Wahoos Head Into All-Star Break In First Place
July 14, 2025
written by Willie Phaler
After splitting the six game set in Columbus, the Wahoos head into the All-Star break in first place in the Southern League South division at 10-7 in the second half, and 44-42 overall.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell to the Columbus Clingstones 4-1 in their final game before the four-day All-Star break on Sunday afternoon.
Dax Fulton (L, 4-7) made his 14th start of the year for the Blue Wahoos, and was tagged for four runs over 3.2 innings. The southpaw picked up seven strikeouts, totaling seven or more for the third time in 2025.
Columbus picked up a run in each of their first two trips to the plate, as David McCabe started the scoring with an RBI single up the middle in the first. Kobe Kato followed up in the second inning, sending a double out to right to bring home Cal Conley for the game’s second run.
The Clingstones picked up two more in the fourth inning, as Conley scored from third after Kevin Kilpatrick collided with Blue Wahoos shortstop Johnny Olmstead on a stolen base. Kilpatrick later scored on a single from Drew Compton to extend the Columbus lead to 4-0.
Cody Morissette knocked in the Blue Wahoos’ lone run of the afternoon in the seventh, serving a fly ball to shallow left field for a single to score Nathan Martorella.
Columbus starter Lucas Braun worked 3.0 perfect innings on four days’ rest before departing. Ian Mejia (W, 9-1) carried the load against the Wahoos on Sunday with three shutout innings in relief, while Brian Moran (S, 1) tossed two scoreless innings to finish the series.
The Pensacola bullpen hurled 4.1 innings of shutout work, as Orlando Ortiz-Mayr and Josh Ekness combined to give up only two total hits in relief.
Following the All-Star break, the Blue Wahoos will return to Pensacola for a three game series against the Chattanooga Lookouts starting Friday, July 18t
Wahoos Avoid No-Hitter, But Fall 2-1 To Clingstones
July 13, 2025
written by Willie Phaler
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos narrowly avoided a no-hit bid in a 2-1 loss to the Columbus Clingstones Saturday night.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, third baseman Josh Zamora broke through with an RBI double to center field against Zach Thompson (W, 1-0), allowing Nathan Martorella to score and ending the chance of the Blue Wahoos being no-hit for just the second time in franchise history.
Alex Williams made his first start at the Double-A level for the Wahoos and set a career high in strikeouts with nine. In a spot start in place of Futures Game participant Thomas White, Williams held the Clingstones scoreless across 5.1 innings without walking a batter.
The Columbus pitching staff matched the work of Williams. Right-hander Samuel Mejia went 5.0 innings without allowing a hit in his Double-A debut. Amos Willingham held the no-hit bid through 2.0 innings of work before Thompson entered in the eighth.
The Clingstones pushed across their two runs in the eighth. After a Drew Compton double and intentional walk, catcher Adam Zebrowski broke the scoreless tie on an RBI single to right and David McCabe scored on a wild pitch by Blue Wahoos reliever Gabe Bierman (L, 0-1).
The Blue Wahoos will finish their series against the Clingstones on Sunday. First pitch from Synovus Park is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. EDT/12:05 p.m. CDT.
Clutch Hitting Carries Wahoos To 8-1 Win Over Clingstones
July 12, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos won their third game in a row on Friday night, beating the Columbus Clingstones 8-1 thanks to a series of clutch hits.
Trailing 1-0 in the third inning against Clingstones lefty Riley Frey (L, 0-1) in his Double-A debut, Cody Morissette dropped down a two-out bunt single to keep the inning alive. After Johnny Olmstead drew a walk, Nathan Martorella hit an RBI single to tie the game. Josh Zamora and Jake Thompson followed with RBI doubles, and Ryan Ignoffo laced an RBI single to complete a five-run rally.
Ike Buxton had his best start of the season for the Blue Wahoos, allowing only one run over 4.0 innings, and Evan Fitterer (W, 5-4) turned in 4.0 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief to take the Pensacola lead late into the game.
Tony Bullard added a three-run homer in the eighth inning to give the Blue Wahoos an 8-1 lead, and Will Kempner worked a scoreless ninth to lock down the win.
With the win, the Blue Wahoos are now a league-best 10-5 in the second half and, at 44-40, are four games above .500 for the first time since they were 23-19 on May 22.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Clingstones on Saturday. First pitch from Synovus Park is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. ET/5:05 p.m. CT, with a live broadcast beginning at 5:00 CT on BlueWahoos.com/radio or the MiLB app.
Wahoos Win 1-0 Duel with Pitching, Passed Ball
July 11, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
One night after an offensive onslaught and a 16-9 comeback victory, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos won a very different type of game with a dramatic 1-0 pitchers’ duel over the Columbus Clingstones on Thursday night.
Luis Palacios worked 6.0 scoreless innings for the Blue Wahoos, and Landon Harper twirled a career-high 8.0 shutout frames for the Clingstones. In the ninth inning of a scoreless game, Cody Morissette hit a leadoff double against Tyler LaPorte (L, 0-1) and scored from third on a two-out passed ball charged to catcher Tyler Zebrowski.
Nigel Belgrave (W, 4-0), who had already contributed 2.0 scoreless innings to preserve the scoreless tie, came back out for the ninth inning and worked a 1-2-3 frame to lock down the win.
Despite several opportunities, neither team ended up with a hit with runners in scoring position. The Blue Wahoos were 0-for-5 with five men left on base, and the Clingstones were 0-for-9 with nine men left on base.
The Blue Wahoos managed five hits on the night, highlighted by a 2-for-3 performance from Josh Zamora and a sixth-inning single from Michael Snyder that extended the third baseman’s hitting streak to nine games.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Clingstones on Friday.
Ninth-Inning Explosion Sends Wahoos To Thrilling 16-9 Win
July 10, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
In an epic back-and-forth affair on Wednesday night, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos dealt the final blow with an improbable eight-run ninth inning for a 16-9 win over the Columbus Clingstones.
Trailing 9-8 in the top of the ninth inning, the Blue Wahoos completed their comeback from a 9-5 deficit with a go-ahead two-run home run from Nathan Martorella. Grant Richardson added a two-run blast, his second homer of the night, and Michael Snyder and Cody Morissette tacked on run-scoring hits for an eight-run frame that marked Pensacola’s biggest inning of the season.
The 16 runs and 18 total hits marked the most in a game this season for the Blue Wahoos, who moved past the Clingstones and back into first place in the second half South Division race.
The Blue Wahoos jumped ahead 2-0 in the early innings with a Martorella RBI double and Shane Sasaki RBI single off Clingstones starter Amos Willingham, who contributed 2.0 innings in a planned bullpen game.
Pensacola starter Jacob Miller had an uncharacteristic night, serving up two home runs in a start for just the second time in his professional career. A solo homer from Ethan Workinger and two-run shot from Stephen Paolini gave the Clingstones a 3-2 lead after three innings.
Richardson’s first homer of the night tied the game 3-3 in the fourth, and Josh Zamora blasted a two-run shot in the fifth to give the Blue Wahoos a 5-3 lead. Once again the lead didn’t take, as the Clingstones charged back with six runs in the sixth off Miller and Jesse Bergin. David McCabe hit an RBI double, and seven other Clingstones added singles to take a 9-5 advantage.
Pensacola chipped away, scoring two in the seventh on a Zamora RBI single and another in the eighth on a Snyder fielder’s choice. Will Kempner (W, 2-1) held serve with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief to send the game to the ninth, where Austin Smith (L, 0-3) was tasked with protecting a 9-8 Clingstones advantage.
Smith didn’t record an out, surrendering the Martorella and Richardson homers and ultimately giving up six runs before position player Kobe Kato came on to get the final three outs of the inning. Josh Ekness worked a quiet bottom of the ninth to seal an improbable 16-9 Blue Wahoos win.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Clingstones on Thursday.
Late Comeback Not Enough In 7-5 Wahoos Loss To Clingstones
July 9, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos nearly dug themselves out of an early hole, but couldn’t complete their comeback in a 7-5 loss to the Columbus Clingstones on Tuesday night.
The Clingstones broke a scoreless tie with a six-run fourth inning, capped by a grand slam from E.J. Exposito for his first Double-A home run.
That would be the only rough spot for Blue Wahoos starter Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (L, 4-5), who set a career high with nine strikeouts over a season-high 6.0 innings despite the losing decision.
Clingstones starter Lucas Braun, staked to a 6-0 lead, was unable to qualify for the win as Tony Bullard lined a comebacker off his pitching arm in the fifth inning. Jose Cuas (W, 1-1) picked up the win in relief, allowing the first Pensacola run on a wild pitch but delivering 1.2 innings on short notice.
The Blue Wahoos mounted a rally in the eighth, as Nathan Martorella laced a solo homer to right field to trim the deficit to 7-2. Bullard lined a two-run double and Dalvy Rosario brought in a run with a groundout, drawing the score to 7-5. Elison Joseph (S, 3) entered with the tying run at the plate, recorded the final two outs in the eighth, and worked a spotless ninth to seal the 7-5 final.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Clingstones on Wednesday. First pitch from Synovus Park is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EDT (6:05 p.m. CDT).
Fulton, Snyder Shine, Wahoos Hang On for Victory in Finale
July 7, 2025
written by Carter Bainbridge
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (41-39) capped their first series in July with a 4-3 win over the Biloxi Shuckers (49-32) on Sunday.
Pensacola jumped out to an immediate lead in the top of the first inning. On the fourth pitch of the game, Wahoos third baseman Michael Snyder hit a solo home run to left field off Biloxi starter K.C. Hunt (L, 4-5). The Shuckers quickly answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the second when designated hitter Darrien Miller hit a solo home run of his own against Pensacola starter Dax Fulton (W, 4-6).
Pensacola retook the lead in the top of the fifth when second baseman Cody Morissette came in on a run-scoring wild pitch from Hunt, but Biloxi tied the game in the bottom half.
With the game tied 2-2 entering the sixth inning, Pensacola’s offense came to life. A pair of Wahoo singles and a walk of designated hitter Nathan Martorella loaded the bases and chased Hunt, who gave way to lefthander Mark Manfredi. With the bases loaded and one out, Cody Morissette hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly off of Manfredi to give the Wahoos a 3-2 lead. Two batters later, catcher Ryan Ignoffo brought home another run on an infield single to hand Pensacola a two-run lead.
The two-run rally proved to be the difference behind Fulton, who earned the win in the longest start of his career (7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K). The outing marked the first time that Fulton had ever recorded outs in the seventh inning as a professional.
Biloxi scored once and put the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth inning, but an unusual final sequence closed out righthander Evan Fitterer’s (S, 1) first professional save and the game. With two outs and runners at first and second, Biloxi center fielder Luis Lara hit a sharp grounder to Wahoo first baseman Josh Zamora, who bobbled the pickup and allowed Lara to reach. However, Zamora looked to third base and threw across the diamond to Michael Snyder, who tagged out shortstop Jheremy Vargas after he had overrun the base.
With a 4-3 victory, Pensacola emerges from the week with three wins in six games against Biloxi across the home-and-home series.
The Blue Wahoos continue their road trip on Tuesday, July 8 when they begin a six-game series at the Columbus Clingstones.
Wahoos Fall 6-4 To Shuckers
July 6, 2025
written by Willie Phaler
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped their second game in a row Saturday night, falling to the Biloxi Shuckers 6-4.
Thomas White displayed nasty stuff on the mound for the Wahoos as he made his third start of the season in Double-A, and first before representing the Marlins organization in the All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta next weekend. Across 4.2 IP, the Marlins’ top prospect struck out seven Shuckers batters and allowed only three singles.
After a near hour-long delay due to wet grounds, the Blue Wahoos hopped out to an early lead. Catcher Spencer Bramwell opened the scoring, smacking his fourth home run of the year to put the Wahoos up 1-0 in the second. Dalvy Rosario added another run in the fifth with a double to left-center, scoring Johnny Olmstead from first base.
As White’s command waned near the end of his start, Biloxi pushed across three runs in the fifth courtesy of a Zavier Warren two-out, two-run single and a passed ball that enabled Mike Boeve to score.
Michael Snyder picked up a big two-out hit of his own for the Blue Wahoos in the top of the seventh, sending a two-run single to right field that gave Pensacola a brief 4-3 lead.
Biloxi responded swiftly in their half of the seventh, as Darrien Miller belted a three-run home run out to right off of Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (L, 4-4), to take the lead back for good at 6-4.
The Blue Wahoos were unable to find much offense after Snyder’s RBIs in the seventh against Zach Peek (W, 2-0), as Ryan Middendorf and Tyler Bryant (S, 1) shut the door with a scoreless eighth and ninth.
The Blue Wahoos will finish their series in Biloxi on Sunday, with Dax Fulton (3-6, 4.06 ERA) taking the mound to face off with K.C. Hunt (4-4, 4.68 ERA) for the Shuckers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
Wahoos Fall to Shuckers On The Fourth Of July
July 5, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos couldn’t contain the Biloxi Shuckers or their sellout crowd on Friday night, falling 10-4 in front of a raucous Independence Day audience.
After overcoming an early 3-0 deficit, the Blue Wahoos couldn’t answer seven middle-inning Biloxi runs as the Shuckers racked up 10 total runs for the second time in four games.
Ike Buxton (L, 0-2) ran into trouble right away in the first inning, falling behind 2-0 on a bases-loaded walk to Zavier Warren and Ethan Murray double play grounder. The Shuckers added another in the second inning on a Jheremy Vargas run-scoring fielder’s choice, taking a 3-0 advantage.
The Blue Wahoos rallied back against Shuckers starter Tate Kuehner (W, 7-4), as Tony Bullard hit a solo homer in the third inning to get on the board. A Johnny Olmstead RBI double and Ryan Ignoffo RBI single in the fourth inning briefly tied the game 3-3.
The Shuckers quickly answered and took the lead for good, scoring three runs against Buxton in their half of the fourth inning. RBI singles from Vargas and Luis Lara marked the end of the night for the Pensacola starter, and reliever Alex Williams fared little better. The righty allowed three more runs in the fifth on RBI doubles from Murray and Matthew Wood, and another in the sixth on a Warren RBI single.
Ignoffo doubled in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch for the fourth Pensacola run, but the Biloxi bullpen effectively protected the lead to secure a 10-4 final in front of a sellout crowd of 6098 fans.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Biloxi Shuckers on Saturday night. First pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
Snelling Shines, Snyder Delivers In Festive Wahoos Win
July 4, 2025
written by Bill Vilona
Robby Snelling had just allowed a solo homer, then a pair of singles in the second inning when Blue Wahoos pitching coach Jerad Eickhoff met on the mound.
The crossroads moment settled Snelling, who then produced another stellar outing that helped lead the Blue Wahoos to a 2-1 victory Thursday against the Biloxi Shuckers before a packed sellout crowd of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The win on Fourth of July eve was the Blue Wahoos’ sixth in eight games to start the second half.
This one came on a night when the Blue Wahoos wore specialty patriotic blue uniforms and hats with call signs – the U.S. Navy version of nicknames chosen among teammates.
The guy with call letters “Bush” was the Blue Wahoos’ beast Thursday.
Infielder Michael Snyder, who joined the team only last week in Chattanooga from the High-A Beloit Sky Carp, slashed a two-strike, two-run single in the sixth inning that became decisive.
“Down 0-2, just looking for something in the (strike) zone, just keep it simple, concise and put the bat on the ball,” he said during the on-field, post-game interview.
The game was followed by a fireworks show which ended with a grand finale that ignited more cheers from the capacity crowd.
“One-run games are great, it’s a good atmosphere, high intensity and lot of fun with the guys,” Snyder said. “It is a really good day for the boys, but for America and taking pride in what we do, supporting the troops, supporting America, so it’s a lovely evening.”
Snelling exited after five innings, allowing five hits, one run, one walk and eight strikeouts – his second-most punchouts this season.
Behind him was the Blue Wahoos’ stout bullpen. Nigel Belgrave and Josh Ekness combined to twirl four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.
In the pivotal eighth inning, Ekness made a throwing error on his underhand toss to first base that would have ended the inning. But then he made a big pitch to get Shuckers catcher Darrien Miller on a swinging strikeout.
In the ninth, Ekness struck out the first two batters and ended the game on a groundout for his eighth save.
The Shuckers’ Zavier Warren opened the scoring with a one-out homer off Snelling in the second inning for the game’s first run.
Biloxi starter Brett Wichrowski, rated among the Milwaukee Brewers’ top 30 prospects, held the Blue Wahoos in check until the eventful sixth inning.
Cody Morissette led off the inning with a walk, then Kemp Alderman’s single and a fielding error from center fielder Luis Lara put runners at second and third before Snyder delivered the eventual game-winning hit.
The teams will now make the short trip to Biloxi where the series shifts for the holiday weekend with three games at Keesler Federal Park. The Blue Wahoos won’t return to play a homestand until July 18, following a road trip next week and the Major League Baseball All-Star break.
GAME NOTABLES
— Prior to the first pitch Thursday, the Blue Wahoos honored the memory of former Pensacola baseball star Hosken Powell with a moment of silence.
Powell, 70, was a Woodham High graduate, who became the No. 3 overall pick as an outfielder by the Minnesota Twins in the first round (secondary phase) of the 1975 MLB draft. He was drafted after a strong year at Chipola College where his teammate and roommate was Buck Showalter, who became a long-time decorated manager in Major League Baseball. Powell played six seasons in the major leagues – four with the Twins where he batted .293 in 1979 with 99 hits and 36 RBI – and his final two years with the Toronto Blue Jays.
— Pensacola Habitat For Humanity, part of the national organization, had its special outing Thursday at the ballpark. The organization set up an inflatable house outside the stadium to bring awareness to their cause. Rachel Gibson from Pensacola Habitat For Humanity performed the National Anthem.
In addition, Cecily Kopytchak from the local organization performed God Bless America in the seventh inning. A representative from the group did a pregame interview, bringing awareness to the Women Build program as part of the local chapter where all-female crews build a home. A 50-member group from the non-profit organization watched the game from the breezeway area.
— Capt. Chandra Newman, the new commanding officer of Naval Air Station-Pensacola, addressed the crowd before the game to recognize the partnership between the Blue Wahoos, the U.S. Navy and NAS-Pensacola.
— Thursday’s game completed a brief stopover by the Blue Wahoos. The team will travel early Friday afternoon on the Fourth of July to begin a three-game series in Biloxi.