Wahoos Maintain Divison Lead Despite Loss
September 4, 2015
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos struggles against perennial Southern League contender the Mobile BayBears continued Thursday.
Mobile, just an hour west of Pensacola, is now, 12-4, this season against the Blue Wahoos and 51-32 since the Cincinnati Reds Double-A affiliate was established in 2012.
Pensacola managed three hits in a shutout loss, 3-0, against Mobile in front of 4,572 Thursday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Blue Wahoos right fielder Juan Duran, who had two of Pensacola’s three hits on two infield singles, launched a fly ball to dead center with two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth inning but Mobile center fielder Evan Marzilli hauled it in with his back to the wall.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said he knew Duran didn’t get all of the ball to drive it 400-feet over the center field wall.
“I knew he missed it,” Kelly said. “But he’s so strong he can miss balls and still hit home runs. It did go 395 feet.”
Pensacola is on a 1-4 slide in its last five games against the Jackson Generals and Mobile, but it has been lucky to stay on top of the Southern League South Division. The Atlanta Braves Double-A affiliate the Mississippi Braves lost to the Jacksonville Suns on a walk off three-run home run in the 10th inning and fell to 35-30. Meanwhile, the Blue Wahoos also lost but dropped to 36-30 to remain a half-game ahead in the second half of the season.
Kelly said Pensacola was snake-bitten Thursday night, especially after Duran’s smash down the third base line in the second inning hit the umpire and bounced into Mobile third baseman Raul Navarro’s mitt in the second inning. Duran singled but the odd play seemed to rob Duran of a sure double.
Duran then threw a strike on a hit-and-run play from right field in the fourth inning that looked like it beat Mobile left fielder Socrates Brito to third base. However, according to Kelly who ran on to the field to argue the play, the third base umpire said Blue Wahoos third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean tagged the runner high.
Mobile ended up scoring three runs in the fourth with Brito and second baseman Garrett Weber hitting back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Pensacola starter Daniel Wright then walked right fielder Gabriel Guerrero and threw seven straight balls.
Mark Thomas, batting .163, came to the plate with one out and clobbered a double over Pensacola center fielder Beau Amaral’s head into the left-center alley to clear the bases and Mobile was ahead, 3-0.
“Everyone in the ballpark, including the runner, knew he was out,” Kelly said about the play at third on Brito.
Mobile, which has had six players from its 2015 team make their Major League debut this year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, got a strong outing from new pitcher Matt Koch, who earned his first win. He was making his first start for Mobile after a trade earlier this month between the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets. He allowed two hits in 7.1 innings, walked four and tied his season-high with six strikeouts.
After Duran’s smash in the second inning, Koch settled down and retired the next 16 of 17 batters through the seventh inning. Koch allowed a runner to second base twice — once when Pensacola catcher Kyle Skipworth reached the bag in the fifth inning and again in the seventh inning when Duran earned an infield single up the middle.
Kelly only had praise for Koch’s slider and cutter.
“We knew he had good stuff,” Kelly said. “It’s hard when you haven’t seen the guy before.”
Pensacola is looking to make its first postseason appearance since its inaugural season in 2012 and end the longest drought of missing the playoffs by a Southern League Major League affiliate. The Cincinnati Reds last Double-A team to make the playoffs was Chattanooga in 2006.
“It’s one of five games,” Kelly said. “It tightens things up. It still comes down to winning this series. If we can win this series, they can’t catch us.”
Thursday Football: Ernest Ward Beats Miller; WFHS Bests Tate
September 4, 2015
Thursday night football scores:
Ernest Ward Middle 34, T.R. Miller 10
West Florida JV 26, Tate 0
West Florida Freshmen 48, Tate 6
Volleyball: Neal Tops NHS, Jay Over Central
September 2, 2015
W.S. Neal defeated Northview, and Jay defeated Central in high school volleyball action Tuesday.
At Northview
W.S. Neal JV def. Northview 2-1
17-25, 25-23, 5-15
W.S. Neal Varsity def. Northview 3-2
25-21, 24-26, 18-25, 25-23, 11-15
Northview will host Baker on Thursday.
At Jay
Jay def. Central 3-1
25-16, 18-25, 25-22, 25-23
Jay will ravel to Laurel Hill on Thursday.
File photo.
Wahaoos Start Final Series Atop Division
September 2, 2015
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos lost the rubber match Tuesday to the Jackson Generals but it didn’t matter because the Mississippi Braves did the same against the Biloxi Shuckers.
That means that with its final home stand starting Monday against its rival Mobile BayBears, Pensacola remains a half game ahead of Mississippi and controls its own destiny – the chance to become the first Cincinnati Reds Double-A team to make the playoffs since Chattanooga in 2006.
Despite scoring five runs in the second inning, including a two-run homer by Blue Wahoos shortstop Alex Blandino, Pensacola lost the five-game series to Jackson, 3-2, with an 8-7 loss at The Ballpark in Jackson.
Pensacola finished 7-8 overall against Jackson this season, despite the Generals owning last place in the Southern League North Division in both halves with a 50-82 overall record.
Pensacola and Mississippi are battling for the South Division postseason spot. The Blue Wahoos are 36-29 in the second half of the Southern League season. However, it remains a half game ahead of Mississippi, which lost to Biloxi, 5-4, Tuesday to fall to 35-29.
Jackson scored two runs in the first when first baseman Jody Lara doubled to drive in a run and catcher Tyler Marlette singled to score another run.
However, that’s when Pensacola had a five-run inning in the second to go ahead, 5-2. Designated hitter Juan Duran started the inning with a leadoff single, followed by a single by first baseman Seth Mejias-Brean and then catcher Kyle Skipworth doubled them both in on a double to left field that knotted the score, 2-2. Blue Wahoos second baseman Ray Chang then doubled to score Skipworth for a 3-2 lead. That’s when Blandino crushed a one-out, two-run homer to centerfield and Pensacola went ahead, 5-2.
Jackson, trailing, 5-3, came back with its own five-run inning in the fourth inning to go ahead, 8-5. The big hit in the inning for the Braves was Jabari Henry’s triple that drove in two runs.
Pensacola scored a run in the fifth when Mejias-Brean singled in Phillip Ervin and another in the seventh when the Blue Wahoos loaded the bases and right fielder Jesse Winker scored from third on a walk to Chang. However, 8-7 was the closest the Blue Wahoos could get against Jackson.
Wahoos Stay In First With Win Over Jackson
September 1, 2015
Juan Duran tripled and Seth Mejias-Brean singled him in as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos evened its five-game series with the Jackson Generals and, more importantly, helped them stay in first place in the South Division in the second half of the Southern League season.
One run in the sixth inning was all Pensacola needed to eke out an all-important victory, 1-0, Monday at The Ballpark in Jackson.
Blue Wahoos pitcher Cody Reed held Jackson scoreless through eight innings, giving up just four hits and striking out eight. Reed improved to 5-2 on the year with a 2.53 ERA.
Pensacola closer Zach Weiss entered in the ninth to extend his team record 25th save of the season by striking out the side. It was the fifth time since July 31 that he’s struck out all three batters in an inning.
Their pitching is what kept Pensacola’s drive for its first playoff in franchise history alive with six games left in the season. It would also help the Blue Wahoos become the first Cincinnati Reds Double-A affiliate since Chattanooga in 2006 to play in the postseason.
Pensacola, which took the opener in the five-game series, is now 7-7 overall against Jackson this season.
Pensacola and Mississippi are battling for the postseason spot. The Blue Wahoos improved to 36-28 in the second half and remain a half game ahead of Mississippi, which defeated Biloxi, 3-0, Monday to improve to 35-28.
Both Duran, the DH, and third baseman Mejias-Brean went 2-4. Duran had a triple and scored a run, while Mejias-Brean doubled and batted in Duran for 46 RBIs this year.
Meanwhile, Pensacola right fielder Jesse Winker’s went 0-2 Monday and the Reds top prospect hit in 20 of his 27 games this month for a .344 average (32-93) in August.
Wahoos In Battle For South Division Crown
August 31, 2015
Pensacola is battling to become the first Cincinnati Reds Double-A affiliate to make the playoffs since 2006.
But Jackson, which has sunk to last place in the Southern League’s North Division in both the first and second half, isn’t making it easy. The Generals won its second straight game over the Blue Wahoos, 8-2, Sunday at The Ballpark in Jackson.
Pensacola, which took the opener in the five-game series, is now 6-7 overall against Jackson this season.
Blue Wahoos starter Tim Adleman, who led the Southern League with a 2.12 ERA entering the game, had a rare bad outing. He gave up six earned runs in 4.1 innings, falling to 9-9 this season with a 2.43 ERA.
The Pensacola right-hander was done in almost singlehandedly by Jackson second baseman Tyler Bortnick, who hit a solo shot in the first inning. He then smacked a grand slam off Adleman in the Generals’ five-run fifth inning that put Jackson up, 6-0. Bortnick last went yard on Aug. 22, 2013.
The Generals added two more runs in the eighth inning to go ahead, 8-0, before Pensacola finally scored.
The Blue Wahoos scored one run in the eighth inning with two out when second baseman Zach Vincej doubled and shortstop Alex Blandino singled him in. Pensacola right fielder Duran then crushed a solo homer to left center field in the ninth, his sixth dinger this season and second in four days. Duran currently has 42 RBIs on the season.
After failing to post a winning half since the team started in 2012, Pensacola is battling Mississippi for a postseason spot. The Blue Wahoos dropped to 35-28 in the second half of the Southern League South Division race.
Meanwhile, Mississippi, which is 34-27, was playing Biloxi Sunday night. If the Braves win, they would go up a half game. If not, they would remain a half game behind the Blue Wahoos.
The Blue Wahoos are looking to become the first Reds Double-A affiliate to advance to the playoffs since Chattanooga in 2006 — the longest drought of any Southern League affiliate. Chattanooga lost to Huntsville in the first round.
Pensacola right fielder Jesse Winker’s six-game hitting streak was snapped with a 0-4 day. Winker, the Reds top prospect, has hit in 20 of his 26 games this month and is batting .352 (32-91) in August.
Marquez Smith was 2-4 — the only Blue Wahoo to have a multi-hit game Sunday — and raised his season average to .270 with Pensacola.
Put A Ring On It: Tate’s State Champion Softball Team Receives Rings
August 30, 2015
The Tate Lady Aggies won the Class 7A softball state championship last spring, and they were back in the spotlight Friday night as they received their state championship rings from Principal Rick Shackle and Escambia School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. Photos by Jennifer Repine for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Lose To Jackson
August 30, 2015
Pensacola managed three hits Saturday and dropped the second game of the five-game series against Jackson, 4-0, at The Ballpark in Jackson.
After five Blue Wahoos recorded multi-hit games and the club pounded out 11 hits in the opener, the General’s Misael Siverio gave up a season-best one hit in six innings of work and struck out five to improve to 5-11 on the year.
The Pensacola loss and Mississippi victory means the Blue Wahoos lead over the Braves fell to half a game in the South Division with eight to play. Pensacola moved to 35-27 in the second half of the Southern League, while Mississippi improved to 34-27.
The Blue Wahoos are trying to make the postseason for the first time since the team began in 2012. It would be the first time a Cincinnati Reds Double-A affiliate has been in the playoffs since Chattanooga in 2006 — the longest drought of any Southern League affiliate. Chattanooga lost to Huntsville in the first round.
In the eighth inning, Jackson added an insurance run to go up, 4-0, when first baseman John Lara singled to left field to score DH Guillermo Pimental from third.
Generals left fielder Jabari Henry hit a two-run homer, his ninth of the season, to left center field in the fifth inning that put Jackson ahead, 3-0.
Jackson got its first run in the fourth when Lara doubled in shortstop Tyler Smith.
After four bad starts in a row in which he failed to pitch five innings, Pensacola starter Sal Romano had a strong outing, allowing five hits in six innings, walking one and striking out two. Part of the problem was he had walked 10 batters in 12 innings. However, Romano earned the loss against Jackson and is 0-4 since moving up to Double-A Pensacola.
Pensacola right fielder Jesse Winker went 1-4, hitting safely in six straight games. But he got tossed from the game in his last at bat arguing a strike out call. Winker has hit in 20 of his 25 games this month and is batting .368 (32-87) in August and .313 in the second half.
The Blue Wahoos two other hits came when third baseman Mejias-Brean doubled in two at bats and second baseman Ryan Wright, who was 1-4, singled in the ninth inning.
Friday Night Football Finals
August 29, 2015
Here is a look at final scores from Friday night’s high school football games:
FLORIDA
- Crestview 47, Northview 20 [More...]
- Tate 38, Biloxi 7 [More...]
- Flomaton 55, Jay 26 [More...]
- Escambia 16, West Florida 7
- Choctaw 48, Gulf Breeze 32
- Navarre 57, Catholic 14
- Milton 20, Washington 14 OT
- Pine Forest 41, PHS 30
- Pace 49, Fort Walton 28
- Baker 26, Holmes County 14
ALABAMA
- Flomaton 55, Jay 26 [More...]
- W.S. Neal 42. Escambia County (Atmore) 14
- T.R. Miller 17, Tallassee 14
- Autauga Academy 28, Escambia Academy 18
Tate Opens Season With New Coach, Big Win Over Biloxi
August 29, 2015
New Tate High School football coach Jay Lindsey opened his career with the Aggies with a big 38-7 win over Biloxi.
The Aggies took the lead at Pete Gindl Stadium in Cantonment with 9:41 on the clock in the first on a 33-yard pass from Sawyer Smith to Reginald Payne. With a good kick from Evan Legassey, the Aggies were up 7-0. The Aggies struck again on a 24-yard run from Jack Henry with 6:47 to go in the first quarter. Then, with 2:46 to go in the first, Tate scored on a 2-yard quarterback keeper from Smith, 21-0. By halftime, the Aggies were up 24-0 with a second quarter 37-yard field goal from Legassey.
With 1:32 to go in the third, Alondo Thompkins added a 58-yard touchdown run.
The Tate Aggies will be at West Florida High next Friday night at 7:00.
Look for an upcoming gallery with more photos on NorthEscambia.com.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
