McCants And Team Win At Wood Bat Classic
July 23, 2017
Torianno (TJ) McCants of Quintette and the East Coast Sox’s 2020 Select won the 15U World Wood Bat Classic held in Cartersville, GA. The tournament hosted over 300 15U wood bat teams from across the United States.
McCants is the starting short stop for the 2020 Select and ended the tournament with a .389 batting average and no fielding errors.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
By reader submitted.
Wahoos Even Series With The Montgomery Biscuits
July 23, 2017
Thanks to back-to-back two out hits by right fielder Aristides Aquino and second baseman Shed Long, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos scored three runs in the top of the ninth to overcome the Montgomery Biscuits.
The Blue Wahoos entered the ninth tied, 4-4, Saturday at Riverwalk Stadium but earned the victory, 7-4, when Aquino singled in third baseman Nick Senzel and Long doubled on a line drive to left field that scored both left fielder Josh VanMeter and Aquino.
The five-game series is now tied, 2-2, with the final game scheduled for 5:35 p.m. Sunday. Pensacola improved to 15-14 in the second half and regained first place over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, whose game with the Tennessee Smokies was postponed. The Blue Wahoos are 55-44 overall and won the first half Southern Division title.
Montgomery knotted the game, 4-4, with two runs in the eighth inning off Pensacola reliever Robert Stock, who loaded the bases with no outs. He was replaced by Pensacola closer Zack Weiss, who got the first two Biscuits batters out but then gave up a two-run single to center field by Biscuits DH Cade Cotta, driving in shortstop Jake Cronenworth and second baseman Riley Unroe.
Weiss struck out two batters in the ninth and got the last six outs to earn the win and improve his record to 2-1 with a 0.93 ERA in nine appearances. He has given up five runs but none earned over his last 8.2 innings and struck out 12.
Pensacola starting pitcher Jose Lopez, who has made eight Double-A starts, turned in his fourth straight strong outing. He worked six innings, allowed two runs on four hits and one walk and struck out five.
Montgomery left-handed starter Logan Darnell, who made four starts for the Minnesota Twins in 2014, also worked six innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on nine hits, no walks and struck out 10. The 28-year-old tied his career high that he recorded in 2010 with the Twins rookie league team in the Gulf Coast League.
Pensacola, though, pounded out 13 hits, one of its highest totals in a game this year. Five Blue Wahoo hitters had multi-hit games. Pensacola center fielder Gabriel Guerrero was 2-5 with two runs scored for his team-leading 29th multi-hit game this season. Senzel was 3-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. First baseman Gavin Lavalley was 2-5 with a double and two RBIs. Aquino was 2-5 with a run and RBI. Long was 2-5 with a double and two RBIs.
Wahoos Fall To Biscuits
July 22, 2017
The game was all tied up, 2-2, and then the bottom of the sixth inning happened.
That’s when the Montgomery Biscuits sent 11 batters to the plate and scored eight runs on four hits, including a grand slam to left field by right fielder Justin Williams to beat the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 14-3, Friday at Riverwalk Stadium. Montgomery, which got 13 hits, leads the series, 2-1.
The inning started with the Biscuits loading the bases with no outs when left fielder Nathan Lukes doubled in catcher Mac James and third baseman Michael Russell to put Montgomery ahead, 4-2. Second baseman Grant Kay then reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Andrew Velazquez to score from third for a, 5-2, lead. Montgomery first baseman Joe McCarthy then hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Lukes to make the score, 6-2.
The Biscuits loaded the bases again when Williams, the Tampa Bay Rays No. 10 prospect, smacked his grand slam with one out for a 10-2 lead. Williams was 2-4 and now has six homers with 40 RBIs and .294 batting average.
Seven of the runs, six earned were charged to Pensacola reliever Alex Powers, but it was Jake Ehret who gave up the grand slam.
Pensacola starter Deck McGuire struggled in his 19th start, giving up two runs on four hits and five walks and striking out seven in his five innings of work.
Pensacola scored first in the first inning to go up, 1-0, when left fielder Josh VanMeter hit a two-out double to score shortstop Blake Trahan.
Montgomery went ahead, 2-1, in the third inning when DH Dalton Kelly hit a two-run homer off McGuire. It was his seventh homer of the season with four of them coming against Pensacola.
Blue Wahoos second baseman Shed Long hit a solo shot, his third homer for Pensacola, to tie the score at 2. Pensacola third baseman Nick Senzel singled in the seventh inning to score Trahan for the Blue Wahoos third and final run of the game.
Pensacola is 14-14 in the second half and fell into a first-place tie with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Pensacola is 54-44 overall.
Wahoos Drop Game To Montgomery
July 20, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos lead the Southern League with 11 shutout victories. However, the team also leads the league with 12 shutout losses.
Five Montgomery Biscuit pitchers combined to blank the Blue Wahoos lineup Thursday, 5-0, at Riverwalk Stadium. They scattered seven hits and two walks and struck out 11 Pensacola batters to even the series, 1-1.
Despite the loss, the first half champions in the Southern League South Division are 14-13 in the second half and the Blue Wahoos remained in first place with a one-game lead over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Pensacola is 54-43 overall.
Montgomery starting pitcher Edwin Fierro led the way throwing five scoreless innings, allowing four hits, giving up no walks and striking out seven to improve to 5-2 with a 2.81 ERA. Biscuits closer Kyle Winkler, who leads the team with 11 saves, made his 25th appearance and struck out two in one inning of work.
Pensacola missed opportunities to score in the third, seventh and eighth innings. In the third, the Blue Wahoos had runners reach first and third with two outs but stranded them. In the seventh, Pensacola loaded the bases with two outs but Montgomery reliever Mike Broadway entered the game and struck out left fielder Tyler Goeddel. In the eighth, runners stood at first and third with one out but Biscuits reliever Jordan Harrison came in and got Blue Wahoos DH Josh VanMeter to ground out into an inning ending double play.
Montgomery first baseman Dalton Kelly continued his assault on Pensacola pitching. In his first series in Double-A, the 22-year-old belted three homers, knocked in seven RBIs and hit .481 (13-27).
In Thursday’s victory, Kelly led the Biscuits offense going 3-3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI. He’s hitting .354 in 21 games with Montgomery.
Meanwhile, Pensacola first baseman Gavin LaValley was 2-4 with a double — the Blue Wahoos only extra base hit in the game — and catcher Chad Tromp was 2-3 with a walk.
Pensacola starter Jesus Reyes, who was making his second Double-A start, worked six innings, allowed three runs on eight hits and one walk and struck out three. He picked up the loss and is 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA.
Blue Wahoos Capture Opening Game Against Montgomery
July 20, 2017
Nick Senzel drilled a line drive, three-run home run to left field in the seventh inning and now has hit in 19 of his first 24 games with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
Senzel’s homer, his third for the Blue Wahoos, broke a 2-2 tie and Pensacola went on to win, 5-3, Wednesday over the Montgomery Biscuits at Riverwalk Stadium.
The top prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization, the 22-year-old third baseman has come through with a walk, single and two homers that have led to the Blue Wahoos winning four games in the second half.
The first half champions in the Southern League South Division improved to 14-12 in the second half and 54-42 overall. The team owns first place a half-game ahead of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
The 19 games that Senzel has earned a hit, he is 28-72 and batting .389. He’s hitting .315 on the season for Pensacola in his first time in Double-A. In Wednesday’s victory, Senzel was 2-4 with a double and homer, on run scored and three RBIs, giving him six doubles, three homers, 15 RBIs this year with the Blue Wahoos.
Pensacola center fielder Gabriel Guerrero also smacked a homer, his second this season, when he hit a line drive over the center field wall. His solo shot put Pensacola ahead, 2-0, in the fourth inning. Guerrero was 3-4 in the game with two runs scored and an RBI. Guerrero has 31 RBIs this season and 28 multi-hit games in 88 games with Pensacola this year.
Left fielder Tyler Goeddel hit a two-out single to left field to drive in Pensacola’s first run, 1-0, in the second inning when Guerrero crossed the plate.
Montgomery knotted the score, 2-2, with two runs in the bottom of the sixth when left field Cade Gotta drove in third baseman Grant Kay on a sacrifice fly to right field and right fielder Justin Williams singled to center to bring in DH Joe McCarthy.
Pensacola also got a strong start from Keury Mella who worked five innings, gave up two runs on three hits and three walks and struck out four. However, Blue Wahoos middle reliever Robert Stock earned the win to improve to 6-1 with a 2.59 ERA by pitching two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Northview Baseball To Host Coed Softball Tournament
July 19, 2017
The Northview Baseball team will be host a coed softball tournament July 29 at Bradbury Park (NWE).
Entry fee is $200 per team and each team must have a minimum of three females. Rules will be based on USSSA rules. This is a two loss elimination tournament, so each team is guaranteed two games.
To participate or donate, call (850) 232-3205.
Tate Aggies Kick Off Youth Football Camp, Still Time To Join
July 18, 2017
Monday was the first evening of the Tate Youth Football Camp at Pete Gindl Stadium.
The camp continues 5-8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. According to organizers, there is room for more participants. To join the camp, be at the stadium at 5 p.m. Tuesday to register.
The camp is beingdirected by Tate football coaching staff with assistance from Tate football players. It is an opportunity for youth to work on fundamentals, practice agility, run through drills and learn about being part of a team. No football equipment will be needed. Cleats are recommended, but not required.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Beat Mississippi On #TeamBarrow Night At The Ballpark
July 18, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos Josh VanMeter and Shed Long both belted pitches from Atlanta Braves top pitching prospect, Kolby Allard, out of Blue Wahoos Stadium to left field.
It was #TeamBarrow night for the Wahoos to benefit the Barrow family. The Barrows recently experienced the loss two family members to cancer — mother Joanna Barrow died on January 30 and son Zachary Barrow passed away on February 8. Monday night at the Wahoo’s game, Holly Weaver performed the national anthem, while first pitches were tossed by Ryne Barrow, Kevin Barrow and Lauren McCall. The Wahoos also presented a $1,000 donation to Byrneville Elementary School.
The long balls in the second inning Monday ignited the Blue Wahoos lineup that scored five runs or more for the first time in nine games to beat the Mississippi Braves, 5-2, in front of 4,363 on its home field. Pensacola also hit two homers in a game for the first time in 10 games.
In a series that has featured two 2-0 games, a 2-1 game and a 4-3 game, the live bats were welcomed by Pensacola manager Pat Kelly and nail-biting Blue Wahoos fans. The Blue Wahoos earned 10 hits and six walks.
“Those two lefties (VanMeter and Long) were the key,” Kelly said. “Long and VanMeter did a great job taking Allard the other way and were very successful.”
Left fielder VanMeter and second baseman Long, who are both left handed hitters, launched homers to the opposite field to put Pensacola ahead, 2-0.
VanMeter, who was 3-3 with a double, walk, run and two RBIs, has four home runs this season and leads Pensacola with 38 RBIs. He also had his 22nd multi-hit game this year.
Long, who has struggled at the plate hitting .162, has two home runs with Pensacola and 15 on the year counting his stint with the High-A Daytona Tortugas. Long recorded his first multi-hit game with Pensacola, going 3-3 with a double, walk, two runs and one RBI for seven on the season.
“He’s seeing better pitching every night,” Kelly said about Long’s slow start at the plate. “As much as you don’t want to admit it, they’re pretty good. I think it humbled him a little bit.”
Long said it humbled him enough to seek out Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin and star outfielder Eric Davis to help him this past week to start swinging the bat again like he was when he was in Daytona. He said their advice was invaluable.
“They’re a big part of my life, especially in baseball,” Long said. “It doesn’t get better than those guys. I was doing the same thing in Daytona and I’m starting to get that feeling back. That’s an awesome feeling. I just need to keep it going.”
Pensacola shortstop Blake Trahan scored on a two-out wild pitch by Allard and VanMeter hit a bullet to right field that drove in Blue Wahoos first baseman Gavin LaValley to put Pensacola ahead, 4-0, after three innings.
Mississippi got a home run of its own when third baseman Austin Riley smacked his first Double-A homer for his first RBI on a solo shot to right center in the fourth inning to trail Pensacola, 4-1.
Pensacola got the run back to go ahead, 5-1, when pitcher Jose Lopez hit a slow roller to second base that allowed Long, who doubled to left center, to score from third base. It was the first professional RBI for Lopez.
Making his seventh start, the 23-year-old Lopez pitched his third straight solid outing, working six innings, giving up two hits, including Riley’s homer, walked one and struck out two. He improved to 4-1 with a 3.19 ERA.
“He was great,” Kelly said. “He’s throwing strikes and going after hitters.”
The right-handed Lopez pitched eight scoreless innings in his July 6 start and one run in seven innings in his July 11 start, while striking out a career-high 11. Over his last three starts, he has allowed two runs on eight hits and three walks in 21 innings and struck out 20. He has a 0.86 ERA and WHIP of 0.52 and limited opposing hitters to a .121 average against him.
Meanwhile, Allard, the 14th overall pick in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft by Atlanta and the organization’s No. 3 ranked prospect, dropped to 5-8 with a 3.31 ERA. The 19-year-old is 0-3 against Pensacola and has struggled in his last two starts giving up nine runs, eight earned, on 17 hits in 10 innings.
Pensacola third baseman Nick Senzel’s hitting streak ended at 16 games Monday when he went 0-5. He tied Jackson General’s second baseman Kevin Medrano for the longest hitting streak in the Southern League this season.
Meanwhile, Pensacola is 31-18 at home this season and 13-12 in the second half to regain first place in the Southern League South Division over the Mobile BayBears. The South Division first half champions improved to 53-42 overall.
Photos by Barrett McClean/Blue Wahoos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Football Youth Camp Begins Tuesday
July 17, 2017
Northview Football Youth Camp begins Tuesday, and there is still time to register.
The camp will be held July 18 and 20 from 5-7 each evening for players entering kindergarten through the eighth grade. Players will receive instruction from Northview High School Chief players and coaches. Participants will be coached in offensive and defensive position groups. There will also be daily drills and competitions.
Camp fee is $25; all participants will receive a camp t-shirt.
Click here for a registration form (pdf).
For more information, contact Coach Marshman at (850) 377-2504.
Wahoos Tie Series With Mississippi
July 17, 2017
Nick Senzel smacked his first walk-off base hit in a Pensacola Blue Wahoos uniform, when he hit a sharp single back up the middle to score Joe Hudson with the winning run.
Senzel, the top prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization, said he was “lucky” to hit the fourth straight slider he saw from Mississippi Braves reliever Devan Watts that gave Pensacola a, 4-3, victory Sunday in front of 4,123 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“I wanted to put a good at-bat together,” Senzel said. “They were all sliders. The best pitch I got to hit was his first one. That’s his go-to pitch. The last one, I put the barrel on it and luckily it went through.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly felt comfortable having the Blue Wahoos’ hottest hitter at the plate with the outcome of the game on the line. His 22-year-old third baseman Sunday tied Jackson General’s second baseman Kevin Medrano for the longest hitting streak in the Southern League this season with 16.
“The right guy was up at the right time,” Kelly said. “Watts has good stuff. He had four tough sliders. That last one was up and Senzel got it through that hole.”
The second walk-off this series, after Tyler Goeddel hit one Friday, and fifth this season tied the five-game series, 2-2, with the final game played at 6:35 p.m. Monday.
“This has been a fun series,” Senzel said. “That’s a good club on the other side and they will be ready to play every day and so will we.”
The ninth inning rally started with a sizzling ground ball single to right field by left fielder Josh VanMeter with one out. Hudson followed with a walk and then centerfielder Tyler Goeddel drilled the first pitch into center field to score VanMeter and tie the game, 3-3.
It was the fourth time since Tuesday that Goeddel, who is hitting .249, has come through with a clutch hit. He has two-game winners and two hits that have tied the game against the Chattanooga Lookouts and Mississippi.
Pensacola shortstop Blake Trahan followed Goeddel with a walk to bring up Senzel. The second overall pick in the 2016 draft is hitting .383 (23-60) during his hitting streak with four doubles, two home runs and 12 RBIs.
Mississippi loaded the bases in the seventh inning on Pensacola middle reliever Alex Powers, who threw a wild pitch with two outs that allowed center fielder Connor Lien to score and put the Braves on top, 3-2.
In the eighth inning, Hudson kept Mississippi off the bases when he fired to Blue Wahoos first baseman Gavin LaValley to pick off Braves left fielder Tyler Neslony at first after his base hit. Mississippi second baseman Travis Demeritte reached first on an error by Trahan, Pensacola’s shortstop, but was gunned down by Hudson. This year, Hudson has thrown out 16 of 39 runners, or 41 percent, trying to steal on him this season.
Another big hit in the game came when Pensacola right fielder Gabriel Guerrero hit a two-out, line drive double to the opposite field in right that drove in Trahan and third baseman Senzel to tie the game, 2-2, in the sixth inning. Guerrero hit 3-4 for his 27th multi-hit game and it is the sixth time this season that the 23-year-old Dominican has had three hits total. He leads the ballclub with a .272 batting average.
Kelly said that Mississippi was trying to keep Guerrero from getting a pitch to hit.
“I don’t think you can pitch around Guerrero,” Kelly said, chuckling. “That ball was a foot outside and he hit it to right field.”
Mississippi scored two runs in the fourth to go up, 2-0. Neslony doubled to the wall in right center to drive in third baseman Austin Riley. Demeritte hit a high fly ball to right field that allowed Braves first baseman Joey Meneses tag up from third and score.
In the third start for Rookie Davis in Pensacola, who started the season in the Cincinnati Reds starting rotation, he pitched his most innings (five) and threw his most pitches (85).
Davis stood in the tunnel leading to the Blue Wahoos clubhouse after the game and gave all of his teammates a high-five. A Pensacola starter last season, he is 0-0 with a 4.61 ERA. Davis has pitched 13.2 innings total and allowed 12 hits, seven earned runs, walked six and struck out 11.
The 24-year-old retired 10 of the first 11 Mississippi batters he faced before running into trouble when he gave up two runs on four hits, including three in a row in the fourth inning. Davis, who has filled a void as one of Pensacola’s five starters, retired the side in the fifth inning.
“He’s getting better,” Kelly said. “It still comes down to fastball command. For him to be effective, he’s got to get the ball down.”
Pensacola evened its record at 12-12 in the second half. The South Division first half champions are 52-42 overall. Mississippi fell to 6-17 in the second half and 40-53 overall.