Blue Wahoos Bounce Back, Keep Playoff Hopes Alive With 9-2 Win
June 20, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos defeated the Birmingham Barons by a final score of 9-2 on Friday night behind a mixture of pitching prowess and offensive firepower.
After a loss followed the longest weather delay in stadium history a night prior, the Blue Wahoos (34-33) evened the series at 2-2 against the Barons (26-41) with the victory tonight as the pennant race for the South Division of the Southern League continues. With two games remaining in the first half, the Blue Wahoos’ elimination number is two as they battle against the first-place Biloxi Shuckers. Any combination of two Shuckers wins or two Pensacola losses would hand the first half title to Biloxi.
Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (W, 1-2) put on a show from the mound to earn his first win of the year. He struck out a season-high eight batters while allowing just four hits and a pair of free bases, keeping the Barons off the board through 5.2 innings of work.
Birmingham’s Connor McCullough (L, 0-4) suffered his fourth loss, relenting the game-winning run in the second inning and a total of four earned runs to Pensacola through five innings pitched.
Pensacola plated their nine runs on 14 hits and drew three walks. Five different Blue Wahoos registered multiple hits, led by Cristian Hernández’s 3-for-4 night that saw him both drive in and plate two runs.
Other notable performances included Brendan Jones, Connor Caskenette and Ryan Ignoffo, who recorded two hits each. Cam Cannarella posted a 2-for-4 night, leading the team with three RBI. The combined pitching staff of Ortiz-Mayr, Jack Sellinger and Livan Reinoso struck out 11 Birmingham bats.
After returning from injury just this week, Jones has found his groove: in his first at bat, he’d blast a triple to the warning track in right-center field in the bottom of the second. A subsequent Ignoffo single through the left side would bring him home to give the Blue Wahoos the immediate edge.
Jones’ triple puts him at six on the season, tying Chattanooga’s Shane Sasaki for the Southern League lead. He also tied his own career high for triples in a single season at the Double-A level, doing so a year ago with the Somerset Patriots (AA – New York Yankees).
It would be Jones to score again in the fourth inning, as Hernandez ripped a double down the left field line to score him from third. Two more came across after a line drive from Payton Green avoided the diving glove of Samuel Zavala in center, extending the Pensacola lead to 4-0.
Cannarella kept up his recent consistency at the plate, knocking in another pair of runs in the sixth with a ground ball up the middle that scored Hernandez and Green. Cannarella extended his hitting streak to five games, also having reached base in each of the last six.
The Pensacola bats stayed hot going into the seventh. A string of three hits saw a double from Jones followed by singles from Ignoffo and Hernandez, with Hernandez’s third hit of the night scoring Jones to pad the lead at 7-0.
The Barons answered back with one in the top of the eighth, scoring after Aiva Arquette pulled off a diving play at shortstop for a force out at second base.
Not to be deterred, the Blue Wahoos kept their foot on the gas and responded with two more in the bottom of the frame, spraying contact to all fields. Cannarella fired a single into left to score Caskenette from second base, while Dillon Lewis punched a single into right to score the latter.
Though a home run was relented in the top of the ninth, Pensacola shut down any inkling of momentum from the Barons to secure the 9-2 victory.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Saturday night.
written by Maddy Branning
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
Blue Wahoos, Barons Postponed in Pensacola
June 17, 2026
Tuesday’s game at Blue Wahoos Stadium between the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Birmingham Barons has been postponed due to rain.
The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday, June 17, with a pair of seven-inning games beginning at 4:05 p.m. Game two will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
Fans planning to attend Tuesday’s postponed game can exchange their tickets for a future 2026 regular season home game of equal or lesser value at the Blue Wahoos Stadium ticket office. As stated on tickets, no refunds will be given, according to the Wahoos.
Fans with tickets to Wednesday’s regularly scheduled game will gain admittance to both games in the doubleheader, in the seats they have been assigned. Gates open at 3 p.m.
Incoming Tate Senior Brooklyn Ray Commits To Southern Mississippi
June 16, 2026
Tate High School’s Brooklyn Ray has made an early commitment to continue her athletic and academic career at the University of Southern Mississippi. She is an incoming senior at Tate. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate High Graduate Evan Taylor Commits To Wallace Selma
June 15, 2026
Tate High School 2026 graduate Evan Taylor has committed to continue his baseball and academic career at Wallace Community College Selma. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Clinch Series With 8-4 Win Over Clingstones
June 15, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos wrapped up their weeklong road series against the Columbus Clingstones with an 8-4 win on Sunday afternoon.
Juan Matheus, Jay Beshears, Garret Forrester and Dillon Lewis each went deep, helping the Blue Wahoos secure a series win and apply pressure in the first half South Division playoff race. With one week remaining, they are 1.0 game behind first-place Montgomery pending the results of the Biscuits’ Sunday contest.
Luis Moreno (W, 2-3) allowed a first-inning solo homer to David McCabe, the Columbus slugger’s league-leading 15th of the season, but turned in another effective start with 5.0+ innings of two-run ball.
The Blue Wahoos got on the board against Clingstones starter Ian Mejia (L, 0-4) in the second inning, using speed and small ball to score a pair of runs. Cristian Hernández was hit by a pitch, stole two bases, and scored when Ian Lewis Jr. stole second and prompted an errant throw to the outfield. Cam Cannarella then laced an RBI single to right field, scoring Lewis Jr. to put Pensacola ahead 2-1.
Matheus hit a two-run homer in the third and Beshears added a solo shot in the fourth, extending the Blue Wahoos lead to 5-1.
The Clingstones chipped away, as Luke Waddell delivered an RBI single in the fifth and sacrifice fly in the seventh, but relievers Kade Bragg and Nigel Belgrave worked out of trouble to preserve the lead. Late homers from Forrester in the eighth and Lewis in the ninth created a four-run cushion for Colby Martin to close out the 8-4 final.
After an off day Monday, the Blue Wahoos wrap up the first half with a six-game home series against the Birmingham Barons on Tuesday.
written by Erik Bremer
Blue Wahoos Spin Three-Hit Shutout In 4-0 Win
June 14, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Columbus Clingstones 4-0 on Saturday night, riding another dominant start from veteran lefty Luis Palacios to a combined three-hit shutout.
Palacios (W, 4-0), the winningest pitcher in franchise history, earned his 28th career Double-A victory with 5.0 innings of one-hit ball. Jack Sellinger and Holt Jones (S, 1) finished off the shutout with effective relief.
After a 29-minute precautionary pregame weather delay, Palacios and Clingstones starter Julio Robaina (L, 1-2) traded zeroes until the top of the third. Garret Forrester walked, Dylan Jasso reached on an error, and Ian Lewis Jr. hit an opposite-field three-run homer to put the Blue Wahoos ahead 3-0.
Cristian Hernández had a three-hit night, doubling in the ninth inning and scoring an insurance run on an unusual play when he stole third and catcher Archer Brookman’s throw deflected off Forrester in the batter’s box.
That would be more than enough for Palacios and the rest of the Pensacola pitching staff, which allowed only a seventh-inning walk and a pair of ninth-inning singles for the club’s third shutout of the season.
The win brought the Blue Wahoos back to .500 at 31-31, and brings them to within 2.0 games of first place with seven to play in the first half pending the results of first-place Montgomery’s Saturday game.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Clingstones on Sunday afternoon.
written by Erik Bremer
Former Northview Coach Jeremy Greenwell Named J.U. Blacksher Offensive Coordinator
June 13, 2026
Former Northview High School Coach Jeremy Greenwell has been named the new offensive coordinator for the J.U. Blacksher Bulldogs in Uriah, Alabama.
Greenwell is the former head baseball coach at Northview, former football coach at Ernest Ward Middle School, and, most recently a football coach at West Florida High School.
Pictured: New J.U. Blacksher Bulldogs offensive coordinator Jeremy Greenwell with his family — wife Savannah and children Coy and Joanna. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Homer Not Enough For Wahoos In 6-3 Loss To Clingstones
June 13, 2026
Aiva Arquette hit his third home run in as many weeks for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, but mid-inning bullpen woes proved costly in a 6-3 loss to the Columbus Clingstones on Friday night.
Columbus took a 2-0 lead in the second inning against Blue Wahoos starter Orlando Ortiz-Mayr by stringing together four consecutive two-out singles, capped by run-scoring hits from Keshawn Ogans and Patrick Clohisy.
The Blue Wahoos chipped away against Columbus starter Lucas Braun (W, 1-3), as Arquette hit a solo homer in the fourth and Jay Beshears hit a game-tying RBI single in the fifth to bring the score to 2-2.
The game turned in the fifth, as Colby Martin (L, 2-3) struggled to find his command in relief for the Blue Wahoos. The righty allowed a two-out hit-by-pitch and a single before Logan Braunschweig hit a go-ahead RBI single for a 3-2 lead. A pair of bases-loaded walks followed, putting the Clingstones ahead 5-2.
Drew Compton added a sacrifice fly in the seventh against Blue Wahoos reliever Michael Perez for a 6-2 Columbus advantage. The Blue Wahoos got a run back in the eighth with a Ryan Ignoffo RBI double, but Samuel Strickland (S, 2) quieted the rally and worked around a single in the ninth to earn a five-out save.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Clingstones on Saturday night.
written by Erik Bremer
Matheus, Belgrave Lead Blue Wahoos To Wild Extra-Inning Win
June 12, 2026
In a game filled with ups, downs, and three ejections, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Columbus Clingstones 6-5 in 11 innings on Thursday night.
Juan Matheus was the offensive star for Pensacola, blasting a three-run homer in the fourth inning against rehabbing major leaguer Hurston Waldrep and delivering a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the 10th inning.
The night began as a pitcher’s duel between Waldrep and Eliazar Dishmey, the reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week making his third career start for the Blue Wahoos. Archer Brookman took Dishmey deep with a solo homer in the second inning, but that would be the only hit allowed by the young righty over 5.0 solid innings.
After a perfect first trip through the order, Waldrep ran into trouble in the fourth. Ryan Ignoffo brought home Aiva Arquette with a game-tying RBI single, and Matheus followed with a three-run homer to put the Blue Wahoos ahead 4-1.
The Clingstones chipped away against the Pensacola bullpen, as Patrick Clohisy hit a solo homer off Jake Christianson in the sixth and David McCabe hit a game-tying RBI single in the eighth against Jack Sellinger.
Kade Bragg left the bases loaded in the eighth and worked a scoreless ninth despite an unusual sequence in which Blue Wahoos defensive coach Cam Vega was ejected by home plate umpire Pedro Torres for arguing balls and strikes.
In the top of the 10th, Matheus delivered again with an RBI double to give the Blue Wahoos a 5-4 lead. Matheus was stranded at third by Brett Sears, who allowed just an unearned run over 6.0 innings of long relief for the Clingstones, giving Pensacola’s Nigel Belgrave (W, 2-4) little margin for error in the bottom half of the inning. Belgrave retired all three men he faced, but uncorked a wild pitch to score Keshawn Ogans and force an 11th inning.
The Blue Wahoos didn’t get the big hit they were looking for in the 11th against Tyler LaPorte (L, 0-2), but Emaarion Boyd sprinted home from third base on a two-out passed ball from Brookman behind the plate to put Pensacola ahead 6-5.
Belgrave came back out for the bottom of the 11th once again trying to protect a one-run lead, and executed both on the mound and by fielding his position. He foiled a Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. sacrifice bunt attempt, firing to third base to throw out Brookman, and then one batter later lobbed a perfect toss to Dylan Jasso to retire Drew Compton on a dribbler up the first base line. With Kilpatrick at third as the tying run, Belgrave struck out Ambioris Tavarez on a check swing to end a hard-fought Blue Wahoos win.
Blue Wahoos manager Nelson Prada and catcher Ryan Ignoffo were both ejected by third base umpire Warren Eubanks arguing a Kilpatrick stolen base in the 11th. Combined with Vega’s ninth-inning dismissal, they marked the first three ejections handed to the Blue Wahoos this season.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Clingstones on Friday night.
written by Erik Bremer