Snelling Goes Seven, But Bats Kept Quiet In 3-1 Blue Wahoos Loss
May 29, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
Robby Snelling pitched a career-high 7.0 innings for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Wednesday night, but didn’t receive enough run support in a 3-1 loss to the Montgomery Biscuits.
Snelling (L, 2-4) was perfect through 4.0 innings in his first start since being named Southern League Pitcher of the Week, and finished his night retiring four in a row to complete 7.0 innings for the first time in his professional career. But a brief hiccup in a five-hit, three-run fifth inning proved to be too much to overcome for the Blue Wahoos, who fell below .500 for the first time this season with their eighth consecutive loss.
Brody Hopkins (W, 3-2) danced around trouble for the Biscuits, working 5.0 scoreless innings and stranding five runners in scoring position. The Blue Wahoos had ample opportunities to take advantage, but went 0-for-11 with men in scoring position throughout the evening.
The Biscuits came to life in the fifth inning, getting their first baserunner of the night on a first-pitch Colton Ledbetter single before Matthew Etzel broke the scoreless tie with a long two-run homer to right field. It continued a run of dominance for Etzel, who homered in Tuesday’s game and has hit 6 of his 10 career Biscuits homers against Pensacola since joining the Rays organization late last season.
Tatem Levins doubled and Willy Vasquez singled with two outs in the fifth to add another run, giving the Biscuits a 3-0 lead.
The Blue Wahoos scored an unearned run in the sixth as Kemp Alderman reached on an error and scored on a Nathan Martorella RBI groundout, but Biscuits relievers Ty Cummings, Derrick Edington and JJ Goss (S, 6) protected the Montgomery lead to seal a 3-1 final.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Biscuits on Thursday. First pitch from Riverwalk Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Wahoos’ Woes Continue In 8-1 Loss To Montgomery Biscuits
May 28, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
In need of a reset, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos hoped the start of a weeklong road trip to Montgomery would help snap their team out of a six-game skid. Instead, their series opener offered more of the same in an 8-1 loss to the Biscuits on Tuesday night.
The Pensacola offense managed only three hits, highlighted by a solo home run from Cody Morissette in his first game since returning from six weeks on the injured list. With the loss, the Blue Wahoos have lost seven games in a row for just the fifth time in team history and have slipped back to .500 (23-23) for the first time since Opening Day.
The Biscuits jumped ahead early on Blue Wahoos starter Jacob Miller (L, 1-4), turning an infield single and a walk into a first-inning rally before Matthew Etzel hit an opposite-field, three-run homer for a 3-0 Montgomery lead.
Montgomery blew the game open with a five-run fourth inning despite collecting only two hits in the frame. Tatem Levins led off the rally with a grounder up the middle that turned into a single due to infield miscommunication, and Hunter Stovall followed with a bunt single. A one-out walk to Xavier Isaac loaded the bases for Cooper Kinney, who lifted a fly ball to left-center field that scored two runs when Shane Sasaki collided with Mark Coley II for an error. A Morissette error at second base scored another run, and two more came in on a pair of bases-loaded walks before reliever Alex Williams entered to end the threat.
That would be more than enough run support for Owen Wild (W, 2-3), who worked hitless ball until Morissette’s fifth-inning homer and pitched 5.1 innings before handing the game to the bullpen.
Williams and Josh White combined for 4.1 hitless innings of relief for the Blue Wahoos, but Jonny Cuevas and Trevor Martin were equally effective, keeping the Blue Wahoos from chipping away at the early deficit for an 8-1 final.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Biscuits on Wednesday. First pitch from Riverwalk Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
She Said Yes! — Blue Wahoos Proposal A Home Run
May 27, 2025
It was an out of the park home run Saturday night at the Wahoos game.
U.S. Marine Zach proposed to his girlfriend Natalie moments before the two launched the post-game fireworks show The marriage proposal was a choreographed effort between the Blue Wahoos and Zach.
Zach ricked his fiancé into believing they were chosen to start the fireworks launched. Before the countdown began, he then dropped to one knee and proposed. She said yes, as the two hugged and she was stunned with emotion as the crowd cheered. Then the fireworks began.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
One Seriously Injured When Dirt Bike, Pickup Collide In Cantonment
May 26, 2025
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a dirt bike and a pickup truck Sunday night in Cantonment.
It happened about 7:30 p.m. at Booker Street and Booker Avenue.
FHP said the pickup truck, driven by a 26-year-old Pensacola woman, had begun to make a left turn onto Booker Avenue when the dirt bike began to pass the truck. The front of the bike collided with the left side of the pickup truck.
The 20-year-old male driver of the dirt bike was airlifted to a local trauma center with serious injuries. The occupants of the truck were not injured.
File photo.
Blue Wahoos Fall To Barons, Suffer Rare Home Sweep
May 26, 2025
Sunday’s 6-2 loss marked the first six-game sweep of the Blue Wahoos at Blue Wahoos Stadium in franchise history.
After taking four of six from the Rocket City Trash Pandas in the first half of their 12-game homestand, the Blue Wahoos dropped six in a row to the Birmingham Barons.
Trailing 4-2 in the seventh with one out, the bases were loaded for the heart of the Blue Wahoos lineup. After enduring a week of offensive struggles, the Blue Wahoos were staring at one of their best opportunities all week. A foul out and popout later, Barons reliever Tyler Davis escaped without giving up a run after walking two and allowing one hit in the frame.
The squandered opportunity was one of many this week for the Blue Wahoos as they dropped six straight at home, and have now fallen to 23-22 with the race to the end of the first half heating up.
Birmingham’s bats jumped ahead in the top of the third against starter Orlando Ortiz-Mayr, as centerfielder Jacob Burke sent a fly ball out to left for a solo home run, his second round-tripper of the year.
The offense came alive for the Blue Wahoos in the fourth inning as they got their second look at Birmingham starter Riley Gowens (5-0) this week.
Designated Hitter Nathan Martorella led off with a double to left-center and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Mark Coley II. Dalvy Rosario picked up an RBI of his own with a single up the middle, his second hit of the day, to put the Wahoos ahead 2-1.
The runs for the Blue Wahoos broke a 15-inning streak of being shut out by the Barons’ pitching staff, dating back to the seventh inning of Friday night’s game.
After the Blue Wahoos took the lead in the fourth, the Barons rattled off one run in each of the next three innings to take a 4-2 lead. Rikuu Nishida tied it in the fifth with an RBI single, Jacob Gonzalez took the lead in the sixth with a solo home run to right and Adam Hackenberg hit a solo home run of his own in the seventh.
All three runs were charged to left-hander Luis Palacios (1-2), who was saddled with the loss on Sunday.
The Barons added some insurance in the eighth, as they added two unearned runs against right-hander Jesse Bergin to push their lead to 6-2.
After Gonzalez reached on a throwing error by Jared Serna, Caden Connor picked up an RBI after sneaking a ball just past the reach of Serna, while Mario Camiletti knocked in Gonzalez on a single to right.
After going 4-8 over their 12-game homestand, the Blue Wahoos will turn their attention to a six-game set in Montgomery, Alabama, against the Montgomery Biscuits, the Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Blue Wahoos vs. Montgomery Biscuits
WHEN: Tuesday through Sunday (June 1).
WHERE: Riverwalk Stadium, Montgomery, Alabama.
GAMETIMES: The games on Tuesday through Friday will start at 6:35 p.m., Saturday’s game starts at 6:05 p.m. and Sunday’s game starts at 3:33 p.m.
Fulton Fantastic, But Bats Kept Quiet In Wahoos’ Fifth Straight Loss
May 25, 2025
The showcase pitching matchup between touted prospects exceeded expectations.
But game itself continued the Blue Wahoos struggling week-long narrative.
Unable to seize a first-inning opportunity, then held to just two hits, the Blue Wahoos fell 2-0 against the Birmingham Barons for a fifth consecutive loss, before a customary sellout crowd of 5,038 Saturday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
It was the first Saturday night home loss this season on Fireworks Saturday.
But the night contained a wide variety of crowd-buzzing entertainment elements, beginning with Star Wars Night featuring 17 authentic costumed Star Wars characters who posed for pictures and visited with fans along the second-level concourse. The Blue Wahoos wore Star Wars jerseys auctioned during the game.
The other activities included a pregame parade of youth scouts from the Northwest Florida Chapter of Scouting America, a mid-game salute to an area nurse, then a post-game marriage proposal from a U.S. Marine Corps member moments before the two launched the post-game fireworks show.
The massive crowd witnessed two of baseball’s former acclaimed high school pitchers, lefthanders Dax Fulton for the Blue Wahoos and 6-foot-10 Noah Schultz for the Barons – now a few years into pro careers – produce a duel of zeroes.
The Barons (24-18), leaders in the Southern League North Division, manufactured an unearned, first-inning run, which proved all they would need.
Schultz, the Chicago White Sox No. 1 prospect, rated the No. 15 overall prospect in Minor League Baseball by MLB Pipeline, had his best start this season. He was Chicago’s top draft pick in 2022 out of high school in Oswego, Illinois.
On this night, he went five innings, allowed just one hit, struck out four and walked three batters.
Two of those walks were back-to-back to begin the Blue Wahoos’ first inning. But Schultz then got Nathan Martorella to hit into a double play and got cleanup hitter Kemp Alderman out on a grounder to first.
Fulton, meanwhile, followed his last quality start with another. After giving up consecutive singles to start the game, he never faced another threat, and went six innings for the first time this season.
He finished allowing eight hits, all singles, no walks, struck out seven and left trailing 1-0. It further supported his strong comeback after missing all of last season from elbow surgery and most of the 2023 season when arm issues developed.
The Blue Wahoos (23-21), who have lost 12 of their past 16 games, had another chance against Schultz in the fourth inning when Alderman singled with one out and Zamora walked. That hit was the only one Schultz allowed.
But Schultz struck out Mark Coley II and got Johnny Olmstead to ground out to end the inning.
The Barons used three relievers behind Schultz. They combined to give up just one hit, no walks and struck out eight batters. The Blue Wahoos had only one baserunner in the last four innings.
In the ninth inning, Birmingham reliever Peyton Pallette ended the game on nine pitches, including striking out the final two batters he faced.
The Barons got the second run on a homer by Jacob Gonzalez in the eighth inning off Dale Stanavich, who worked the final two innings.
The Blue Wahoos will try to avoid being swept in a six-game homestand for the first time since this format started in 2021 in Sunday’s series finale against Birmingham.
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Homestand Finale
WHO: Birmingham Barons vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium.
GAMETIME: 4:05 p.m. start.
Northview High’s Colby Pugh Signs To Play Baseball At Baptist University Of Florida
May 24, 2025
Northview High School senior Colby Pugh signed Friday evening to play baseball with the Baptist University of Florida during a ceremony at the First Baptist Church of Bratt. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Barons Come Through in Clutch As Blue Wahoos Drop Fourth Straight
May 24, 2025
written by Willie Phaler
With a 1-2-3 inning in the first from left-hander Adam Laskey, and the offense forcing runners to second and third with one out in the bottom of the frame against Birmingham’s Dalton Roach, it felt like the Blue Wahoos had found momentum for the first time this week.
In short, they did not. With a 6-3 loss, Pensacola has now lost four straight for the second time this season.
After a one-out walk from Jared Serna and a double from Jake Thompson, both runners were stranded on base to end the inning.
After squandering the opportunity with runners in scoring position, the Barons’ offense began to click. Catcher Adam Hackenberg drove in a run with an opposite-field single to take advantage of a two-out error by Johnny Olmstead at second base in the second, while Caden Connor picked up an RBI to score Rikuu Nishida in the third.
Birmingham’s offensive production exploded in the fourth, as they drove in four runs with two outs against the Blue Wahoos’ southpaw. D.J. Gladney, Mario Camiletti, Nishida and Connor all came around to touch home to put Birmingham up 6-1, totaling four hits and two walks in the frame.
Laskey totaled 5.0 innings while absorbing the loss, allowing six runs (five earned), walking three and giving up eight hits.
While the Barons’ offense was opportunistic against the lefty, the Wahoos found their most success in the batter’s box so far this series. Catcher Sam Praytor had two RBI singles in the second and sixth, while centerfielder Shane Sasaki drove in a run in the fourth.
The Wahoos’ bullpen was excellent Friday night. Right-handers Josh White and Nigel Belgrave combined to provide four innings of no-hit relief, allowing only two baserunners via walks.
With a 6:05 first pitch for Star Wars Night tomorrow, both clubs will send out big left-handers to make the start. Dax Fulton is slated to take the mound for Pensacola, while Noah Schultz will take the ball for Birmingham.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Birmingham Barons vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium.
GAMETIMES: Saturday night will start at 6:05 p.m., while Sunday’s game will be a 4:05 p.m. start – the first late afternoon start time of the season.
Offensive Woes Continue As Wahoos Drop Third Straight To Barons
May 23, 2025
The Blue Wahoos got one opportunity Thursday to change the game.
It almost happened.
But instead, the wrong side of an existing pattern continued in a 4-2 loss against the Birmingham Barons, the third setback in as many games this week against the Southern League’s North Division leaders at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Taking on their alternate identity as the Pensacola Mullets on Mullet Thursday didn’t flip the lack of run production, which has ailed the team for most of the past couple weeks.
Trailing 4-1 in the eighth inning, the table was set for a comeback. Pensacola loaded the bases with one out. The Blue Wahoos had the right hitter, Jake Thompson at the plate. He put a charge into a pitch, sending the ball high into the left center gap that was tracked by left fielder Caden Connor, turning a potential tying double into a run-scoring sacrifice fly.
The next batter, Kemp Alderman struck out swinging to end the threat. It’s been this kind of stretch for the team. It was the only time in the game that the Blue Wahoos had multiple runners on base.
Pensacola starter Evan Fitterer grinded through five innings. He allowed all four Barons runs, but only two were earned as another costly error led to a pair of runs in the second.
Birmingham’s leadoff hitter, second baseman Rikuu Nishida, a Osaka, Japan native who played for the Oregon Ducks, was the Blue Wahoos’ biggest thorn. He factored into three of the Barons’ runs.
In the first inning, he slapped a single, stole second, went to third on a slow roller and scored on a sacrifice fly. In the second inning, after Caden Connor reached on a two-out, infield error, No. 9 hitter Mario Camilletti smashed an RBI triple. He then scored on a perfect bunt single from Nishida.
In the fourth inning, Nishida’s two-out single made it 4-0.
The Blue Wahoos got a solo homer blast from third baseman Josh Zamora, his third of the season, to lead off the fifth inning. But with exception of the eighth inning, there was not a rally opportunity against three relievers the Barons used.
Alex Williams gave the Blue Wahoos three solid innings of relief to follow Fitterer, allowing just two hits, and Josh Ekness pitched a clean ninth.
But this became the 13th time in the last 18 games where the Blue Wahoos scored three or fewer runs.
The Blue Wahoos will need to win the final three games of this homestand, beginning Friday, to avoid their first home series loss this season.
GAME NOTABLES
— The National Anthem was performed by the Spanish Fort (Alabama) High School Choir.
— The Gulf Breeze Wave youth baseball team with a contingent of 250 was among 14 groups attending the game. Some others included Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi with 150, Upper Room Church in Gulf Breeze with 100 and Training Air Wing 5 in Milton with 82.
— The loss dropped the Blue Wahoos to 7-12 in May after starting the season in April with the best record (16-7) in Double-A.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Birmingham Barons vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Friday through Sunday.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Family, Faith, and Firsts: Northview Lady Chiefs Had A Remarkable And Historic Journey
May 22, 2025
Everybody just knew this seasons was going to be something special for the Northview Lady Chiefs, full of family, faith and firsts.
That’s despite the Chiefs falling short of the state championship in a really tough 11-1 loss to Trenton on Wednesday afternoon near Orlando.
The Chiefs ended their season at 22-7, but what it season it was.
The Lady Chiefs had plenty of reasons to celebrate, including wins over Jay, their biggest rival. The Chiefs beat Jay 9-5 on April 3 in Bratt. And on a field in Jay that has seen more than its share of tears as seasons ended for the Lady Chiefs over the years. Northview claimed the district championship 9-1 over the Royals.
Then, for the first time ever, Northview earned a regional title with a 4-1 win over Jay.
“This has been a long time coming,” Northview Amy Holland said after the regional win. “We’ve been here so many times, so many times. It feels great.”
Holland said she knew, even back during summer ball, that this year’s team would do great things.
On Monday, Northview beat Branford 14-6 in their first ever trip to the Final Four, leading to the school’s first ever appearance in a state championship softball game.
The team, the coach said, has been more like a family with players from the local area and a major community support. All season, she talked about her “young team”, and that’s expected to be a key factor in the future for the Lady Chiefs.
This year, Northview had only one senior — pitcher Jamison Gilman — on the team. Most of the players were freshmen or sophomores, including sophomore MiKayla McAnally, which will mean most, if not all, will return next season.
After the Chief’s regional win over Jay, McAnally was quick to give credit to God for the team’s historic season.
“On the bus, we all pray together, and one of teammates goes around to every single person, and we pray in groups. Then we pray individually,” McAnally said. “We just know we have to give all the glory to God…and we’ve just to know that we do it all for Him.”
RELATED: After Historic Season, Northview Takes State Runner-Up Spot
NorthEscambia.com and courtesy photos, click to enlarge.
