Wahoos Tie Series With Tennessee Smokies
April 10, 2017
Gabriel Guerrero always seemed to hit well against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos when he played for the Mobile BayBears.
Now, Guerrero plays for Pensacola and Sunday he had a walk-off single as the Blue Wahoos came from three runs down to defeat the Tennessee Smokies, 4-3, in front of the fourth straight sellout of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Guerrero went 3-5 at the plate, hitting a double off the left field wall on one hop and scoring Pensacola’s second run in the eighth and then hitting a bloop single to left that drove in Pensacola second baseman Josh VanMeter in the ninth.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly, who coached Gabriel’s uncle Vladimir, said after the way Guerrero feasted on Blue Wahoos pitching in the past, he’s happy to have claimed him off waivers and have him play for his team this season.
“He loves hitting in this park,” Kelly said. “We figured we should get him for 70 games instead of just 10.”
Guerrero couldn’t stop smiling after the game. With runners on first and third, Tennessee elected to pitch to him. He was looking for a fastball but hit a slider for the game-winning hit, for Pensacola’s first walk-off this season. Last year, the team had a record 12 walk-offs.
“I always hit well here, I don’t know why,” Guerrero said. “It’s always exciting to have a walk-off run. It was a good win for the team. We kept fighting. We kept doing our job. We knew something was going to fall.”
Guerrero admitted he talks regularly to his uncle, who played 16 years in the Major Leagues and won the American League MVP in 2004 when he hit 39 home runs, drove in 126 RBIs and batted .337 for the California Angels.
“He’s my mentor. He’s my leader,” the 23-year-old Guerrero said. “I respect my uncle. It’s always good to have a guy around like him to talk to. I talk to him a lot.”
The Smokies bad luck in Pensacola continued. The Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate hasn’t won a series in Pensacola since 2012 — the longest drought for Tennessee in the Southern League.
This time, Pensacola catcher Adrian Nieto pulled the Blue Wahoos within, 3-2, in the eighth inning when he lined a single to center that scored both first baseman Eric Jagielo, who was hit by a pitch, and left fielder Gabriel Guerrero, who doubled.
Nieto said the key was to stop thinking about his swing when he was up to bat.
“My first couple at bats, I was thinking about my mechanics,” he said. “I told myself, ‘Get ready. Be on time. See the ball and hit it. Put the barrel on it.”
Nieto was also involved with an odd play in the fifth inning. Pensacola shortstop Alex Blandino hit a chopper to third base with the bases loaded and the Smokies turned a double play. It appeared that Nieto had scored from third to pull Pensacola within, 3-1.
However, the umpires ruled that pinch hitter Angelo Gumbs interfered with the double play on his slide into second base. The umpires took the Blue Wahoos run off the board, putting Nieto back on third base and center fielder Brian O’Grady back on second.
Kelly got thrown out for the first time this season arguing the call.
To Kelly, one of the key’s to Pensacola’s comeback victory to tie the series, 2-2, and have a chance to win the series at 6:35 p.m. Monday, is the bullpen. Its four relievers — Alex Powers, Domingo Tapia, Ariel Hernandez and Ismael Guillon — have combined to pitch five shutout innings and strike out six.
“The biggest thing is the bullpen throwing those scoreless innings that kept us in the game,” Kelly said. “We had one bad inning (Saturday) but other than that the bullpen has been fantastic. It’s good having those guys backing up our starters.”
The Blue Wahoos relievers have allowed just three runs in 14.1 innings, not counting allowing five runs in one inning to Tennessee in Saturday’s game.
Tennessee left fielder Charcer Burks, who has feasted on Pensacola pitching batting .333 in four games, started the game by creaming a pitch to left field out of the park.
The Smokies then went up, 2-0, in the first inning when Blue Wahoos’ Nieto threw to second base trying to catch Tennessee second baseman Davis Bote stealing. But the ball glanced off Pensacola’s Blandino’s glove, allowing Tennessee third baseman Jason Vosler to score.
Tennessee added another run in the second inning when centerfielder Trey Martin walked, stole second base, advanced to third on a groundout and then scored on pitcher Preston Martin’s groundout to first base for a 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, in his Double-A debut, Tennessee right-hander Preston Morrison picked up where he left off in A ball last season. He dominated.
Morrison, who Baseball America pegged as the 29th best prospect in the Chicago Cubs organization, had a no-hitter until Aristides Aquino hit an infield single to third base. He pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking four and striking out three.
Morrison moved up to the Smokies this season after going 13-5 with a 1.92 ERA in 26 starts and 150.1 innings in two seasons in the minors.
“We kept saying, something’s going to fall in,” Kelly said. “We said there has got to be a hole out there somewhere. If I remember, it’s the Wahoo way.”
Wahoos Drop Second In A Row
April 9, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos took a short-lived, 2-1, lead in the first inning of Saturday’s game when Devin Mesoraco blasted his first homer in two seasons out of Blue Wahoos Stadium into Pensacola Bay.
However, the Tennessee Smokies regained the lead in the second inning and Smokies pitcher Trevor Clifton set down the next 13 Pensacola batters he faced, as Tennessee went on to a 9-2 victory in front of the third straight sellout crowd of 5,038.
The two-run shot by Mesoraco also scored Pensacola shortstop Blake Trahan, who had walked. It was Mesoraco’s first home run since Sept. 23, 2014 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Mesoraco, an All-Star catcher with the Reds in 2014, is playing in Pensacola as part of his rehabilitation from two hip surgeries and a shoulder surgery that limited him to play just 39 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 2015 and 2016.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly pointed to his bulletin board where he pinned the schedule for Mesoraco’s playing time. By the middle of next week, the Reds’ want him to play in back-to-back 9-inning games. He played six innings in the Blue Wahoos’ season opener, sat out the second game, and was pulled after 7 innings Saturday.
“They don’t let me make those decisions,” Kelly said, chuckling.
Mesoraco impressed him with his long ball in the first inning.
“He hit that ball good,” Kelly said. “We talked earlier in the day at batting practice and he’s still not feeling comfortable yet. But he jumped all over that 3-1 fastball. He’s knocking that rust off.”
The Blue Wahoos stayed within two runs of Tennessee until the sixth inning when the Smokies sent nine batters to the plate and broke out with five runs.
The big hit in the inning came from Tennessee first baseman Yasiel Balaguert who with two outs and the bases loaded hit a sizzling ground ball past the shortstop into centerfield that made a close 4-2 game, 6-2, as both pinch hitter Ian Rice and left fielder Charcer Burks scored. Balaguert was 2-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs.
“Offensively, this lineup is going to hit,” Kelly said. “It just takes time. We got some power. We’re going to hits some home runs.”
Kelly expects one of the Blue Wahoos’ power hitters, Aristides Aquino, who hit 23 homers last year to get on track. Aquino is 0-11 after getting a hit in his first at bat Thursday that drove in a run.
“He’s going to show us why he’s so highly rated,” Kelly said confidently of Aquino, the sixth ranked Red’s prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
Tennessee scored in the first inning to go up 1-0, when Burks started the game with a double. He then scored when second baseman Davis Bote hit a sharp grounder down the right field line.
After Mesoraco’s two-run bomb, the Smokies came back with two more runs in the second inning when catcher Cael Brockmeyer doubled and scored on a triple by shortstop Andrew Ely, who smacked a line drive into the left center gap to tie the game 2-2. Ely then scored when Tennessee righty Clifton singled up the middle to give Tennessee a 3-2 lead.
Making his Double-A debut Clifton, who MLB Pipeline ranks the seventh best prospect in the Cubs organization, retired the next 13 Blue Wahoos hitters until first baseman Angelo Gumbs smacked a line drive single to right center in the fifth inning. Clifton was named High-A Carolina League Pitcher of the Year after going 7-7 with a 2.72 ERA for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and holding hitters to a .225 average.
He finished the game allowing just two hits and two runs in five innings, while walking one and striking out four.
“In that first inning, we needed to take advantage of him,” Kelly said. “He started getting his breaking ball over and seemed to settle in.”
Pensacola right-hander Keury Mella also made his Double-A debut Saturday. The 23-year-old Mella, who is the No. 19 ranked prospect by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, also lasted five innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out four. After giving up three runs in the first two innings, Mella threw better, blanking the Smokies and limiting them to two hits, one walk and striking out two over the next three innings.
“Those last three innings, I thought he threw fairly well,” Kelly said.
Hunter Safety Courses Offered In Molino, Cantonment
April 9, 2017
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering free hunter safety courses in Escambia County. (List follows.)
Students who have taken the online course and wish to complete the classroom portion must bring the online-completion report with them. Traditional course students must complete the entire course in person.
All firearms, ammunition and materials are provided free of charge. Students should bring a pen or pencil and paper. An adult must accompany children younger than 16 at all times.
Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised). The FWC course satisfies hunter-safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.
The locations and times are:
Online-completion Courses
April 19 (6 to 10 p.m. CDT) and May 6 (7 to 10 a.m. CDT)
Molino Community Center
6450 Highway 95A in Molino
April 24 (6 to 10 p.m. CDT) and May 6 (7 to 10 a.m. CDT)
Langley Bell 4-H Club Center
3730 Stefani Road in Cantonment
Traditional Course (must complete all days)
April 24, 26 & May 1, 3 (6 to 10 p.m. CDT) and May 6 (7 to 10 a.m. CDT)
Langley Bell 4-H Club Center
3730 Stefani Road in Cantonment
Those interested in attending a course can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s regional office in Panama City at 850-265-3676.
Tate Baseball Beats Washington; Softballs Suffers Loss In Kissimmee
April 8, 2017
BASEBALL
Tate 4, Washington 3
The Tate Aggies beat Washington 4-3 Friday night when Washington walked Logan Blackmon to drive in the winning run.
Logal McGuffey earned the win for the Aggies. He pitched one inning, giving up no runs, not hits, nowalks and striking out one. Trey LaFleur opend the game for the Aggies, pitching five innings, giving no runs, one hit and striking out nine.
Tanner Helton, Ryan Greene, Jesse Sherrill, and Ethan Bloodworth had one hit each for the Aggies.
Tate 10, Washington 3 (JV)
SOFTBALL
Lake Howell 8, Tate 3 (Kissimmee Tourney)
Smokies Beat Wahoos
April 8, 2017
In his second game of the season, Pensacola right hander Luis Castillo did his impression of Amir Garrett who toed the mound for the Blue Wahoos last year. The Tennessee Smokies defeated Pensacola, 2-1, Friday to tie the series at one game apiece in front of the second sellout crowd of 5,038 this season.
Despite the loss, Blue Wahoos coaches liked what they saw from Castillo, the Red’s No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Castillo was the No. 2 prospect in the Miami Marlins organization and its Minor League Pitcher of the Year before being picked up in a trade Jan. 19.
Castillo, who effortlessly throws a fastball in the upper 90-mph range, allowed just one run, three hits, walked one and struck out five in six innings in his first start for Pensacola. It was just his fourth start in Double-A.
Blue Wahoos pitching coach Danny Darwin compared Castillo’s explosiveness to Garrett’s.
“The only thing holding him back right now is his slider,” Darwin said. “There are not many arms that can throw 97, 98 mph like he does with ease.”
Speaking of Garrett, all he did was become the first Reds’ pitcher since 1970 – 47 years ago – to throw six or more scoreless innings in his debut. In franchise history, it has only been done three times. His line against the St. Louis Cardinals: 6 IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, and 4Ks and picked up the victory.
Castillo had his slider working against Tennessee. After allowing a leadoff single to Tennessee left fielder Charcer Burks, the 24-year-old Dominican, struck out the next batter and then got out of the first inning on a double play by second baseman Josh VanMeter and shortstop Blake Trahan that wowed Blue Wahoos fans. Castillo then set down the next 11 batters in a row.
He ended his night on the hill striking out Smokies second baseman Davis Bote on a slider. He pumped his fist and looked up to the sky.
“That was great to see him use his slider,” said Pensacola manager Pat Kelly. “He did a really good job. (Catcher Adrian) Nieto made him throw it.”
The only run off of Castillo came on a two-out solo shot over the left center wall in the fifth inning to Tennessee center fielder Trey Martin, who was 2-4 Friday.
Pensacola got its third solo home run of the season when center fielder Brian O’Grady yanked the ball deep over the right field fence to tie the score, 1-1, in the bottom of the fifth.
Tennessee regained the lead, 2-1, in the eighth inning when Smokies second baseman Davis Bote hit a ground rule double that bounced just inside the right field line over the fence. It dove in pinch hitter Cael Brockmeyer, who had reached first when he was hit by a pitch thrown by Pensacola reliever Alex Powers.
Right-handed reliever Austin Brice, who is doing rehabilitation in Pensacola to recover from an inflamed ulnar nerve of his throwing elbow, relieved Castillo. In his one inning of work, Brice struck out two, hit Tennessee hitter Jeffrey Baez in the back with a fastball, and got Martin out on a long fly ball to the warning track in left field.
“The pitch he hit the guy with was his first two-seamer in three weeks,” Darwin said. “He threw on the side the day before and was a little anxious.”
Herrington Pitches No-Hitter In Chiefs Win; Tate Wins At Kissimmee; Tate Baseball Beats Washington
April 7, 2017
SOFTBALL
Northview 8, Freeport 0
Tori Herrington pitched a no-hitter as the Northview Chiefs beat Freeport 8-0 Thursday night in Bratt.
Herrington pitched seven, walked one and struck out nine for the Chiefs.
For Northview: Jamia Newton 3-4, R, 2 RBI; Aubrey Love 1, 4; R; Peighton Dortch R; Alana Brown 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI; Valen Shelly2-2, R, 2 RBI; Lydia Smith R.
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Jay 9, W.S. Neal 1
Tate 7, Lake City Columbia 3
The Tate Lady Aggies beat Lake City Columbia 7-3 in the Kissimmee Klassic Thursday.
Up next: The Tate Lady Aggies will play Lake Howell at 3 p.m. Friday in Kissimmee.
BASEBALL
Tate 13, Washington 2
The Tate Aggies beat Washington 13-2 Thursday night.
Gabe Castro earned the win for the Aggies. He went for five and a third inings, allowing two runs, four hits and striking out four.
WP: Castro 5 1/3, 2 R, 4 H, 4 K.
Reid Halfacre 3-5, 2B 2 RBI, Logan McGuffey 4-4, R; Logan Blackmon 2-3, 3 R, RBI; Kyler Hultgren 4-5, 3 RBI; Hunter NeSmith 1-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI; Mason Land, 1-5, R; Corben Young 2R; Ryan Greene R; Jesse Sherrill 1-4, R, RBI.
Washington will be at Tate Friday night at 7:00.
Washington 17, Tate 7 (JV)
Gulf Breeze 6, Tate 5 (9th)
Wahoos Open Season With Win Over Smokies
April 7, 2017
Tyler Mahle said he pitched his worst in his four-year professional career with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at the end of the 2016 season.
The 22-year-old righty won only one of his final eight starts and posted a 7.17 ERA.
But given the honor of pitching the Blue Wahoos season opener Thursday, Mahle pitched 4.1 perfect innings and third baseman Taylor Sparks and first baseman Eric Jagielo both launched homers to right field to propel Pensacola to a, 4-1, victory over the Tennessee Smokies. Pensacola, which played in front of a sellout crowd of 5,038, improved to 5-1 in its season openers in franchise history.
Mahle looked sharp, retiring the first 13 Tennessee batters, while striking out five.
“It was a good one, especially on opening day,” Mahle said. “My first starts of the season haven’t been good.”
The Smokies finally got their first hit off Mahle, who threw a no-hitter for High-A Daytona last season, in the fifth inning when he smacked a line drive to center field. Tennessee then scored a run to tie the game, 1-1, when Tennessee center fielder Trey Martin singled to right field with two outs to drive in right fielder Jeffrey Baez.
Mahle, who was called up to the Blue Wahoos mid-season last year, said he felt fresh starting out the new season. Last year, he won five of his first six starts and posted a 2.41 ERA before his bad stretch.
Mahle posted a combined 14-6 record with a 3.64 ERA over 27 starts in both High-A Daytona and Double-A Pensacola. His 14 wins tied for the most among Reds’ farmhands. Mahle was lifted for Pensacola reliever Ismael Guillon after giving up his first walk of the game and throwing 86 pitches.
Mahle’s first start in Pensacola comes after a strong performance in the Futures game in which he allowed one run on seven hits, walked one, hit one batter and struck out three in five innings. Mahle allowed hits to the first four batters he faced before settling down in the game that ended in a 1-1 tie.
“It was good to get sent down and then pitch against them again,” he said. “I did really well. It keeps in their minds that I can possibly pitch up there (for Cincinnati).”
Guillon, who replaced Mahle, promptly struck out four and walked one. For the game, Blue Wahoos pitchers combined to strike out 13 Smokies.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly praised Mahle for his strong performance.
“I thought he was marvelous,” Kelly said. “That’s the way he pitched all spring. Last year, he just kind of ran out of gas down the stretch and into the playoffs.”
Tennessee’s lead was short lived when in the bottom of the fifth inning, Blue Wahoos third baseman Taylor Sparks launched the ball over the right center field wall to put Pensacola back on top, 2-1.
Sparks hit 14 homers last year between High-A and Pensacola but hit just .179.
“There are many things I’m working on like plate discipline,” said Sparks, who scored twice. “I was just as pumped up to get a walk as hitting a bomb.”
Pensacola scored first when it got three singles in a row off Tennessee season opening starter Zach Hedges. Pensacola shortstop beat out the throw on a swinging bunt and then Devin Mesoraco hit a line drive that fell in front of Smokies center fielder Trey Martin and advanced Trahan to third. Mesoraco, an All-Star in 2014, is doing his rehabilitation with the Blue Wahoos.
Pensacola right fielder Aristedes Aquino, the Reds’ Minor League Player of the Year last season, then hit a ground ball back up the middle to drive in Trahan and put the Blue Wahoos up, 1-0.
Tennessee reliever Daniel Corcino, who a Blue Wahoos pitcher for parts of three seasons, put Pensacola ahead, 3-1, in the seventh inning when with the bases loaded and two outs he walked Blue Wahoos catcher Adrian Nieto to score Sparks.
First baseman Eric Jagielo, who was 2-3 on the night capped the scoring for Pensacola by hitting a bullet over the right field wall for a solo homer in the eighth inning.
Zach Hedges was tapped for the start for Tennessee, after being a bright spot in the Smokies rotation last year posting eight starts and going 3-3 with a 2.47 ERA. He finished the game allowing two earned runs on six hits and striking out three in five innings.
Softball: Northview Falls To South Walton
April 6, 2017
The Lady Chiefs take a tough loss on the road at South Walton Tuesday night.
Tori Herrington took the loss allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, 11 strikeouts and 2 walks.
Jamia Newton scored the lone run for the Chiefs on an RBI by Kendall Enfinger early in the first inning. The Seahawks answered in the bottom of the first with an RBI single by Alyssa Selvy. Neither team would score again till the Seahawks scored the game winning run on a triple in the bottom of the 8th followed by an RBI single.
Kendall Enfinger had the lone hit for the Chiefs going 1-3 with an RBI.
South Walton’s Alyssa Selvy recorded 13 strikeouts against the Chiefs allowing one hit and no walks.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Softball: Kentucky Team Tops Tate
April 5, 2017
Louisville (KY) Male High School topped the Tate Aggies Tuesday 4-2 in softball action.
Male jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second before adding one in the seventh. The Aggies remained scoreless until two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Hannah Brown pitched seven for the Aggies, allowing eight hits, four runs, one error, walking four and striking out three.
For Tate: Hanna Brown and Hayden Lindsay were 1-4, Belle Wolfenden 1-4, R; Shelby Ullrich 3-4, R, RBI; Leslee Scruggs RBI.
Pictured: Hayden Lindsay with a single in the first. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Special Olympic Athletes Take Part In Young Athletes Program
April 4, 2017
The Escambia County School District’s Young Athletes Program took place Friday at Escambia Westgate School’s Greenhouse Playground.
The event included an opening ceremony with following a torch run. Nearly 100 athletes took part in the event.
“Our students have been learning these skills throughout the school year and now is the time for them to shine and have fun demonstrating their personal best in each activity,” said event coordinator Mona Burch.
Special Olympics Florida provided T-shirts for all the students, staff and volunteers that are registered participants. In addition, all students received a participation certificate and ribbon at the conclusion of the event.
Partnering with Escambia Westgate in putting on this big event were 31 student volunteers from Tate High School’s Early Childhood Education Academy. They ran each of the activity stations and assisted some of the classes.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
