Walks Give Wahoos Wild 6-5, 11-Inning Win Over Barons
May 2, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
Fresh off their best April in team history, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos began the month of May with a wild 6-5, 11-inning win over the Birmingham Barons on Thursday night.
Two bases-loaded walks in the top of the 11th forced in the eventual game-winning runs as the Blue Wahoos (17-7) outlasted the Barons (12-11) in their longest game of the season.
Pensacola jumped ahead 1-0 in the first against Barons starter Riley Gowens, loading the bases with two singles and an error before Nathan Martorella brought in a run with a double-play grounder.
The Barons became the first opponent this season to score a first-inning run against the Blue Wahoos, ambushing starter Evan Fitterer with a two-run single from Ryan Galanie to take a 2-1 lead. The Blue Wahoos had outscored opponents 16-0 in the first inning through their first 23 games.
Rikuu Nishida added to the Birmingham lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning. With severe weather surrounding Regions Field on all sides, light rain in the fifth inning almost caused a rain delay just as the game became official.
The two teams played on, and the Blue Wahoos reclaimed the lead in the sixth with a Kemp Alderman RBI groundout and Martorella two-run double. Their 4-3 edge would be short-lived, however, as Birmingham’s Jacob Burke hit a RBI single off Pensacola reliever Zach McCambley in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game 4-4.
Nigel Belgrave contributed 3.0 hitless innings of relief to help send the game to extras, and Josh Ekness (W, 2-0) came up big in the bottom of the tenth after the Blue Wahoos had left the bases loaded in the top half of the inning. Ekness needed only 10 pitches to get three outs and strand the potential winning run at third base, extending the drama to the 11th inning.
The Blue Wahoos didn’t manage any hits against Gil Luna (L, 0-3) in the top of the 11th, but drew four walks to force in two runs. Mark Coley II pushed across the first run with a two-out free pass, and Jared Serna followed suit with the RBI that would prove to be the difference. Ekness allowed an RBI single in the bottom of the inning, but struck out Burke to finish off a 6-5 final.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series on Friday against the Barons.
Tate Aggies Drop Game 1 In Regional Quarterfinals To Buchholz
May 1, 2025
The Tate Aggies slipped 3-2 to the Buchholz Bobcats on Wednesday night in Gainesville in the first meeting of a beat-of-three series 6A Baseball regional quarterfinals.
Buchholz (29-1) will host Tate (16-13) at 7:00 CT tonight in game two. A third game, if necessary, will move back to Tate Saturday night.
Zane Warrington struck out 10 for Tate in six innings Wednesday night, allowing three hits and three runs and walking two.
Brayden Beck went 1-for-3 at bat for the Aggies with one RBI. Griffin Cook, Hunter Clayton, Taite Davis and Kaden Posta each had one hit.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Schultz Quiets Wahoos In 4-2 Loss To Barons
May 1, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
In a Wednesday morning matinee, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos offense was slow to wake up in a 4-2 loss to the Birmingham Barons.
A highly-publicized battle of two left-handed pitching prospects saw Birmingham’s Noah Schultz (W, 1-1) pitch a career-high 6.0 innings of two-run ball, helping the Barons (12-10) even up the series one game apiece.
Blue Wahoos starter Robby Snelling (L, 2-1) surrendered the game’s first run in the second inning, as Ryan Galanie and Caden Connor each doubled for a 1-0 Barons lead. The Blue Wahoos (16-7) tied things up in the third on a Shane Sasaki double and Jake Thompson RBI fielder’s choice, and took a brief 2-1 lead in the fourth on Jared Serna’s two-out RBI single.
The Barons took advantage of a Pensacola mistake in the bottom of the fourth, as Mario Camilletti reached on a catchable fly ball lost in the afternoon sun between Sasaki in center field and Kemp Alderman in right field. Connor tied the game 2-2 with an RBI single, and scored the go-ahead run on a two-out William Bergolla RBI single.
Lane Ramsey worked effective relief, escaping an inherited bases-loaded jam in the fourth and contributing 2.1 innings of scoreless ball, but Schultz protected his 3-2 lead for the Barons. The lefty, ranked the top prospect in the White Sox organization, got stronger as the afternoon went along and finished with a flourish by retiring his final seven batters and completing 6.0 innings for the first time in his career.
Birmingham added an insurance run in the seventh with doubles from Bergolla and Galanie, and got 3.0 scoreless innings of relief from Andrew Dalquist and Peyton Pallette (S, 3) to close out the 4-2 final.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series on Thursday against the Barons. First pitch from Regions Field is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Softball: Northview And Jay To Battle For District Championship; Tate Falls To Navarre
April 30, 2025
Rural District 1
Northview 8, Paxton 3
Jay 16, Baker 1
The Northview Chiefs beat the Paxton Varsity Lady Cats 8-3 on Tuesday to advance to the Rural District 1 championship game on Thursday. The Chiefs will face Jay after the Royals beat Baker 16-1 on Tuesday.
Senior Jamison Gilman struck out 10 in a complete seven inning game, allowing five hits and three runs while walking two.
Lady Chief Mikayla McAnally (pictured) hit a solo home run to left field on a full count in the bottom of the third. McAnally and Daviona Randolph each had two hits for the night, while Gilman and Avery Stucky each had two RBIs.
The Jay Royals beat the Baker Gators 16-1 on Tuesday.
Kaylee Gilbreath went 3-for-3 for Jay with four RBIs while Presley Hawthorne went 2-3.
Ella Samford earned the win for Jay, giving up not hit and one unearned run in three innings, striking out three and walking three.
Jay will take on Northview at 6 p.m. Thursday in Jay for the district championship.
6A District 1
Navarre 10, Tate 1
Pace 8 Crestview 0
The Navarre Raiders defeated the Tate Lady Aggies 10-1 on Tuesday night in the 6A District 1 semifinals. Navarre will advance to the district championship against Pace after the Patriots shut out Crestview 8-0.
Jordan Smith went two innings for the Lady Aggies, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits, walking one and striking out none. Peyton Womack pitched four innings, surrendering six hits and five runs (four earned), walking two and striking out two.
Tristen Showalter, Madison Smillie, and Woman each recorded one hit for the Aggies.
Pictured: Mikayla McAnally hit a solo home run to left field on a full count as the Northview Chiefs beat Paxton on Tuesday. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Miller, Wahoos Walk Their Way to 3-2 Win Over Barons
April 30, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos began their longest road trip of the season with an unusual 3-2 win over the Birmingham Barons on Tuesday night.
The Blue Wahoos (16-6) drew a season-high 11 walks, but managed only two hits and went 0-for-11 with men in scoring position against a stingy Barons (11-10) pitching staff. In the end, the Jake Thompson delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth inning that proved to be the difference as the Blue Wahoos improved upon the best record in Double-A.
In the early innings, Pensacola starter Jacob Miller was the star. The righty was perfect through 4.1 innings and faced the minimum through 6.0 innings, ultimately becoming the first Blue Wahoos pitcher in 2025 to pitch into the seventh inning.
The Blue Wahoos couldn’t fully capitalize on the wildness of Barons starter Hagen Smith, but scratched across a run on a bases-loaded walk to Sam Praytor in the fourth inning and added another on a Josh Zamora sacrifice fly in the fifth.
The Barons manufactured a rally against Miller in the seventh, getting a leadoff infield single from Rikuu Nishida and an RBI double from William Bergolla to get on the board. A one-out RBI single from Wilfred Veras tied the game, but reliever Josh White (W, 4-0) stranded the potential go-ahead run in scoring position as he escaped the jam.
Praytor led off the top of the ninth with a leadoff single against Tyler Davis (L, 0-3), just the second Pensacola hit of the night. Shane Sasaki followed with a walk, and both runners advanced on a Jared Serna groundout before Thompson lifted his sacrifice fly to left field for a 3-2 Blue Wahoos lead.
Dale Stanavich (S, 4) worked around a leadoff hit batsman in the bottom of the ninth to earn his league-leading fourth save.
The Blue Wahoos return to action on Wednesday morning as they play an Education Day game against the Barons. First pitch from Regions Field is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
Rough Inning Sinks Wahoos In 7-4 Loss To Smokies
April 28, 2025
written by Bill Vilona
After four weeks and 20 previous games in April, the Blue Wahoos didn’t have one to forget.
That good fortune ran out Sunday.
In a rare defensive meltdown, the Blue Wahoos committed three errors and yielded seven runs in the third inning of an eventual 7-4 loss against the Knoxville Smokies, ending their homestand in a tough way at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Even trailing 7-0, however, the Blue Wahoos had the game-tying batter at the plate three times, including with two-on, no outs in the ninth inning. It also happened with less than two out in the sixth and eighth innings. But each time, the Blue Wahoos couldn’t get a game-changing hit.
Still, the week ended with the Pensacola (15-6) winning the series (4-2) and keeping their place with the best record across three Double-A leagues. The team will have an off-day Monday before embarking on consecutive road series in Birmingham and Biloxi.
A crowd of 4,011 watched a game unravel in one-half inning.
Blue Wahoos starter, lefthander Luis Palacios, had overcome two walks in the first inning and breezed through the second inning of a scoreless game.
He never lasted through another inning.
Palacios, who allowed just three earned runs in three previous starts, lost command of his five-pitch repertoire. He gave up a lead-off double to No. 9 hitter Corey Joyce. Pedro Ramirez singled and B.J. Murray Jr. walked to load the bases. A sacrifice fly scored the first run, followed by Ethan Hearn’s RBI single.
An RBI ground out made it 3-0 with two out. And then it got worse for Palacios. Hits and three consecutive errors followed.
Another single and fielding error by left fielder Dalvy Rosario allowed two runners in scoring position. Jordan Nwogu’s two-run single included a fielding error by Shane Sasaki, to put Nwogu on second. A ground ball was misplayed by second baseman Josh Zamora to allow another run to score.
After a wild pitch and a walk, Blue Wahoos manager Nelson Prada pulled Palacios. With Zach McCambley in relief, the Blue Wahoos pulled off a double steal for the seventh run.
From that point, the Smokies did not have another hit until the ninth inning as the Blue Wahoos bullpen again put up zeroes.
That enabled a comeback to begin. Catcher Spencer Bramwell drove in the first run with his fifth inning single, scoring Josh Zamora who led off with a single. Dalvy Rosario followed with a sacrifice fly to score the second run.
In the sixth, Tony Bullard had a two-run single. But with two runners on, reliever Zac Leigh, who wound up winning his third game, got Bramwell to ground out and struck out Rosario.
In the eighth, the Blue Wahoos had two runners on, none out, but two pop outs and a flyout ended that inning.
In the ninth, Shane Sasaki led off with a single. Jake Thompson walked. Smokies reliever Mitchell Tyranski earned his second save by striking out Kemp Alderman, getting Nathan Martorella to pop out and ending the game when Josh Zamora flew out to right.
The Blue Wahoos will travel Tuesday to Birmingham to begin a six-game series against the Barons.
Tate Aggies Beat Fletcher, Advance To Regional Semifinals
April 27, 2025
The Tate Aggies beat the Fletcher Senators 8-3 on Saturday afternoon in game three of a best-of-three series in the FHSAA 6A Baseball State Championship regional quarterfinals in Neptune Beach.
With the win, Tate took the series 3-0,0-8,8-3.
The No. 4 Tate Aggies (16-12) will travel to Gainesville on Wednesday, April 30 for the first game in a best-of-three regional semifinal series with the No. 1 Buchholz Bobcats (28-1). The third game, if necessary, will move back to Cantonment.
Lance Brady earned the win for Tate, giving up four hits and three runs in a full seven inning game, while striking out two and walking four.
Kaden Posta went 2-for-5 with three RBIs for the Aggies. Cal Foxworth went 2-3, and Tate also had one hit each from Kaleb Posta, Nathan Ozuna, Brayden Beck, Griffin Cook, and Connor Dethlefs.
In other regional semifinal action, No. 2 Pace will host No. 3 Tocoi Creek on April 30.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Historic Four-Homer Inning Lifts Wahoos To Fourth Straight Win
April 27, 2025
written by Bill Vilona
If you’re going to set franchise records for home runs in an inning, as the Blue Wahoos did in this game, doing it on Fireworks Saturday is perfection.
In an all-time memory, three consecutive Pensacola hitters blasted bombs, then a fourth homer followed two at-bats later in a five-run third inning that carried the Blue Wahoos to their 6-3 victory against the Knoxville Smokies, delighting a massive sellout crowd (5,038) at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
It was the first time since the Blue Wahoos began in 2012 with a trifecta of back-to-back-to-back homers. The four homers in an inning were also a team record.
In five other games in their history, the Blue Wahoos had three homers in an inning, but none were in a trio succession and never were four homers hit in the same inning.
“As they say, hitting is contagious, and when you watch the guys go up there and do it in front of you, it makes you feel a little easier and you want to follow suit,” said Blue Wahoos second baseman Johnny Olmstead, whose 2-run homer completed the fab four of homers in the third inning. “So, I had to go up there and see a good pitch, and it went out.”
That inning further energized a Saturday crowd that watched the Blue Wahoos (15-5) clinch the series with their eighth win in the last 10 games. They have the best record to start the 2025 season among all 30 Double-A teams across three leagues in Minor League Baseball.
This game began with a festive scene. It featured nine ceremonial first pitches. Three different youth league teams with kids ran out with Blue Wahoos starters.
Most of the crowd remained when the post-game fireworks capped the evening.
“We got the best fan base in minor league baseball, so let’s keep it rolling,” said Olmstead in the post-game, on-field interview with the Blue Wahoos’ Carter Bainbridge.
The Blue Wahoos will get a chance to do just that in Sunday’s series finale. This will be the third of four 1:05 p.m. Sunday starts to begin the season.
Another fast start occurred Saturday. In the first inning, Jake Thompson walked and scored when Nathan Martorella’s hard single got under the glove of right fielder Parker Chavers for a two-base error that allowed Thompson to provide a 1-0 lead.
In the eventful third inning, it was bombs away.
Thompson started things off with a no-doubter off the scoreboard in right field that exited his bat at 107 mph. Alderman then clouted a pitch over the left-center wall for a 3-0 lead. Nathan Martorella then set the club record with his line drive into the right field berm.
All of these homers were off Smokies’ starter Grant Kipp, who had a 2-0 record and 0.60 earned run average entering the game. The Blue Wahoos’ Tony Bullard tripled with one out and Olmstead’s homer ended the outing for Kipp with his two-run blast.
That also got Olmstead doused with ice water, of course, as he was trying to explain his big night.
“Yes it does,” said Olmstead, laughing, when asked if the ice bath felt good. “Ice water is always good. That means we won, so can’t complain about anything. Feel good at the dish and I’m just trying to keep it going.”
The Blue Wahoos carried a 6-0 lead through five innings behind starter Orlando Ortiz-Mayr, who earned his second win with his best night.
But a defining part of Saturday’s game occurred in the sixth inning. The Smokies had scored two runs off reliever Justin King, who became injured, forcing Dale Stanavich to be summoned for the second time in three games.
After rapidly warming up from the mound, he faced a situation with two on and two out when he struck out Hayden Cantrelle on a sweeper to end that inning.
In the seventh inning, after the Smokies scored their third run, Stanavich faced another jam with two on, one out. He struck out Smokies touted prospect Pablo Aliendo on a 96 mph fastball and ended the threat by a strikeout of Corey Joyce on a 3-2 slider.
Jesse Bergin pitched two hitless innings with three strikeouts to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos will close out this homestand on Sunday with left-hander Luis Palacios (0-0, 2.45 ERA) on the mound against the Smokies’ right-hander Antonio Santos, who is scheduled to make his second start of the week.
Santos pitched 3.2 innings in Tuesday’s series opener, allowing three hits, one run, two walks, and two strikeouts.
Following Sunday’s game, the Blue Wahoos embark on a back-to-back set of six-game road trips. They will travel to face the Birmingham Barons on Tuesday through May 4. They will then return home for an off day, before traveling to face the Biloxi Shuckers in a six-game series starting May 6.
The next Blue Wahoos homestand begins on May 13 against the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Homestand Finale
WHO: Knoxville Smokies vs. Blue Wahoos
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
WHEN: Sunday, 1:05 p.m.
Laskey Bears Down Against Former Team, Delivers Latest Wahoos Win
April 26, 2025
written by Bill Vilona
It didn’t take long for pitcher Adam Laskey to feel the ice water again dumped on his head, after once again being the Blue Wahoos’ latest star on the mound. “Just as cold,” he said, laughing.
In reality, so far this season, nothing has chilled nor fazed his performance.
Laskey, 27, a former Duke University star lefthander, continued an eye-opening start to his season, earning his first win after working five strong innings in the Blue Wahoos’ 4-2 victory Friday against the Knoxville Smokies before a capacity crowd of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The win gave Pensacola (14-5) a 3-1 lead in the series as it heads into the weekend. The players wore their Pensacola Pok-Ta-Pok uniforms in an alternate identity night — the first of three this season as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa La Diversión initiative to honor the game’s origins.
Laskey’s outing lowered his earned run average to 0.55 in four starts. This one came against the team he pitched for in 2023. The Chicago Cubs made him available in the Rule 5 Draft that December, and the Miami Marlins selected him.
It was his first start against the Smokies, though he worked 6.2 innings in two relief appearances against them last season without allowing an earned run. His focus Friday didn’t include thinking about his former organization.
“Honestly, just trying to stack good starts on top of each other,” said Laskey, who has done that this season. “Obviously, a lot of good friends over there, but once you’re on the mound, it’s time to attack and pitch as well as you can.”
When Laskey left — allowing one run on four hits, no walks, and four strikeouts — the Blue Wahoos bullpen took over. That group has been just as impressive through 19 games this season as the starters.
Relievers Josh White and Ricky DeVito were each credited with their second hold. Closer Lane Ramsey earned his first save by striking out all three Smokies batters in the ninth. His first strikeout pitch registered 97 mph. The last pitch to end the game was clocked at 99 mph.
After the Smokies took a 1-0 lead, Johnny Olmstead reversed that with one swing in the fourth inning. His two-run homer was a no-doubter over the left-field wall that exited his bat at 108 mph.
The Blue Wahoos added two more runs in the fifth inning on Jake Thompson’s RBI single and Nathan Martorella’s sacrifice fly to score Thompson, who had a big night. The Blue Wahoos left fielder reached base all four times with three hits and a walk. He led a lineup where seven players registered a hit.
The game’s most important sequence occurred in the eighth inning. The Smokies had scored a run and had runners on first and third with one out. DeVito made big pitches — a curveball to strike out Haydn McGeary, the Smokies’ No. 3 batter, and then got cleanup hitter B.J. Murray Jr., the team’s top slugger, to fly out to left.
The Blue Wahoos will have Dax Fulton on the mound Saturday to try to clinch the series against Knoxville on a Fireworks Saturday.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Knoxville Smokies vs. Blue Wahoos
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday
GAME TIMES: Saturday at 6:05 p.m., Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
Tate Falls To Fletcher In Game Two Of Regional Playoff Series
April 25, 2025
The Tate Aggies fell to the Fletcher Senators 8-0 in game two of a best-of-three series in the FHSAA 6A Baseball State Championship regional quarterfinals.
Keelan Beasley opened on the mound for Tate. He gave up four this and four runs in two and-two thirds innings, striking out one and walking two. Kaleb Posta pitched two and one-third innings, surrendering three hits and two runs while recording one walking and four strikeouts. Sheppard Edgar pitches for two, allowing one hit, two runs, walking one and striking out one.
Brayden Beck went 1-3 for the Aggies at the plate. Game three of the series move to Fletcher in Neptune Beach, near Jacksonville, at noon Central.
Pictured: Tate beat Fletcher 3-0 in game one of the series on Wednesday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.