Tate Beats PHS 17-6
August 20, 2016
The Tate Aggies beat Pensacola High 17-6 in the varsity half of a preseason classic.
Tate jumped out to a 3-0 before Tomacrus Moorer scored on a 16-yard run with 2:01 to go in the third. The Tigers scored with 6:53 to go in the fourth, missing their extra point attempt. And Ladarryl Paige had a 30-yard touchdown run for the Aggies with 5:24 to go in the game.
In the first quarter, the Tate Freshmen beat PHS 7-0, while the Tate and PHS junior varsity played the second quarter to a 0-0 end.
The Aggies hit I-10 next week to travel to Biloxi, MS, for their season opener.
Fall Ball Registration Saturdays At Molino Ballpark
August 18, 2016
The Molino Ballpark will hold registration for Fall Ball on the next three Saturdays.
Registration will be 10 a.m. until noon August 20, August 27 and September 3. Registration is $55 per child. T-ball is for ages 4-6; baseball for ages 7-15 and softball for ages 7-16.
Blue Wahoos Drop Opener To The Mississippi Braves
August 18, 2016
With a four-run inning in the fifth, the Mississippi Braves won the first game of the series, 6-3, at Trustmark Park over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
Southern League South Division leader Mississippi improved to 32-18, while Pensacola drops to 25-26 in the second half.
Mississippi was powered by first basemen Jacob Schrader who hit two blasts and drove in three runs. He was 3-4 and now has 12 homer and 38 RBIs for the Braves this season.
Mississippi overcame Pensascola when it scored four runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Pinch hitter Levi Hyams singled to lead off the inning and second baseman Ozzie Albies also singled. Pensacola starter Jackson Stephens struck out the next two batters but then gave up the game-winning single to third baseman Carlos Franco that drove in both Hyams and Albies for a 4-3 Braves lead.
Schrader, who is hitting .318 in August, then put the game away by jacking his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to left center field, that also brought in Franco to put the Braves ahead, 6-3.
The game matched Pensacola right hander Jackson Stephens against Mississippi lefty Sean Newcomb who are the top two strikeout artists in the Southern League.
All six Braves runs were scored off of Pensacola’s Stephens. Schrader’s second long ball chased him from the game. The 22-year-old righty worked 4.2 innings and gave up nine hits and struck out five for 120 on the season, which is good for second in the Southern League. Stephens dropped to 8-11 on the year and his ERA jumped to 3.29 this season.
Braves southpaw Newcomb, who had been pitching strong in August allowing opponents just a .175 average, evened his record to 7-7 with a 4.10 ERA. In his previous three starts, he had pitched 17.2 innings and given up just two earned runs, while striking out 25. He leads the Southern League with 133 strikeouts this season.
Pensacola went ahead, 3-2, in the fifth inning when right fielder Sebastian Elizalde hit a deep fly ball to center field to drive in second baseman Alex Blandino.
Mississippi tied the game, 2-2, in the bottom of the third inning when center fielder Connor Lien tripled in Albies, who had doubled to center field.
The Blue Wahoos center fielder Brandon Dixon doubled to center field to drive in Elizalde in the top of the third inning to put Pensacola on top, 2-1.
Mississippi’s Schrader hit his first homer of the game when he jacked a solo shot over the center field wall in the bottom of the second inning to tie Pensacola, 1-1.
Pensacola scored first when they loaded the bases in the first inning. Shortstop Zach Vincej grounded into a force out that allowed Blandino to score from third.
Phillip Ervin and Elizalde both had two-hit games Wednesday to lead the Blue Wahoos. Ervin was 2-4 and stole his 32nd base of the season. Meanwhile, Elizalde had his team-leading 26th multi-hit game of the season and his eighth in the last 11 games by going 2-3 with a run scored and driving in his 39th RBI of the year.
Fall Baseball, Softball Registration Underway In Cantonment
August 17, 2016
Registration will continue this Saturday for fall baseball and softball from 9-1 at the Cantonment Sportsplex baseball boardroom. Registration is $65 per child with a discount for each additional child. Or register online by clicking here. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Smokies Snap Blue Wahoos Streak
August 16, 2016
The Tennessee Smokies took four games of frustration out on the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Monday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Blue Wahoos were trying to sweep their second five-game series in its five-year history on Monday. Pensacola’s last won all five games when it beat the Montgomery Biscuits in July 2015.
However, Tennessee starter Zach Hedges threw his third straight scoreless game and the Smokies added 15 hits to roll to a 9-4 victory over Pensacola.
In front of 3,518 Blue Wahoos fans Monday, including Walt Jocketty, president of baseball operations, and other Cincinnati Reds executives who watched the entire homestand, Tennessee also snapped Pensacola’s five-game winning streak. It was the Blue Wahoos longest winning streak of the season.
“Every time we had a good count, we hung the pitch and they didn’t miss that’s for sure,” Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said. “The eighth inning got interesting and we definitely had our chances. Better than getting shutout that’s for sure.”
Hedges, who was pitching in his fifth game for the Smokies, has now thrown 19 scoreless innings in the past three games. He is 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA.
Tyler Mahle threw two perfect innings in the rain shortened opening game against Tennessee Thursday night, but he struggled coming back to start the fifth game against the Smokies. The 21-year-old gave up five runs on seven hits, one walk and hit one batter in three innings, while striking out four. He got the loss in the game and is now 5-3 with a 4.15 ERA.
Kelly said it was tough for Mahle to come back after three days’ rest.
“I’m sure he hasn’t done that before,” Kelly said. “He just didn’t look comfortable out there.”
It was all Tennessee at the plate with all nine starters getting a base hit, including 23-year-old pitcher Hedges whose first professional hit down the first base line drove in two runs in the fourth inning.
Leading the way for the Smokies was Lane Adams, who was picked up by the Chicago Cubs Aug. 3 after the New York Yankees released him July 28. In his 10th game with Tennessee he got on base four times and smacked his first home run—a two-run shot in the seventh—and knocked in three runs, which were his first RBIs for the Cubs affiliate. Going 3-4 Monday jumped Adams average from .167 entering the game to .225.
Pensacola avoided being shut out by scoring four runs in the eighth inning off of Tennessee relievers Stephen Perakslis and David Garner.
“The biggest thing to me is the way we swung the bats,” Kelly said, reflecting on the series. “We don’t have to score a ton of runs, we just got to get them (Pensacola pitchers) some.”
The first run came when right fielder Sebastian Elizalde stroked a line drive into right field to score pinch hitter Ronald Bueno to make the score 9-1. Blue Wahoos second baseman Brandon Dixon singled up the middle when the second baseman failed to field his ground cleanly, allowing center fielder Jeff Gelalich to score from second base to trail the Smokies, 9-2.
Pensacola shortstop Zach Vincej then smacked a high fly ball to left field and Smokies left fielder Kelly Dugan fell down chasing the ball. It was ruled a double—his 23rd of the season—and drove in both Elizalde and Dixon to pull the Blue Wahoos within, 9-4.
Elizalde went 3-4 with an RBI for his 25th multi-hit game and fifth three-hit game. He has two more hits in seven of his last 10 games and is hitting .269 on the season.
The Blue Wahoos, who were the first half champions, fell to 25-25 in the second half. They will start a five-game series at the Mississippi Braves ballpark on Wednesday.
Wahoos Win 10-7 Over Tenn.
August 15, 2016
Pensacola Blue Wahoos center fielder Jeff Gelalich was facing his old UCLA buddy and Tennessee Smokies reliever David Berg in the seventh inning when he hit his second triple of the game Sunday off the left center field wall and drove in two runs.
Gelalich’s had a career night at the plate with three extra base hits, including two triples in a game for the first time and he also smacked a double.
His 3-5 night with three runs scored and two RBIs helped the Blue Wahoos win its fifth straight game—its longest winning streak of the season—with a 10-7 victory over Tennessee in front of 4,295 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“My buddy was the pitcher and my buddy in college,” Gelalich said. “Now I can go see him after the game and not hear about it.”
Gelalich, who joined the Cincinnati Reds with as the 57th pick overall in 2012 had a lot of hoopla surrounding him when he started his professional career, said he is now “something like 2-20 off of him.”
Gelalich recalled that Berg, a submariner pitcher, was “All-World” in the Pac-12 for the Bruins.
“He’s still a good pitcher,” Gelalich said. “He just had a rough night (Sunday).”
Now, it’s Gelalich who is living up to his potential, working his way into becoming an everyday player for the Blue Wahoos, hitting .270 with five triples, 10 doubles and 16 RBIs in 59 games. He has batted first in the Pensacola lineup in 20 of those games.
“I love it,” he said about leading off. “At the beginning of my career, I was trying to be what everyone wanted me to be. Now, I’m enjoying it and having fun. I’m not taking any of this for granted.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said the 24-year-old Gelalich seems more relaxed.
“He’s never really had that break out year,” Kelly said. “Now that there are no expectations, he is earning his hits.”
After taking the first four games of the five game series from Tennessee, Pensacola could sweep the Smokies with a win Monday. The Blue Wahoos, who were the first half champions, have improved to 25-24 in the second half.
“They took four out of five at their place,” Kelly said. “Obviously, there’s a little payback. We have a chance at winning the fifth game of the series and we’ll try and do that tomorrow (Monday).”
The Blue Wahoos have swept only one other series in its five-year history, when it beat the Montgomery Biscuits in July 2015.
Tennessee jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, as Pensacola starter Nick Travieso gave up a walk, single, triple and double to the first four batters he faced.
Smokies catcher Victor Caratini hit a triple off the wall in right center to score both center fielder Trey Martin and second baseman Ian Happ to put Tennessee up, 2-0. David Freitas doubled in Caratini for a 3-0 Smokies lead. Frietas moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored on third baseman Jason Vosler’s deep sacrifice fly to left field to make it, 4-0.
But then Travieso, who was making his second start after going on the DL for three starts with a shoulder injury, retired 11 of the next 12 batters and only allowed three more hits over the next four innings.
When Travieso left the game after five innings, Pensacola had gone ahead, 6-4. After working 3.1 innings in his first start back and throwing 58 pitches, Travieso threw 76 pitches Sunday. He allowed six hits, two walks and struck out one, while giving up four runs.
“Obviously that first inning put us behind the eight ball,” Kelly said. “But he got us through five innings. He feels good. It’s just a matter of building his pitch count up. I wasn’t so sure after the first inning that we would be able to do that.”
While Travieso settled down on the mound, the Blue Wahoos settled in at the plate. Pensacola scored its 10 runs on 15 hits Sunday, after getting just four runs on three hits in Saturday’s victory.
Pensacola scored three runs in the third and fourth innings to go ahead, 6-4. The Blue Wahoos sent nine batters to the plate in the third inning and center fielder Jeff Gelalich doubled and scored, second baseman Blandino singled and scored and right fielder Sebastian Elizalde singled and scored.
Pensacola shortstop Zach Vincej singled with the bases loaded and is now 2-6 with three RBIs in that situation. Vincej was 3-5 with a double and two RBIs Sunday and now has 22 multi-hit games.
Three more Blue Wahoos scored in the fourth with Gelalich hitting a triple and scoring, Blandino singling and scoring and Elizalde singling and scoring to give Pensacola a 6-4 lead.
However, Tennessee tied it in the sixth inning when right fielder Lane Adams singled on a tap back to the pitcher and advanced to second on a throwing error. He scored on shortstop Carlos Penalver’s ground out to shortstop. Smokies left fielder Kelly Dugan tied it up, 6-6, when he scored on a hard hit single by pinch hitter Chesney Young.
Before Pensacola won five in a row, it’s longest win streak was four games this season, which they’ve done six times.
Pensacola To Host 2017 Southern League All-Star Game
August 14, 2016
While at the Olympic Games in Rio, team co-owner Bubba Watson announced that the Pensacola Blue Wahoos will host the Southern League All-Star Game in 2017.
“As co-owner of the Blue Wahoos, I am pleased to announce the Southern League has picked Pensacola to host the All-Star game next year,” said co-owner Bubba Watson to the entire Blue Wahoos Stadium. “(We) cannot wait to have all the fans from around the league show up and see our great fan experience and enjoy Pensacola hospitality.”
The announcement of this special event took place during Saturday’s game. Believed to be the first time in history an Olympian from the Olympic Games took time to announce the site of an all-star game, Watson made the announcement between rounds from Rio.
Voted the best Double-A ballpark by Ballpark Digest, Blue Wahoos Stadium will host the Southern League’s premier event of the year. Top prospects and players will descend upon Pensacola along with team executives, scouts and media from around the nation. Specific events surrounding the festivity will be announced at a later date.
“The Southern League is proud to announce its All-Star Game’s first appearance in Pensacola in 2017,” said Southern League President Lori Webb. “The Blue Wahoos ownership and staff will showcase our All-Stars in an exciting game, plus offer many other fun events that will delight all our great fans.”
The Southern League All-Star game is the highlight to the league’s three-day all-star break. All-Star game festivities will be on Monday, June 19 and Tuesday, June 20.
Notable former Southern League All-Stars include Carl Crawford (2001), Matt Holliday (2002), Jake Peavy (2002), Adam Wainwright (2003), Prince Fielder (2004), Joey Votto (2006), Todd Frazier (2009), Joc Pederson (2013), Kris Bryant (2014) and Dansby Swanson (2016).
Notable Blue Wahoos All-Stars include Didi Gregorius (2012), Ryan LaMarre (2012), Michael Lorenzen (2014), Robert Stephenson (2014-2015), Ray Chang (2015), Tim Adleman (2015), Phillip Ervin (2016 and Alejandro Chacin (2016).
This marks the first professional all-star game in the city of Pensacola in 55 years. The last professional all-star game in Pensacola was the summer of 1962 when the Pensacola Senators, an affiliation of the Washington Senators, hosted the Alabama-Florida League All-Star Game at Admiral Mason Ballpark.
Wahoos Snap Losing Streak With 4-2 Win Over Tennessee
August 14, 2016
Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Chad Wallach and left fielder Phillip Ervin each crushed home runs Saturday.
However, the loudest cheers from the sellout crowd of 5,038 were for Olympic golfer and club co-owner Bubba Watson telling them on the scoreboard from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro that Pensacola would host the Southern League All-Star game next year.
Wallach smashed the first pitch he saw in the second inning over the left field wall for a two-out, three-run home run for a 3-1 Blue Wahoos lead. Ervin followed in the fourth inning with a rocket to left to put Pensacola up 4-1 and they hung on for a 4-2 victory.
Pensacola now has 81 home runs this season, which is behind only the Mobile BayBears (87) and Montgomery Biscuits (86).
Pensacola got only three hits Saturday with the only other one a double by third baseman Taylor Sparks.
Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly normally wouldn’t be happy with his lineup going 3-27, which is a .111 batting average.
“We definitely made the most of our hits,” Kelly said. “We’ve hit a bunch of homers and we’ve hit them in bunches.”
Wallach said after Tennessee starter Michael Wagner walked first baseman Eric Jagielo on four straight pitches, he went to the plate with an aggressive attitude.
“I just wanted to be aggressive, especially with runners in scoring position,” said Wallach, who hit .231 in the first half and is hitting .294 in the second half. “It’s nice when you can get two home runs and win the ball game.”
The win snapped a three series losing streak by the Blue Wahoos and improved their series record at home to 10-2. The victory also returned Pensacola to .500 in the second half at 24-24 in the Southern League South Division.
Tennessee had scored the first run of the game in the first inning when second baseman Ian Happ doubled and scored on third baseman Jason Vosler’s double to go up, 1-0.
The Smokies got its second run when Happ hit a high fly ball to right field to score shortstop Carlos Penalver, who started the inning with a single.
The 22-year-old Romano, the No. 17 ranked prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization, worked 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out three. He now has 119 strikeouts in the season, which is second best in the Southern League.
Romano has turned things around by relaxing more before his outings and trying not to think about pitching. He was 1-7 with a 4.84 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in the first half, but is 3-4 with a 2.65 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in the second half.
He earned the victory Saturday putting him at 5-11 with a 3.87 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP on the season.
Wallach, who caught Romano before moving to first base, said Romano’s new approach before pitching is making adifference.
“He’s really relaxed and has let the numbers go and just focused on pitching well,” Wallach said. “He’s doing really well.”
Kelly said he’s noticed Romano’s confidence on the mound improving, pointing out that he worked out of a jam in the first inning with runners on second and third base with one out and set down the next two batters on a fly out and K.
“It’s that age old question what comes first, success or confidence?” Kelly said. “That’s what we’re seeing with Sal. He’s pitching with confidence and he’s having success.”
Pensacola reliever Abel De Los Santos came into the game in the eighth inning and has allowed one earned run and three hits in 11.1 innings. Closer Alejandro Chacin earned his 23rd save which is his career high, surpassing the 20 he had in 2014 with the Class A Dayton Dragons.
Fans Meet The Aggies
August 13, 2016
Tate High School held a “Meet The Aggies Night” Friday night with a chance for fans to meet the 2016 football team, coaching staff and cheerleaders.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Sweep Doubleheader With Tennessee
August 13, 2016
Pensacola second baseman Alex Blandino slid head first into home and appeared to be out easily. But Blandino lifted his left arm over the tag by the catcher and slapped home plate to give the Blue Wahoos another walk-off win in the first game of a doubleheader.
With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Pensacola right fielder Sebastian Elizalde slapped a line drive into short right field. It scored center fielder Brandon Dixon with the tying run and Blandino with the winning run to give Pensacola a 4-3 victory over the Tennessee Smokies. Elizalde’s hit extended the Blue Wahoos franchise record to 10 walk-offs this season.
Elizalde said he didn’t know what pitch was thrown to him on his walk-off single. He went 4-9 in the doubleheader and his season batting average has rebounded to .263.
“I was ready to hit the ball,” Elizalde said. “Everything over the plate, I’m going to swing.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly was happy to see Elizalde getting the clutch hit after batting .172 last month—his lowest average for a month this season.
“He had a tough month of July,” Kelly said. “He’s been one of our better hitters all year. It’s nice to see him back on track.”
In the second game at Blue Wahoos Stadium, Pensacola jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning when shortstop Zach Vincej rounded the bases on a deep fly ball in the right center gap that Tennessee right fielder Ian Happ chased down but then dropped while on the run. Happ compounded his drop with a throwing error that allowed Blandino, left fielder Phillip Ervin and Vincej to all score on the play.
Pensacola catcher Kyle Skipworth added a two-run homer to left field and the Blue Wahoos ended up sweeping Friday’s doubleheader with an 8-0 victory over Tennessee.
The Blue Wahoos are now 23-24 in the second half, while the Smokies are 19-27.
Meanwhile, in the first game Tennessee went back on top, 3-2, in the sixth inning when first baseman Victor Caratini hit a two-run rocket into the Hill Kelly Dodge berm in right field that also scored second baseman Happ.
The Smokies left two runners on base in the fifth through eighth innings and stranded pinch hitter Daniel Lockhart on second base after he hit a leadoff double in the ninth inning.
Pensacola picked up where the game ended Thursday with two on and two outs in the bottom of the second inning before rain drowned out the opener of the five-game series. Pitcher Tyler Mahle, who pitched two perfect innings, had just bounced a groundball down the first base line into right field for his second RBI of the season when Vincej came around to score and give Pensacola a 1-0 lead.
When the game resumed Friday the Blue Wahoos lead was short lived. Tennessee left fielder Kelly Dugan smashed a first pitch fastball from Pensacola reliever Barrett Astin just left of dead center to tie the game, 1-1, in the top of the third inning.
Pensacola’s Astin made up for allowing the homer with a single past the shortstop, who was playing on the grass, to drive in Ervin from third to put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 2-1, in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was Astin’s first career hit and RBI.
Blue Wahoos reliever Kyle McMyne pitched two scoreless innings to improve his record to 4-3 this season. McMyne has pitched 9.1 scoreless innings in his last seven relief appearances.
“That guy was our closer last year,” Kelly said. “He has had his struggles early on. But that 94 mph sinker is a really good pitch.”
In the second game, Pensacola starting pitcher Jackson Stephens continued to look like a Southern League All-Star. He worked his first complete game shutout, although it was seven innings because of the doubleheader. Stephens also set a new career-high with 10 strikeouts and is now third in the Southern League with 115 strikeouts on the season. He improved his record to 8-10 and lowering his ERA to 3.01.
Stephens has thrown seven innings in each of his past three starts allowing just two runs on 15 hits, two walks, while striking out 22. His last out Friday was a strikeout of Tennessee’s second baseman Lockhart.
“It was like icing on the cake when I got that out,” Stephens said. “I felt like he was the last batter I would face. I didn’t care if it was a strikeout, fly out or ground out. I just wanted to get him out.”