Mississippi Braves, Blue Wahoos Rained Out
June 1, 2015
Sunday’s doubleheader between the Mississippi Braves and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos has been canceled due to inclement weather. The games will not be made up because the two teams do not meet again during the first half of the season.
Pensacola travels to take on the Mobile BayBears beginning Monday for a five game series. The Blue Wahoos return to play the Jacksonville Suns June 6-10.
Century’s Showalter Celebrates 400th Win With The Orioles
May 30, 2015
Former Century resident Buck Showalter celebrated his 400th win as manager of the Baltimore Orioles Friday night. The Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 in Baltimore.
Showalter’s family moved to Century in the late 1950’s. His father served as a teacher, coach and principal at Century High School for 23 years. Buck Showalter played Little League ball in a thriving program in Century, and he graduated from Century High School. Century’s modern day Showalter Park is named after him.
Pictured: Buck Showalter celebrated his 400th win as manager of the Baltimore Orioles Friday night. Photo courtesy Baltimore Orioles for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Braves Win Pitchers’ Duel Over Blue Wahoos
May 30, 2015
Friday night’s contest in Mississippi ended with a score of 1-0 as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (21-27) lost a pitching battle to the Mississippi Braves (26-21).
Wahoos starter Robert Stephenson pitched 7.0 scoreless innings with ten strikeouts while allowing only three hits and one walk in what was undoubtedly his best performance of the season. He was unable to earn the victory due another great effort from his counterpart, Jake Brigham (4-2). Brigham went 8.0 scoreless innings, allowing three hits, striking out five and walking no one.
Wahoos reliever Kevin Shackelford (0-3) earned the loss as he gave up the only run of the game in the bottom of the eighth. Braves reliever Tyler Jones earned his third save of the season, as he was able to get out of a jam in the top of the ninth.
The Blue Wahoos were led at the plate by shortstop Juan Perez, who went 3-3 with a triple to extend his hit streak to six games. Perez had three of the team’s five hits, with the others coming from Beau Amaral and Jesse Winker, both on singles in the ninth inning.
The first threat of a run came in the bottom of the fourth as Kevin Ahrens drew a two-out walk and Corban Joseph singled, reaching second on the throw. Stephenson, however, was able to get out of the jam with a strikeout of Rio Ruiz on a breaking pitch.
The Blue Wahoos posed a real threat to break the tie in the eight when Perez tripled with one out. Cam Maron was then called out on strikes, and pinch-hitter Ray Chang was robbed of an RBI when the third baseman Ruiz made a great stab on a hard-hit ball to end the frame.
Matt Lipka began the bottom of the eighth with an infield single and then moved to third on a single from Eric Garcia. Lipka would score on a fielder’s choice after contact from Mallex Smith to break the tie, as the throw from the infield was not in time.
Pensacola threatened to tie or potentially take the lead in the top half of the ninth as Beau Amaral led off the inning with a single to left field. After a Ryan Wright sacrifice bunt, Winker flared one into shallow left field to put runners at the corners with one out. Unfortunately for the Wahoos, a double play ended the game on the next at-bat.
Northview Chiefs Schedule Summer Baseball Camp
May 29, 2015
The Northview Chiefs have scheduled a Summer Baseball Camp .
The camp will be held June 1-4 and June 8-11 from 9 a.m. until noon. The cost is $150 for the two-week camp.
For more information and to register, click here.
Braves Beat The Wahoos
May 29, 2015
Mississippi Braves pitcher Tyrell Jenkins loaded the bases in the first two innings against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in Thursday’s game at Trustmark Park.
But the Atlanta Braves No. 9 prospect according to MLB.Pipeline.com got out of both jams by allowing just two runs and the Braves went on to win the game, 4-2, ending Pensacola’s two game winning streak.
Jenkins loaded the bases by walking the first three Blue Wahoos he faced. Seth Mejias-Brean singled with one out to right field to score Zach Vincej to put Pensacola ahead, 1-0.
In the second inning, he loaded them again on singles by Pensacola catcher Cam Maron and center fielder Beau Amaral and a walk.
However, Jenkins benefited from a double play on a sacrifice fly by Zach Vincej that scored Maron, putting Pensacola up, 2-0.
Mississippi scored all of four of its runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to improve Jenkins’ record to 4-2 on the year with a 3.00 ERA. The tall righty from Texas pitched five innings, allowing four hits, two runs, five walks and five strikeouts, including top Pensacola hitter Kyle Waldrop with the bases loaded in the first.
The Braves loaded the bases in the fifth and right fielder David Rohm drove in two with a one-out single to center, which tied the game 2-2. Then with two out, second baseman Corban Joseph doubled to left field to score two more and give Mississippi a 4-2 lead.
Amaral led the Blue Wahoos lineup, going 2-4 and is now 3-9 in the first two games of the five-game series with Mississippi with a run scored and his fifth stolen base of the year.
Pensacola fell to 21-26 on the year, while Mississippi improved to 25-21 in the Southern League South Division.
Ryan Wright pinch hit in the eighth inning and flied out to end his hitting streak at 10 games. Wright batted .326 (15-46) with eight RBIs and two doubles during his streak.
Mejias-Brean is hitting .361 (22-61) in the past 16 games after going 1-4, and knocking in his 20th run of the season.
Tate’s Perkins Named Florida’s 7A Player Of Year; Wyatt Coach Of Year
May 28, 2015
Tate High School’s Tori Perkins has been named the Class 7A softball player of the year, and Tate coach Melinda Wyatt has been named the 7A coach of the year by the Florida Dairy Farmers.
Perkins was a member of this year’s Class 7A state championship team. She has committed to the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Wyatt coached that Class 7A state championship team. She had been at Tate for 11 years.
Pictured: Tori Perkins (L) shortly after Tate won the Class 7A softball championship, and Coach Melinda Wyatt (right) tosses a ceremonial first pitch for the Blue Wahoos Monday night. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Beat Mississippi Braves In 14 Innings
May 28, 2015
Ray Chang was rewarded for his hot hitting for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos by batting third in the lineup on the road against the Mississippi Braves Wednesday.
The 31-year-old, who has played 11 years in the minors, rewarded Pensacola manager Pat Kelly’s confidence with a double in the top of the 14th inning that scored second baseman Ryan Wright and led to a three-run rally.
Pensacola held on for the victory, 7-5, at Trustmark Park after Mississippi added a run in the bottom of the 14th inning and the Blue Wahoos came from behind for its second straight win.
Chang made a case for staying third in the Pensacola lineup tomorrow, after Wednesday’s performance against Mississippi, going 3-6, with a double, walk, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Chang, who is playing first base, is now hitting .383 in May (18-47) for the Blue Wahoos and .339 this season to lead all Pensacola hitters. He now has seven RBIs on the season.
Pensacola gained a game on Mississippi in the Southern League South Division, improving to 21-25 on the year. The Braves fell to 24-21 in the South.
Blue Wahoos center fielder Beau Amaral drove a sacrifice fly to deep center in the eighth inning with the bases loaded that scored Seth Mejias-Brean from third to tie the game at, 4-4, and send it to extra innings.
Pensacola has also scored one in the seventh to pull within, 4-3, when Chang singled to right field to score Amaral. Amaral reached first on an infield single to third and then stole second base, his fifth steal of the season.
Mississippi went ahead, 4-2, in the sixth inning when shortstop Eric Garcia tripled to drive in third baseman Rio Ruiz with the first run and then pinch hitter David Rohm singled to right to score Garcia.
Wright also has continued his hot hitting extending his hitting streak to 10 games, going 2-6 with a walk and a run. Wright is batting .326 (15-46) with eight RBIs and two doubles during the streak.
Mejias-Brean is hitting .368 (21-57) the past 15 games after going 2-5, scoring a run and knocking in a run, his 19th of the year. Right fielder Kyle Waldrop (2-5) also knocked in two runs and is tied for seventh in the Southern League with 28 RBIs.
Wahoos Recognize State Champion Tate Lady Aggies
May 26, 2015
The Class 7A softball state champion Tate Lady Aggies were recognized Monday evening by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. They also had the opportunity to meet golfer and Wahoos minority owner Bubba Watson, and Tate Coach Melinda Wyatt tossed out a ceremonial first pitch. Photos by Barrett McClean Photography for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Clinch Series Against Jackson
May 26, 2015
If you believe 11-year veteran minor leaguer Ray Chang, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos victory over the Jackson Generals was never in doubt.
Trailing 6-0 after four innings, the 31-year-old Chang and his teammates just had a feeling they weren’t going to lose.
With four runs in the eighth, Pensacola pulled out an improbable, 8-7, series clinching win over the Generals in front of 4,149 fans at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium on Memorial Day.
Kyle Skipworth scored on a wild pitch thrown by Jackson reliever Matt Anderson to score the winning run, after Ryan Wright had tied the game, 7-7, with a one-out, bases loaded double into the gap in right center.
“We looked at each other after (pitcher) Wandy (Peralta) got hurt and the game had a weird feeling to it,” said Chang, who went 2-4 with two singles and scored twice. “We just looked at each other and knew we were going to win this ball game. It was such a great feeling to come back from that deficit.”
Chang is now hitting .366 in May (15-41) for the Blue Wahoos and .321 this season to be among the Pensacola hitting leaders.
The win improved the Blue Wahoos to 20-25 on the season headed into a crucial 10-game road trip against Mississippi Braves and Mobile BayBears, who lead the Blue Wahoos in the Southern League South Division standings.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said his team needed Monday’s victory after losing the past two games on late-inning heroics by Jackson. The Blue Wahoos scored four runs in the fourth to cut the lead and then four more in the eighth to win it.
“That’s why you play nine innings,” Kelly said. “Wandy gets the first two outs on four pitches and then loses it.”
In fact, Peralta ended up allowing four runs on three hits, two walks and an error in the first inning. The big hit came by left fielder Dario Pizzano who singled in Jordy Lara and D.J. Peterson.
However, in the top of the third inning Jackson center fielder Gabby Guerrero, who’s eighth inning single gave the Generals a, 6-5, win Sunday night, led off with a bullet off of Peralta’s left pitching hand. He threw some test pitches after a walk around the infield but Kelly called in reliever Layne Somsen.
Somsen pitched four innings giving up four hits, three walks and two runs, including a solo blast by Jabari Blash to left field to lead off the sixth inning that made the score, 7-4.
“(Peralta) felt like he could pitch but that’s a very valuable left arm,” Kelly said. “I didn’t feel like it was worth it.”
Chang was the instigator of getting shaving cream all over Wright in the post-game celebration when he walked off the field. Wright, who went 2-5 with a double and drove in three runs, has a nine game hitting streak. Wright is batting .325 (13-40) with eight RBIs two doubles.
Wright ended the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 0-22 hitless streak with the bases loaded Sunday and then got a double again Monday with the bases loaded for the Blue Wahoos, who are now 2-28.
“He has been so clutch all year,” Chang said.
Kelly said lucky for the Blue Wahoos the wind shifted around the sixth inning carrying Wright’s ball away from the Generals’ Guerrero in center and more to right toward Lara where it dropped in.
“If he drove the ball to right center with the wind blowing in we might not have scored,” Kelly said. “Guerrero was catching everything. But Lara didn’t have a good jump on it.”
Jackson Beats Pensacola Again
May 25, 2015
One of the reasons the Pensacola Blue Wahoos are two-games above .500 in May is that they never stop trying to score more runs.
It’s what first year manager Pat Kelly said he likes about his team that’s 19-25 and in fourth place in the Southern League South Division. The Blue Wahoos are now 13-11 in May, after starting April 6-14.
“The thing I really like about this team is the way we keep coming back,” Kelly said. “That’s something you didn’t see the first month.”
The Blue Wahoos fell a run short Sunday, 6-5, to the Jackson Generals in front of 4,502 at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
However, Pensacola came right back in the seventh to tie the game, 5-5, when catcher Kyle Skipworth hit a deep fly ball to right field to score first baseman Marquez Smith from third. Jackson scored its winning run in the eighth when center fielder Gabby Guerrero knocked a single to score third baseman Jody Lara.
One of the stars for Pensacola has been Seth Mejias-Brean, who is hitting .333 (16-48) the past 13 games after going 3-5 with an RBI and stolen base. He also turned a great double play flagging down a bad hop, stepping on third and whipping it to first.
“The toughest thing is keeping steady,” said Mejias-Brean, who’s now hitting .244 on the year. “You could be hitting the ball really well and still not get any hits. You could be hitting like crap and still go 3-for-3.”
Ryan Wright ended the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 0-22 hitless streak with the bases loaded when he singled sharply to center and scored both first baseman Ray Chang and shortstop Zach Vincej to put Pensacola up, 4-0, in the second inning. Although Pensacola had failed to produce a hit until Wright’s, it did have 10 RBIs before adding two more.
Wright has an eight game hitting streak, batting .314 (11-35). He has driven in five runs and doubled.
Kelly chafed when about the team’s batting average with the bases loaded, calling it an “overrated stat.”
“A lot of things don’t show up in the average,” he said, lobbying for a new statistic. “If you’re knocking in about 50-60 percent of runs with men on third, then you’re doing pretty good. Batting averages are evil anyway.”