Wahoos Win Home Opener
April 12, 2018
In a showdown of the defending Southern League champions, Pensacola used stellar pitching and timely hitting to squeak past the Lookouts in the Blue Wahoos home opener.
The celebrations started early throughout the stadium. Fans came early to watch the presentation of the championship rings to returning members of last year’s winning team. Once the hardware was passed out, the Blue Wahoos raised their first ever championship banner beyond the center-field wall.
Once the players took the field, Daniel Wright (W, 1-1) made sure the applause didn’t end there. The Memphis native bounced back from his Opening Day struggles and neutralized Chattanooga’s bats through six innings. He held the defending North Division champs to just one run on three hits while striking out three. After running into a slight hiccup in the first inning, Wright was in total control retiring the next 11 Lookouts in-a-row.
Pensacola’s offense turned in a total team effort, with four different Wahoos producing RBIs and six different fish scoring runs. Chadwick Tromp turned in a 2-for-4 performance for his first multi-RBI effort of the season and Gavin LaValley added his team-leading sixth RBI of the season.
The Wahoos used small ball to open the scoring in the third. Shed Long led off the inning with a single and then stole second base off Lookouts starter Zack Littell (L, 0-1). LaValley followed by poking a single into right to score Long.
Pensacola added two more in the fourth thanks to clutch hitting by Taylor Sparks and Tromp. After an O’Grady double, followed by a stolen base. On a 3-2 pitch, Sparks lined a single to left to double the Blue Wahoos advantage. That’s when Tromp doubled down the left-field line to score Sparks for his first of two RBIs.
It appeared Pensacola put the game out of reach when Guerrero crushed his first home run of the season off Zack Jones in the seventh to make it a 6-1 lead. Last season, Guerrero didn’t record his first homerun at Blue Wahoos Stadium until July 25.
The Lookouts saved their best for last with a furious ninth inning rally that nearly ruined the Blue Wahoos party. Carlos Navas struggled out of the bullpen and issued walks to Chris Paul and Zander Wiel before surrendering a three-run home run to T.J. White to make it a 6-4 game.
Jody Davis opted for a change and called upon Robinson Leyer to record the final two outs of the game. Leyer’s command was never in tune and he hit Wynston Sawyer with a pitch before walking Ryan Walker. Again, Davis went to the bullpen and this time brought in left hander Brennan Bernardino to pitch to the left-handed hitting Nick Gordon.
Gordon singled into right field to bring home Sawyer, but as Walker tried to go first-to-third, right-fielder Aristides Aquino unleashed a spectacular throw to third base to throw out Walker. Bernardino then froze Tanner English to pick up an unexpected first save of the season.
Jays Tops Northview In 11
April 11, 2018
Jay 8, Northview 3 (11 in.)
The Jay Royals topped the Northview Chiefs 8-3 in 11 innings Tuesday night in Bratt.
The Chiefs took an early three-run advantage after one, while the Royals added two in the fourth and one in the fifth for a 3-3 tie headed into extra innings. The Royals took the win in the 11th after a go head squeeze bunt in the eleventh from Dutch Burkhead.
Blayne Miller allowed one hit while striking out two in 4.1 innings to earn the win for Jay, while Josh Majors went 6.2 innings allowing four hits, three runs and striking out 10.
Northview junior Seth Killam went 6.1 innings, striking out 12, allowing two hits and three runs. Trevor Singleton pitched four innings with four hits, four runs, four strikeouts while walking four.
Jay (8-4, 6-0) will host Chipley (4-10, 1-4) on Friday. Northview (12-6, 2-4) will travel to Freeport (11-4, 4-2) Friday.
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Tate Aggies Announce 2018 Football Schedule
April 10, 2018
The Tate High School Aggies have released their 2018 football schedule (reprinted below). The Tate Crimson and Grey game is set for May 11, and the spring game will be at Pine Forest on May 17.
Northview Lady Chiefs Beat Chipley 17-1 On The Road
April 10, 2018
The Northview Lady Chiefs dominated Chipley 17-1 Monday night on the road.
Tori Herrington pitched a complete game with 12 strikouts while going 2-4 at the plate. At the plate for the Northview: Ashley Ragsdale 3-6, Valen Shelley 3-4, Aubree Love 4-6, Kendall Enfinger 1-2, Linda Smith 3-5.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Take Series With 5-4 Over BayBears
April 10, 2018
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Mobile BayBears 5-4 to take the season opening series 3-2.
Gabby Guerrero made his 2-for-5 night at the plate seem forgettable by throwing out two would-be Mobile runs at the plate in the ninth inning to save the series finale for the fish.
Wyatt Strahan (W, 1-0) in his first career Double-A start turned in five strong innings and the offense jumped on the BayBears early making the win seem all but inevitable. However, Strahan’s win was in serious jeopardy up until the final out was recorded.
With the Wahoos leading 5-1 in the eighth inning, Brennan Bernardino came into the game trying to build upon his strong start to the season. After retiring the first two batters, Brennon Lund walked and Taylor Ward singled. That set the stage for Hutton Moyer to smack his third homer of the series, making it a 5-4 game.
Jody Davis then opted to bring in his closer in the eighth, and Ariel Hernandez (S, 1) fought his way towards his first save of the season. He retired Michael Bearish to close out the eighth before running into danger in the ninth.
Connor Justus led off the ninth inning with a double to right. Wade Wass immediately followed by rifling a single into center and the only thing that prevented the BayBears from tying the game was Guerrero’s perfect throw to the plate to hose Justus.
Guerrero wasn’t finished there.
Wass took second base on the throw to plate, and the next batter, Zach Gibbons, singled right back up the middle and in déjà vu fashion, Guerrero came up firing and again threw out Wass at the plate for his second outfield assist in as many plays. Hernandez then induced Brandon Sanger into a more conventional groundout to seal a hard-fought victory for the Wahoos.
Offensively Nick Longhi set the pace for the Wahoos once again with his second three-hit game of the series, extending his hitting streak to 10 games dating back to last season.
Pensacola dealt most of their damage in the third inning with a three-run rally off righty Dylan Unsworth (L, 0-1). Alfredo Rodriguez led off the inning with a single, and after a Shed Long groundout, Longhi singled to center to make it 1-1. Gabby Guerrero followed with his first of two hits before Josh VanMeter scored both he and Longhi with his second double of the season to make it 3-1.
Pensacola tacked on valuable insurance runs in the seventh and the eights to make it 5-1.
At first glance, it looked like it could be a long night for Strahan and the Wahoos. In the bottom of the first inning, Mobile had runners on the corners after just three batters. Moyer lifted a sac fly to left-field to make it 1-0, and Strahan rebounded nicely by retiring Bearish to limit the damage.
Strahan enters this season fully healthy for the first time since the 2015 season while pitching with Dayton. The former USC standout injured his right elbow in 2016 while with the Tortugas and missed almost the entire year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. After a strong showing last season with the Tortugas, Strahan figures to be an important figure in the Blue Wahoos starting rotation moving forward.
Outside of the late-inning drama, the Blue Wahoos bullpen continued to build upon their strong start to 2018. Dean Kiekhefer and Robinson Leyer combined to pitch two more scoreless innings while striking out a pair.
BayBears Sweep Blue Wahoos In Sunday Doubleheaders
April 9, 2018
The Blue Wahoos dropped the opening series of the season after getting swept in Sunday’s doubleheader in Mobile.
Pensacola played well enough to win game two, but their late-game rally fell just short.
Shed Long turned in a monster 2-for-4 performance with all hits going for doubles. He would’ve been 3-for-4, except after hitting what seemed like a first inning double, was instead ruled an out after Long did not touch first base.
Blue Wahoos starter Jesus Reyes (L, 0-1) ran into trouble in the third inning when the BayBears sent nine men to the plate. Taylor Ward had a two-out, two-RBI double that made it 3-2 before Wade Wass’s single made it 4-2.
Pensacola rallied in the fifth when CJ McElroy reached on an error and then scored on Long’s would-be third double of the game to make 4-3.
In the sixth, Nick Longi led off the inning with a single off Greg Mahle (W, 1-0), but with Aristides Auino at the dish, Longhi was picked off by the lefty’s deceptive move to first. Aquino then singled, but the rally never came to fruition.
Jake Jewell (S,1) pitched a perfect seventh inning to seal the sweep.
In the opening game of the doubleheader, the Blue Wahoos again fell victim to a big inning.
In the fourth inning, starter Vladimir Gutierrez (L, 0-1) began to struggle with his command. Hutton Moyer led off the inning with a four-pitch walk and promptly stole second base. After a Michael Bearish single, Connor Justus walked and Moyer scored on a wild pitch to put Mobile up 2-0. Gutierrez then induced Jose Rojas to hit into a double-play.
With two outs the inning it appeared Gutierrez worked out of trouble when Brendon Sanger grounded out to the pitcher; however, Chad Tromp was dinged for catcher’s interference and that error allowed the inning to continue.
Carlos Navas replaced Gutierrez with the bases loaded and promptly surrendered a bases-clearing double to Matt Thaiss, which broke the game open at 6-0. Moyer capped the scoring with a two-run homer in his second at-bat of the inning to make it 9-0. By the time inning came to a close the BayBears sent 11 men to the plate and scored eight runs in an inning for the first time since May of 2014.
BayBears starter Jose Rodriguez (W, 1-0) was excellent in his Double-A debut earning the win by holding Pensacola to a pair of hits over five innings.
Longhi has a nine-game hitting streak (.423, 11-for-26) dating back to last season and has a hit in every game of his Pensacola career except his Blue Wahoos debut on July 7 (10 games).
The Blue Wahoos bullpen has already pitched 15.2 innings in relief and have held the BayBears to a total of five runs (2.87 ERA).
Had Shed Long not been ruled out for not stepping on first base it would have been the first time in his career that he had three doubles in a game.
The Blue Wahoos will close out the series tomorrow night when Double-A newcomer Wyatt Strahan goes head-to-head with Mobile’s Dylan Unsworth.
Diamond Divas Take Second In Backing The Blue Tournament
April 8, 2018
The Northwest Escambia Diamond Divas softball team recently took second in the Backing the Blue tournament. Proceeds from the second annual tournament benefited the family of Officer Justin Billa of the Mobile Police Department was killed in the line of duty. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Rained Out, Doubleheader On Sunday
April 8, 2018
Saturday’s contest against the BayBears was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Sunday, beginning at 1:05 p.m. The series is currently tied at one game apiece.
Right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez is still expected to take the mound for the Blue Wahoos for his Double-A debut in game one. The Cuban native is in just his second season of affiliated baseball after signing with the Reds in 2016. He enters this season as the Reds ninth-best prospect according to Baseball America.
Jesus Reyes, who joined the Blue Wahoos in the second half of last season, will take the hill in game two. In 10 games with the Blue Wahoos last season, Reyes went 2-4, 3.31 ERA.
The BayBears will send out a Double-A debutant of their own in Jose Rodriguez, who was a California League Mid-Season All-Star last season with Inland Empire. Rodriguez finished the season ranked fourth in the California League with 134 strikeouts.
Mobile will call upon another right-hander in Ivan Pineyro who spent time playing across three different levels in the Angels farm system last season.
Tate’s Kayley Groff Signs Tennis Scholarship With Coastal Alabama
April 7, 2018
Tate High School tennis player Kayley Groff signed full ride tennis scholarship with Coastal Alabama Community College.
Groff currently plays the number three position for the Tate Aggies with a 9-1 record so far this year.
“She has been a catalyst on the varsity squad for the last three years,” Tate head tennis coach David Bonucchi said.
Groff has also been a member of the Showband of the South for four years participating in Marching Band, Jazz Band, and Concert Band. She is also an exceptional academic student and a member of the Beta Club.
Pictured top: (standing, L-R) Tate High Principal Rick Shackle, Coastal Alabama’s tennis coach (full name unavailable), Tate tennis coach David Bonucchi, (sitting, L-R) mom Kaye Mathis, Kaley Groff, twin sister Haley Groff and Ronnie Antone. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Tops Washington, Northview Beats Baker
April 7, 2018
Tate and Northview both earned big wins Friday night in high school baseball.
Tate 10, Washington 3
The Tate High School Aggies Beat the Washington Wildcats 10-3 Friday night.
Cole Fryman earned the victory on the pitcher’s mound for the Aggies. He went four innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out two and walking one. Ryan Greene and Gabe Castro helped close out the game in relief.
For Tate: Blake Anderson 1-2, R, RBI; Ethan Bloodsworth 1-3, RBI; Reid Halfacre RBI; Trent Jeffcoat 2-3, 3B, R; Kaden Kings 2-5, RBI; Raymond Lafleur 2-4, 2B, 3RBI; Mason Land 4-4, 4R; RBI; Hunter McLean 2-3, 2R, 2RBI; Jesse Sherrill 1-2, 2R.
Northview 13, Baker 3
The Northview Chiefs beat the Baker Gators 13-3 Friday night in five innings in game that saw a one hour delay for rain and lightning.
Seth Killam pitched five, allowing five hits, three runs, one error and striking out seven.
For Northview: Trevor Singleton 3-3, 4R, Jackson Moore 2-4, 2B, RBI; Adam Aliff R, RBI; R; Seth Killam 2-4, 3R, RBI; Jason Fischer 2-4, R, RBI; 2-3, R, RBI; Tanner Levins 1-3, R, RBI; John Chivington 1-3, R; 2RBI.
Up next, the Chiefs will host Jay Tuesday at 6 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
