Wahoos Wait Out Rain And Rally Late For 4-3 Win
August 6, 2023
The Blue Wahoos’ recent good fortune without rain delays at home ran out Saturday.
But they maintained a season-long feat of late-inning success.
After the longest rain delay of the season – two plus hours – the Blue Wahoos erased a sixth-inning 3-0 deficit, got a clutch go-ahead, run-scoring double from catcher Will Banfield in the eighth inning, and pulled off a 4-3 victory against the Biloxi Shuckers before Saturday night fireworks lit up Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Reliever Luarbert Arias earned his first Double-A win for Pensacola after pitching two scoreless innings. He yielded a two-out single in the ninth, then threw a perfect tailing slider to strike out Biloxi’s designated hitter Tristen Lutz and end the game.
He followed a superb night by M.D. Johnson, who pitched seven innings for the first time this season, and was nearly as sharp as his last start at home when he blanked Rocket City in a six-inning outing.
The Blue Wahoos are now 53-3 when leading after eight innings, which is why this team is now 20 games above .500 at 60-40 and on pace to set a franchise record for most wins in a season.
The game was delayed 2 hours and 11 minutes following after a massive thunderstorm with strong winds in the late afternoon engulfed the stadium. It then turned into a slower, steady rain until 7:30 before the field tarp could be removed.
The fans among a once-capacity crowd who waited it all out saw another Blue Wahoos comeback. It led into the fireworks show sponsored Saturday by Hill-Kelly Dodge Chrysler Jeep – a Blue Wahoos charter partner since the inaugural season.
Biloxi hit the first of its three homers Saturday, all solo shots, when Isaac Collins hit a two-out shot in the first inning. Carlos Rodriguez, a Mobile native, made it 2-0 in the third inning with his two-out homer.
In the fourth inning, the Blue Wahoos’ Griffin Conine again showed his defensive skills by making a sensational leaping catch over the right field wall to rob Biloxi’s Ethan Murray of a 3-run homer.
That play, that catch, proved to be a game-deciding moment.
After Shuckers star Jackson Chourio, a 19-year-old phenom centerfielder, hit the team’s third solo homer in the sixth inning, the Blue Wahoos began the comeback. Chourio is one of the top prospects in Minor League Baseball.
But other than those three pitches, Johnson was effective all night working fast and throwing strikes. He allowed just five hits, four walks and struck out four to earn his second win.
Blue Wahoos newcomer Jacob Berry, the Miami Marlins’ top draft pick last year from LSU, hit a sacrifice fly RBI for the team’s first run.
Bennett Hostetler followed in the seventh with a two-run, bases-loaded single that scored Banfield and Victor Mesa Jr. to tie the game. Those led off the inning with a single and walk, followed by Cody Morissette’s walk to load the bases.
In the eighth inning, Berry led off with a single. He moved to second on José Devers’ sacrifice bunt, then over to third on Conine’s groundout. Banfield hit a 1-2 fastball high in the strike zone and just missed a homer off the right field wall for the game-winning RBI.
The Blue Wahoos waited out the weather, knowing it was eventually going to clear. Their previous high for rain delay this year was 1 hour and 16 minutes.
But with the artificial turf surface and drainage system at Blue Wahoos Stadium, the field can drain 16 inches of water in an hour. It can easily handle any extended set of thunderstorms.
The Blue Wahoos will now try to win the series in final game of the six-game homestand on Sunday afternoon.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
New Verizon Tower Constructed Near Walnut Hill
August 5, 2023
A cell tower we first told you about in 2020 is now standing near Walnut Hill.
An application for the 280-foot self-supporting tower was filed on behalf of Verizon in 2020 and approved by Escambia County in June 2021.
Recently the tower was constructed near the end of Wilma Road, just north of Highway 164 about two miles east of North Highway 99. Workers have continued to install equipment on the tower.
The tower is located on a leased 6,400 square foot portion of a parcel.
“Given the demand in this area, this tower is critical to increasing the coverage area and providing a reliable signal for residents and emergency responders within the area,” Verizon wrote in their Escambia County development application.
There’s no word on when service from the tower will go live for customers.
Pictured: A new 280-foot Verizon tower on Wilma Road near Walnut Hill. A worker can be seen on the tower in the top photo (below the equipment, with two buckets). NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Four Teens Charged In Antisemitic Vandalism
August 5, 2023
Pensacola Police investigators have made several arrests in the case involving multiple acts of vandalism. Most of the incidents involved graffiti containing antisemitic messages and symbols in the downtown and East Hill areas of Pensacola. Two of the incidents involved bricks with antisemitic messages being thrown through windows at Jewish places of worship.
Charged in the incidents were:
Waylon Moon Fowler, 17, charged with seven counts of felony criminal mischief enhanced to a hate crime, one count of misdemeanor criminal mischief, and one count of felony trespassing in a construction zone.
Wyatt Fox Fowler, 15, charged with seven counts of felony criminal mischief enhanced to a hate crime, one count of misdemeanor criminal mischief, and one count of felony trespassing in a construction zone.
Nicholas Pearce Ferry, 16, charged with four counts of felony criminal mischief enhanced to a hate crime, and pme count of felony trespassing in a construction zone.
Kessler Alexander Ferry, 18, charged with one count of felony criminal mischief enhanced to a hate crime.
Pensacola Police Chief Eric Randall said, “The extra hard work of investigators and many others in the Pensacola Police Department paid off today. We hope that these arrests can bring comfort and closure not only to those in our Jewish community, but to all citizens of this great city.”
“We will not tolerate hate crimes in the City of Pensacola,” Mayor D.C. Reeves added. “I greatly appreciate our PPD’s superb investigative work in recent days that clearly delivers an important message: if you conduct cowardly acts of hate in this city in an attempt to hurt or intimidate, we will find you and bring you to justice.”
PPD investigators say further arrests in this case are possible.
Pictured: (top) Kessler Ferry, Nicholas Ferry, (bottom) Wyatt Fowler, Waylon Fowler.
Big Summer Book Sale Raises $12K For Friends Of The Library
August 5, 2023
The Friends of the West Florida Public Library’s Big Summer Book Sale last weekend earned $12,142 over three days.
The next big book sale ss coming September 22-24.
Friends of West Florida Public Library is a non-profit support organization of the West Florida Public Library.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Lodge Lunch Welcomes Jim Allen Elementary Teachers Back To School
August 5, 2023
Cantonment Masonic Lodge #322 helped welcome teachers back to Jim Allen Elementary School with a delicious lunch. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FWC Law Enforcement Report: Fishing Violations, Alligator In A Garbage Bag
August 5, 2023
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement recently reported the following activity:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officers Allgood and Hahr worked offshore fishing activity and documented three vessels in violation of reef fish rules. One subject was cited for possession of an undersized red snapper and two other captains were cited for possession of undersized greater amberjack and greater amberjack out of season.
Officers Lugg and Burkhead were on vessel patrol near Bayou Grande when they noticed a vessel with fishing gear returning to a nearby boat landing. The officers conducted a resource inspection on the vessel and located an undersized amberjack in a cooler on board the vessel. The operator admitted to keeping the undersize greater amberjack. Officer Burkhead cited the operator for possession of undersize greater amberjack.
Officers Lugg and Burkhead were on vessel patrol in Pensacola Bay when a pontoon boat passed them under Bob Sikes Bridge at a high rate of speed with several people on board. As the subject passed the officers, he took both hands off the steering wheel while the vessel was still underway. The officers stopped the vessel for careless operation and located an empty beer can under the operator’s feet. When asked, the operator, who was under the age of 21, admitted to drinking alcohol. Officer Burkhead conducted field sobriety tasks on the operator, who performed poorly on the tasks and showed several signs of impairment. The officers placed the subject under arrest for operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol. The subject agreed to provide a breath sample in which the results were over the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration. The subject was transported and booked into the Escambia County jail.
Officers Ramos and Lugg were on vessel patrol near Pensacola Beach during the annual Operation Dry Water event and discovered a vessel with an operator who showed various signs of impairment. Officer Ramos conducted standardized field sobriety tasks and determined the operator was impaired. The vessel operator was arrested for boating under the influence and asked to provide a sample of his breath as required by law. The operator refused to submit a breath sample. He was issued a civil penalty for the refusal and booked into the county jail for BUI.
While on vessel patrol in Bayou Texar, Officers Lugg and Ramos conducted a marine fisheries inspection on a catamaran with fishing equipment that was pulling into a private wet slip. During the inspection, Officer Lugg located multiple species of regulated and unregulated species on the deck of the vessel that were filleted and not in whole condition. Multiple fillets of vermillion snapper appeared to have been under the legal limit of 10” based on the fillet length. The individual was cited for possession of fish not in whole condition.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Bower was on patrol and observed a vessel in wrecked and junked condition. The vessel is hard aground and unable to be moved under its own power. It will need mechanical assistance to be removed from the shoreline. The owner was located was issued the derelict vessel notification of rights packet and notice to appear citations for storing a derelict vessel upon waters of the state and issued paperwork for an expired registration over 6 months.
Officers Burkhead and Lugg were on vessel patrol when they noticed several untagged bush hook lines in the water that appeared to have been recently placed there. The officers pulled into a nearby boat launch and located a man about to launch his vessel. The officers asked if he had been running lines and he responded he had put some out the night before. The officers located line in the boat that matched the bush hook lines in the water. The subject admitted to placing the untagged bush hooks on the river. Officer Lugg wrote the subject a notice to appear misdemeanor for using untagged bush hooks.
Officers Lugg, Burkhead, and Wilkinson received information from a deputy in Alabama regarding a traffic stop he conducted recently. The stop revealed a fresh, untagged alligator hide in a garbage bag located inside the subject’s vehicle. The subject told the deputy he was on his way to Florida and that the alligator was killed in Florida. The officers gathered information from the deputy and further interviewed the subject about the alligator. The subject admitted to having possession of the untagged alligator hide. Officer Lugg seized the hide and cited the subject with several violations related to the untagged hide.
This report represents some events the FWC handled during the time period; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Hostetler Homers, Bermúdez Pitches Blue Wahoos To 8-1 Win
August 5, 2023
The morning temperature Friday was already well-past uncomfortable when Bennett Hostetler was on the field at Blue Wahoos Stadium, helping create memories for youth baseball players.
Hostetler and six other Pensacola teammates were volunteer instructors at the annual Chevy Youth Clinic weekend.
Many hours later, he produced a good memory of his own.
Hostetler hit a two-run homer, reached base three times, scored a pair of runs and made several strong notable putouts at first base as the Blue Wahoos cooled off the Biloxi Shuckers with an 8-1 victory before a sellout crowd.
The win evened the series at two games apiece and was the first time Biloxi was held under five runs since July 15. The Shuckers’ 8.1 runs per-game in the stretch is the best in Minor League Baseball. The Blue Wahoos (59-40) also evened the well-contested season matchup with Biloxi at 11-11.
Blue Wahoos starter Jonathan Bermúdez had his second-best outing in a season of majority quality starts. He shined with his array of breaking pitches, twirling six scoreless innings with three hits, two walks and five strikeouts on 89 pitches.
He got run support early.
In third inning Friday, Hostetler, 25, a Bozeman, Montana native, was part of a 3-run rally when he followed Cody Morissette’s single with his own base hit. Morissette had a big game as well, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Morissette scored on Dalvy Rosario’s sacrifice fly. Hostetler scored on José Devers’ two-run double.
In the Shuckers’ sixth inning, Bermudez gave up a leadoff double, then hit the next batter. Biloxi’s Tyler Black then followed with a line drive that Hostetler snared, then stepped on first base for a pivotal double play. Bermúdez ended the inning with a flyout.
The Blue Wahoos followed in the bottom half of the inning with a 4-run burst. Morissette’s RBI double was followed by Hostetler’s 2-run homer. Rosario made it back-to-back bombs with his solo shot that produced a 7-0 lead.
Griffin Conine hit the Blue Wahoos’ third homer of the night in the seventh inning. Relievers Chandler Jozwiak and Eli Villalobos finished off the win.
Blue Wahoos righthander M.D. Johnson (1-4, 5.57) will be on the mound against Shuckers righthander Tobias Myers (6-3, 5.67).
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Karl King Named Head Coach Of Tate Aggie Baseball
August 4, 2023
Tate High School announced Friday afternoon that Karl King as been named head baseball coach for the Aggies. He has served as an assistant coach since the 2017 season.
“Since his arrival, he has completely bought into the traditions of our school and community and has always been an avid supporter of all of our athletic programs and activities,” Principal Laura Touchstone said. “With his intentions to add enhancements to our facility, expected staff additions, and the infusion of his tremendous character and unquestionable desire to uphold the standards of Tate High School and our community, we feel Coach King will help us raise the bar and once again make strides toward playing for another state championship.”
King was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is a 1989 graduate of Mount Saint Mary High School where he won a state championship his junior year along with being named to the Oklahoma All-State team his senior year as a pitcher. Following graduation, he was selected in the Major League Baseball draft as a catcher by the Minnesota Twins. After a short career in the Twins organization, he completed his post secondary degree in secondary math education at the University of Central Oklahoma and began his coaching and teaching career in 1995.
King started his teaching career at Summit Middle School in Edmond, Oklahoma, while coaching baseball as an assistant at Edmond Santa Fe High School. After two years, he made the move to Edmond Santa Fe as a math teacher and continued his duties as an assistant baseball coach where he would experience four trips to the state tournament including a state runner-up finish in 2002. After six years at Santa Fe, King had his first opportunity as a head coach at Putnam City North High School and would spend the next six years there leading their baseball program and teaching math. He guided the Panthers to a state semi-finalist finish in 2009 losing to the eventual state champion Owasso Rams. In 2010, King made the move to Edmond North High School as the head baseball coach and math teacher. He would spend seven years there making three consecutive trips to the state tournament from 2012-2014 including a state championship in 2012 where he was recognized as the Oklahoma Coach of the Year as well as the ABCA National Region 8 Coach of the Year and was nominated as National Coach of the Year.
During his seven years at Edmond North, the Huskies participated in the Aggie Classic during Spring break from 2013-2016 playing for the championship in 2013 where they finished runner up. Upon completion of the 2016 season, King and his family decided to make the move to the beach where he and his wife accepted teaching positions at Tate High School and Lipscomb Elementary respectively. He has spent the past seven years at Tate High School as a math teacher and assistant baseball coach.
King said he is excited about the opportunity to lead the Aggie baseball program into the future as he starts his 29th year in education. He said he recognizes what the school and program means to the community along with the program’s history and rich tradition. King is looking forward to moving the program in a positive direction both on and off the field that will impact not only the school but the community as well.
King is moving into the head coaching job vacated with the recent resignation of Karl Jernigan who stepped down to spend more time with his family.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Atmore Murder Suspect Arrested
August 4, 2023
An Atmore murder suspect has been arrested.
Antonio LeMarcus Pettaway II of Mobile was wanted for the shooting death of Jatyrain Aquamini Tolbert on July 25.
Atmore Police responded to a traffic collision on Brooks Lane to find that a driver had been shot. Tolbert was transported to Atmore Community Hospital where he died a short time later.
Pettaway, 19, was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton.
Molino Man Facing Drug, Weapons Charges
August 4, 2023
A Molino man is facing drug and weapons charges after deputies responded to a suspicious person complaint at a hotel.
Alexander George Deloach was charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana over 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
An Escambia County deputy was on patrol at the Garden Inn Suites on Pine Forest Road at I-10, an area described as “a high crime area for guns and narcotics” in a sheriff’s office report.
The deputy reported Deloach’s Kia Forte was backed into a parking space, and when the deputy approached Deloach’s hands were shaking very fast and he was speaking in a high pitch voice. The deputy noted the smell of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle.
During a probable cause vehicle search, deputies reported finding a loaded .40 caliber handgun, 34.3 grams of marijuana, $270 in small denominations, digital scale, sandwich bags and a digital copier.
Baggies of crack cocaine were located in the back of the deputy’s patrol vehicle after Deloach was removed, according to an arrest report. The patrol vehicle had previously been searched prior to Deloach being placed inside, and the report indicates he was the only detainee placed there on that date.
He remained in the Escambia County Jail Friday morning with bond set at $26,000.
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