doubles, the first two off Blue Wahoos starter M.D. Johnson, who otherwise had a solid night. He had two walks, three strikeouts and pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first inning with two big breaking pitches.
Reliever Jeff Lindgren relieved Johnson and yielded a two-strike double to Andy Yerzy that tied the game.
Back-to-back doubles in the ninth from Darrien Miller and Mike Boeve gave the Shuckers their first lead of the night. The Shuckers bullpen recorded four hitless innings from three relievers to seal the game. The Blue Wahoos’ Paul McIntosh went 2-for-4 as the team’s only multiple-hit batter Saturday on a night where Pensacola was held to six hits.
The teams will conclude this six-game homestand on Sunday with pregame activities and ceremonial first pitches starting at 3:45 and the actual game first pitch set for 4:05.
GAME NOTABLES
— Zara Spencer leaped onto home plate, excited for her “Home Run For Life” moment that thrilled the crowd. What seemed an earache worsened into an emergency room visit to the Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart. Physicians discovered she had a mastoiditis infection and an abscess on the brain. Zara was immediately rushed into surgery.
Nine days later, she was released and the life-saving procedure returned her life to normal. With family watching, the bubbly 9-year-old raced around the bases Saturday night in a heartwarming moment.
— On a busy Saturday with pregame activities, there were seven ceremonial first pitches, including a 3-year-old boy, Henderson Woods, who was born with a congenital heart defect. But he is now a normal toddler and had the crowd reacting his first pitch.
— Rachel Balkovec, the Miami Marlins new director of player development, addressed season-ticket holders in the first base lounge reserved for those with season tickets. She also took several questions from the audience. Balkovec, 36, an Omaha, Nebraska native, became in 2022 the first female manager of an affiliated MLB team when she managed the Tampa Tarpons, the New York Yankees Low-A affiliate in the Florida State League.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Biloxi Shuckers vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
WaWa Holds GroundBreaking First Escambia Store; Other Locations Announced
April 27, 2024
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday to mark the start of construction on Escambia County’s first Wawa store convenience retail stores.
The store will be located at Ransley Station at Pine Forest Road and Sharon Lane, just north of I-10, and is expected to be open by the end of 2024.
Wawa hosted dozens of VIP customers, as well as local officials and partners, who participated in the groundbreaking and received an update on Wawa’s growth plans for Escambia County, which included announcing the next site to go under construction later this year at the intersection of West Nine Mile Road and Beulah Road will be open in 2025. Two additional sites are set to begin construction later this year and open in 2025 at: North Davis Highway and Johnson Avenue, and Highway 98 and Blue Angel Parkway.
Wawa also invited guests to enjoy samples of freshly brewed coffee and other handcrafted beverages.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to break ground on our first store and celebrate with our newest soon-to-be neighbors!” said Joe Collins, director of Store Operations for Wawa.” We are thrilled to be kicking off our expansion into Pensacola and can’t wait to open our doors.”
At the groundbreaking, Wawa presented a $2,500 grant to Feeding the Gulf Coast to support local programs in Escambia County to fight hunger and food insecurity.
Wawa stores are currently located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. with nearly 1,000 locations to date.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
