Northview Chiefs Take On Flomaton In Spring Game (With Photo Gallery)
May 22, 2021
The Northview Chiefs and Flomaton Hurricanes met in a spring game Friday night in Bratt.
In the first half varsity scrimmage, Flomaton defeated Northview 28-6. In the second half scrimmage, Northview beat Flomaton 7-0.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies, Escambia Gators Meet In Spring Game (With Gallery)
May 22, 2021
The Tate Aggie and Escambia Gators met in a spring game Friday night at Escambia.
In the first half scrimmage, Escambia defeated Tate 7-3. In the second half varsity scrimmage, Escambia topped Tate 27-7.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
Pitching, Defense Lead Blue Wahoos To 2-1 Win Over The Trash Pandas
May 22, 2021
The Blue Wahoos already won a couple games this week on walk-off hits.
Friday night, they got an edge-of-seat win with their pitchers thriving on a tight rope of pressure.
Despite yielding 11 hits, including a home run, the Blue Wahoos beat the Rocket City Trash Pandas 2-1, amid an energized, sellout crowd at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
They did it with continued clutch pitches at critical times. And fittingly, closer Colton Hock’s glove made a big save on a bullet up the middle that Hock snared and threw for the final out, generating a loud roar of happiness.
“Usually (game like Friday), there are some double plays involved, some big plays, scattering hits, and that’s what we did,” said Blue Wahoos pitching coach Tim Norton.
They did all of that, plus more, in a win unlike any other, so far this first season as a Miami Marlins affiliate. The series continues Saturday and Sunday before a 12-game homestand ends.
The Blue Wahoos (9-7) turned four double-plays – three of those to end innings with multiple baserunners. A trio of pitchers combined to strand seven Rocket City (8-8) runners in scoring position. They also got some terrific defense, led by left fielder Tristan Pompey’s running, sliding backhand catch in foul territory to end the third inning.
Meanwhile, the Blue Wahoos got just enough offense on five hits. One of those was a no-doubt, blast over left field by Peyton Burdick to lead off the eighth-inning. It was third home run this week.
And it became the decisive run. The Wahoos go their other run in the fifth when Chris Chinea was hit by a pitch, moved into scoring position on Pompey’s single and scored on Lorenzo Hampton’s single.
Less than three weeks into the season, the Blue Wahoos pitching staff has collectively been a clear strength, save for a couple rough nights against Birmingham last week.
“We have some elite stuff on this staff in our rotation and in the bullpen,” Norton said. “We have some pretty good octane out there in the bullpen, so it’s a combination of good stuff, throwing strikes, catchers understanding what (pitchers) are trying to do.
“A lot goes into each day preparing for nine innings.”
It showed again with starter Jeff Lindgren battling his way into another quality start.
He went six innings without a walk, striking out three and overcoming eight hits by continuing to get game-changing outs to end threats.
“He’s got a good 2-seamer (fastball),” Norton said. “He is willing and able to pitch in. Obviously, his pitch is his slider. Guys can’t seem to pick it up real good.
“He sprinkles enough change-ups to keep guys honest, but it’s his slider that has taken him over. No panic, he is really composed. He understands he’s one pitch away.
“He feels like he can punch anyone out with that slider, so there’s no panic. He’s been doing a great job. He has probably been in four tough innings in the last 13 innings and he has escaped all of them.”
All of his attributes occurred Friday, followed by stellar relief.
After Zach Leban got his second hold with 1.2 scoreless innings, Hock followed in the eighth inning with two out, two on, and delivered a strikeout pitch.
In the ninth, he gave up a one-out home run to Torii Hunter Jr., son of the former Minnesota Twins star, struck out the next batter and ended the game with his fielding play on the mound.
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos senior writer
Blue Wahoos Get Walk-Off Win Over Trash Pandas
May 21, 2021
His last time with walk-off heroics was Nick Lovullo’s freshman year in high school.
So you can imagine how good he felt Thursday night, after the Blue Wahoos second baseman hit a two-strike pitch in the right center gap, scoring Devin Hairston all the way from first base in the Wahoos’ entralling 4-3 comeback win against the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
It was Pensacola’s second walk-off win in three nights. Wow, indeed.
“It has been 12 years,” said Lovullo, remembering his prior walk-off thrill. “And it definitely felt great. Anytime we win it’s awesome, but especially when you come from behind like we did (Thursday) night.
Most of the crowd of 4,114 had stayed around when the Blue Wahoos entered the bottom of the ninth, trailing 3-1, and with only five hits to that point.
And then, drama happened.
Lazaro Alonso led off with a walk. Lorenzo Hampton followed with a single. Connor Justus, who nearly had a game-tying home run in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss, smashed the first pitch he saw down the third base line to tie the game with a double.
Hairston followed with a sacrifice bunt, which led to an errant throw that deflected off first baseman Ibandel Isabel’s glove.
In the split-second Justus had to make a decision, as he rounded third, he made a dash for the plate, but the Isabel recovered fast enough and his throw home was perfect to get Justus out
Up stepped Lovullo.
“Great at-bats by Alonzo, Hamps and Justus and good job by Dev. Everybody up front executed,” Lovullo said. “And for me, I was seeing the ball pretty well. He threw an 0-1 fastball, I put a good swing on it and I just missed it.
“And then he threw pretty much the same pitch and I was able to get a barrel on it and put it in the right spot and it was a pretty fun celebration afterwards.”
The win put the Blue Wahoos back above .500 at 8-7. The Trash Pandas have the same record. The teams will complete the full week series with games Friday through Sunday.
The game began with the Tate High baseball team part of the groups attending and Tate High grad Jay Bell, now Trash Pandas manager, greeting friends prior to the first pitch.
The Trash Pandas scored all their runs in the second inning. It was the only rough patch for Blue Wahoos starter Brandon Leibrandt, who had his best outing.
Leibrandt finished with four hits allowed, just one walk and four strikeouts in five inning. The Blue Wahoos bullpen trio of Jose Mesa Jr., Zach Wolf and newcomer Dylan Brice combined on shutout innings.
That set the stage for the Blue Wahoos ninth.
“It was a crazy ninth inning. Last couple nights has been a crazy end to our games. Great at-bats by Alonzo, Hamps and Justus and good job by Des. Everybody up front executed.
“There is so much talent in our lineup and so much talent on the pitching mound. Everyone believes in one another. Just because the results aren’t what we wanted early in the game, doesn’t mean that we are not going to get it later in the game.}
They did just that Thursday.
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos Senior Writer
Jay Lady Royals Fall Short Of Class 1A Championship
May 20, 2021
The Jay Lady Royals fell short of the FHSAA Class 1A State Championship Wednesday with a 5-4 loss to the Trenton Tigers.
Mattie Cochran went four and a third innings for Jay, allowing eight hits and four runs while walking one and striking out five. Alayna Lowery threw one and two thirds innings in relief, allowing one hit and one run while walking three and striking out two.
Caitlyn Gavin and Ella Nelson both had home runs for Jay in the sixth inning. Nelson led Jay at the plate, going 3-3. Gavin, Brett Watson, Christa Sanders and Madison Mathis had one hit each.
The Lady Royals finished at 24-6 on the season and is expected to return at least 10 top players next year.
Pictured: The Jay Lady Royals after their regional win. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Fall 2-1 To Rocket City
May 20, 2021
A
fter 14 games, the Blue Wahoos are even with their record and it has been reflective of how the season has started.
“I think we are still trying to find our identity a little bit, especially offensively,” said Blue Wahoos manager Kevin Randel following Wednesday’s 2-1 loss against the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“Our starting pitching is holding up pretty good. We got (Brandon) Leibrandt going tomorrow and hopefully he can rebound from a couple bad losses.
“The bullpen is coming together, trying to find guys for the back end and how we are going to bridge it there. But guys are stepping up there are finding their roles and hopefully in another week or two, we get rolling and find out where we are.”
The loss dropped the Blue Wahoos to 7-7. The Trash Pandas (8-6) won their sixth game in the past seven. The teams will continue their six-game series Thursday with the Blue Wahoos transforming into the Pensacola Mullets, complete with uniforms and logo hats.
Making his third-start, Blue Wahoos pitcher Jake Eder gave up his first runs of the season, both in the fifth inning. Only one was earned.
A leadoff walk, then a throwing error on a slow chop was followed another walk to load the bases. Rocket City’s Michael Stefani hit a two-run single as part of his three-hit night with two doubles.
But after that struggle, Eder struck out the next three batters.
“He is a monster on the mound,” Randel said. “It wasn’t one of his cleanest outings. He threw a lot of pitches early. Got a few walks, four walks, so about 25 extra pitches. But he responded.”
Finishing with seven strikeouts, Eder, a former Vanderbilt star reliever, moved into lead among Double-A South Division pitchers with 26. The total is second-best in the 30-team Double-A level.
The Blue Wahoos could not catch a break at the plate.
The Trash Pandas made a pair of diving catches to thwart possible extra base hits. The Blue Wahoos only steal attempt was thwarted. There were also several hard-hit line drives right at fielders.
And in the eighth inning, Connor Justus hit a bomb was shifted by the wind just outside the left field foul pole.
That kind of night.
But in the ninth, the Blue Wahoos made it suspenseful. Peyton Burdick followed his three-hit night Tuesday with a blast into the wind that carried over the left-center wall to begin the inning.
With one out, Nick Fortes singled. But Trash Pandas closer Conner Higgins made a pair of big pitches on 3-2 counts to strike out Riley Mahan and Lazaro Alonso swinging to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos had just three hits against Rocket City starter Kyle Tyler, who had his best outing this season. He worked seven innings, struck out five with three walks.
In previous starts, he did not finish the fifth inning in either game. He gave up a combined 13 hits and six earned runs. Wednesday he dealt quality pitches the entire way.
“I thought we swung the bats all right,” Randel said. “Just missed a couple.”
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos Senior Writer
Jay Lady Royals Beat WeWa In Semifinals, Play For State Title Wednesday Afternoon
May 19, 2021
The Jay Lady Royals got the big win Tuesday afternoon 7-2 over Wewahitchka in the state 1A semifinals in Clermont.
The Lady Royals head into the state championship game at 3:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. Eastern) Wednesday against Trenton.
Mattie Cochran pitched a complete game win for the Lady Royals over Wewa. She allowed six hits and two runs over seven innings while striking out 11 and walking none.
Alayna Lowery homered in the sixth inning, and Caitlyn Gavin had a home run in the sixth inning.
Ella Nelson, Brett Watson and Lowery had three hits each in the game; Christa Sanders added two. Jay had one hit each from Kassidy Nevels and Gavin.
The Jay Lady Royals are 24-5 headed into Wednesday’s championship; the Trenton Tigers are 19-1. Jay has scored an average of 9.069 points per game this season, slightly better than Trenton’s 8.1 points per game.
Northwest Escambia Doubles Size Of Youth Football Program, Adds Four Teams
May 19, 2021
Northwest Escambia football announced they are doubling the size of their football program beginning this fall.
NWE is going from a four football team park to an eight team park, now fielding two teams in each group. As a result, they are reopening football registration.
Current roster spots available are:
- Freshman (5/6) – 20 spots
- Sophomores (7/8) – 13 spots
- Juniors (9/10) — 11 spots
- Seniors (11/12) — 16 spots
There is a maximum allowed of 25 players per team. The deadline to register is June 10.
To register, click or tap here.
Burdick Leads Blue Wahoos To Extra Innings Win Over Trash Pandas
May 19, 2021
After a disappointing offensive series against Birmingham, Blue Wahoos outfielder Peyton Burdick hoped his perseverance would finally yield results.
It certainly did Tuesday night.
Burdick produced three hits, but none bigger than his game-deciding double in the 10th inning, giving the Blue Wahoos a 3-2 win against the Rocket City Trash Pandas and the season’s first walk-off celebration at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Burdick began his big night with a first inning, solo home run that was a no-doubter, even into the strong wind blowing in from the bay.
“You go up there every day, you keep working,” said Burdick, after being doused with a water bucket by teammates near second base. “That’s the name of the game in baseball, you gotta keep working. You never know what day is going to be your day.
“It is a great feeling, especially when you get off to a slow start. A day like today. For sure boosts your confidence and gets your head back a little bit.”
The game also treated a crowd of 3,001 to a duel by two of baseball’s top pitching prospects, both of whom excelled through the first half of the game. The series’ opener was a homecoming for Rocket City manager Jay Bell, the former Tate High star from decades ago, who had an 18-year distinguished career in the Major Leagues.
The Blue Wahoos’ Max Meyer, the Miami Marlins’ No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft, made his third start resemble his pro debut May 4.
Meyer went six innings for the first time, giving up no runs, five hits, nine strikeouts and just one walk in 84 pitches. It was a rebound from his start in the team’s home opener May 11 when he yielded five runs in a 6-1 loss against Birmingham.
“I was able to rely on my slider a lot more and when I feel I have that pitch down, the game works pretty easy for me,” Meyer said. “I felt good out there. I have to improve on some fastballs. But I was happy with what happened today.”
Meanwhile, Rocket City’s Reid Detmers, the No. 10 overall pick in 2020 draft by the Los Angeles Angels, after a stellar career at Louisville, settled into a shutout groove after allowing Burdick’s homer and an RBI ground out in the first inning.
Meyer spent some time last week on the mound before a Blue Wahoos practice with coaches surrounding him to work two of his pitches.
“The bullpen session helped me get used to the (stadium) mound a little bit better and I was able to figure out my offspeed pitches and we worked on fastball grip,” Meyer said.
The game went into the ninth with the Blue Wahoos holding a 2-0 lead before tough luck ensued. The lead evaporated on a two-out, two-run double by Rocket City’s Ibandel Isabel off closer Colton Hock to tie the game.
But with JJ Beleday on second to start the bottom of the 10th, in baseball’s new extra-inning format, Burdick smashed a fastball into the right center gap to end the game.
“I was waiting for that curve ball to come and he threw me a heater (fastball) with 2 strikes and I hit it the other way,” said Burdick, who finished 3-for-5. “It felt pretty good getting it on the barrel.”
Prior to the game, the Crestview High band entertained fans outside the main gate and performed the National Anthem.
The six-game series with the Trash Pandas, relocated to the Huntsville, Ala. area, after being the Mobile-Bay Bears for 20-plus years, will continue through Sunday.
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos Senior Writer
Jay Beats Wewahitchka In State Semifinal
May 18, 2021
The Jay Lady Royals beat Wewahitchka 7-2 Tuesday afternoon in the 1A state semifinal in Clermont. The head to the state championship Wednesday against the winner of this afternoon’s Branford vs. Trenton game. Pictured: The Jay Lady Royals after their regional win last week. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.