Photos: Northview Summer Ball
June 23, 2013
After 22 games against several larger local schools and teams from as far away as Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana, the Northview Chiefs will wrap up their summer ball schedule on Sunday with games at Catholic and Escambia.
Pictured: Northview summer ball action from Saturday. Photos by Ramona Preston for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Biscuits Walk Off Over Wahoos
June 23, 2013
Robby Price belted a two-run walk-off homer lifting the Montgomery Biscuits to a 4-3 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Saturday night at Riverwalk Stadium.
Entering the frame trailing 3-2, Kevin Kiermaier reached on a one-out hustle double setting the stage for Price, who ripped a no-doubt shot off Pensacola hurler Loek Van Mil (0-4). It was Van Mil’s third blown save of the year.
The back-and-forth affair was scoreless headed to the last of the fifth. Kyeong Kang led off the frame with a single and came around to score on a Robi Estrada single through the right side. The Biscuits ended up loading the bases in the fifth with one out against Pensacola starter Shaun Ellis, but Ellis induced two lazy pop-ups to escape the jam.
Ellis earned a no decision for the Wahoos, but once again gave a superb outing. The right-hander allowed just a run on six hits in five innings with two strikeouts.
Pensacola knotted the game at one in the top of the sixth on Yorman Rodriguez’s RBI single that extended his hitting streak to 13 games between Bakersfield and Pensacola. Much like Montgomery, the Wahoos loaded the bases with two outs, but Erik Hamren got Barnhart to pop out to end the threat.
Montgomery pushed back on top 3-2 in the seventh inning on a two-out double from Mikie Mahtook. Wilkin De La Rosa was able to retire Cameron Seitzer with two insurance runs in scoring position.
The Blue Wahoos rallied for a pair of runs in the eighth inning against Hamren. With runners on second and third and one out, Travis Mattair bounced a ball to the third baseman, but it was hit softly enough that it allowed Corey Wimberly to scamper home with the tying run. After a walk to Marquez Smith, Barnhart greeted new pitcher C.J. Riefenhauser with a solid single up the middle to score Devin Lohman from second.
Despite allowing the then go-ahead run, Riefenhauser ended up picking up the win to improve to 3-0 on the year. The southpaw tossed a scoreless 1.1 innings, but allowed an inherited runner to score.
The two teams will square off in the rubber game of the series on Sunday night at 6:05 p.m. Josh Smith (5-6, 3.66) gets the start for Pensacola against Montgomery’s Jake Floethe (1-1, 6.00).
story by Kevin Burke
Wahoos Pound Biscuits 9-3
June 22, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos used a 15-hit attack to blast the Montgomery Biscuits 9-3 on Friday night at Riverwalk Stadium. Every member of the Wahoos lineup smacked at least one base hit in tying a franchise-high with the 15 base knocks.
Pensacola gave up an early run in the first inning but the offense turned the deficit into a lead in the top of the third against Montgomery starter Enny Romero (6-3). With the bases loaded, Yorman Rodriguez drew a walk to tie the game and was followed by Travis Mattair’s RBI single and Marquez Smith’s RBI fielder’s choice to push Pensacola in front 3-1.
The Biscuits quickly tied it in the last of the third on an RBI triple from Kevin Kiermaier, who then scored on a groundout from Robby Price to knot the game at three. That was the last rally Montgomery would muster against Wahoos starter Daniel Renken (2-5) who settled down to retire 10 straight from the third through the sixth inning.
Meanwhile, the Wahoos’ bats erupted to score in three straight innings from the fifth through the seventh. In the fifth, Mattair belted a solo homer out of the park to left field, his team-high eighth of the season, to give Pensacola a 4-3 lead. Mattair ended up going 3-for-4 on the night with two runs scored and two RBI.
An inning later, Matt Kennelly drove home Ryan LaMarre with a double and came around to score on a sac fly by Corey Wimberly to make it 6-3. Kennelly established a new career high with four hits on the night, scoring two runs and driving in one.
In the seventh inning, the first two Wahoos reached in front of Smith who smashed a two-run double down the left field line to give Pensacola a five-run advantage. Smith drove home three runs to increase his total to four in his five games with Pensacola.
The Wahoos added another run in the top of the ninth inning as Wimberly reached on a fielding error by first baseman Cameron Seitzer, allowing LaMarre to score to make the final margin 9-3.
Renken picked up his first win since April 8, his first start of the year, with six innings of work, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out six. Trevor Bell and Chris Manno combined to throw three scoreless innings out of the pen to nail down the win.
Romero took just his second loss in the last two months, both of which have come against Pensacola. He gave up four runs on six hits in five innings. Pensacola peppered the Biscuits bullpen for five runs on nine hits in four innings.
The Wahoos look to take the series on Saturday night behind Shaun Ellis (2-1, 3.38). Montgomery will counter with Victor Mateo (2-7, 6.51). First pitch from Riverwalk Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
story by Kevin Burke
Gindl Gets MLB Start
June 21, 2013
Molino’s Caleb Gindl made his first Major League start and looked for his first hit Thursday afternoon for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Gindl was up to bat in second, hitting a drive where it appeared Houston Astros’ center fielder Justin Maxwell was distracted by a padded support structure that juts onto the field. The baseball bounced out of Maxwell’s glove and two runners scored for a 2-0 Brewers leader. Gindl made it to third on what was ruled an error, not a hit.
The Astros went on to win 7-4 over the Brewers in Houston.
Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide To Play Baseball In Pensacola
June 21, 2013
The Pensacola Sports Association will host two NCAA Division I baseball games next spring. The University of Florida Gators will play the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles on Tuesday, March 4 and the Alabama Crimson Tide will play the Troy Trojans on Tuesday, March 25.
Both games will be played at the waterfront stadium at the Community Maritime Park. Tickets will be available beginning in December.
“This will be a great event to showcase our great city and beautiful waterfront ballpark,” commented Ray Palmer, PSA Executive Director. “All four of these programs have great support and a large alumni base in Northwest Florida. We feel these games will not only benefit our local sports fans, but will also be a sports tourism event for the area.”
“We are excited about the opportunity to bring our team to Pensacola for a game at a great waterfront ball park. It should be a good game between two good baseball programs. We have a couple players from the Pensacola area, so it will be nice to give them an opportunity to play in front of their family and friends. Also, we have a large Alabama fan base in that region of Florida, so it will give them an opportunity to come to the local ball park and support the Crimson Tide,” said University of Alabama Head Coach Mitch Gaspard.
“We are looking forward to our program having an opportunity to compete next spring in Pensacola against a quality Southern Miss baseball program. “We are excited to travel and play in front of the Gator Fans in Northwest Florida’s Panhandle and compete in a beautiful stadium, it should be a tremendous environment,” said University of Florida Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
Biscuits Edge Wahoos 3-1
June 21, 2013
The Montgomery Biscuits got home runs from Todd Glaesmann and Cameron Seitzer which proved to be enough as the home team evened the series with a 3-1 win over the Blue Wahoos on Thursday night at Riverwalk Stadium.
Montgomery starter Mike Colla held the Blue Wahoos to just one hit over his seven innings of work. The lone hit, however, was a solo home run by Theo Bowe in the third which tied the game at 1-1. It answered the Biscuits run from the bottom of the second when Seitzer scored from second base on a two-out single from Mark Thomas.
Glaesmann hit, what proved to be, the game winning home run leading off the bottom of the fourth before Seitzer belted his first home run of the season in the sixth.
Pensacola got its leadoff man on in each of the last two innings against Biscuits closer C.J. Riefenhauser (S, 10), but the Wahoos were kept off the scoreboard both frames. Yorman Rodriguez singled to leadoff the ninth, but was stranded at first when the next three batters were retired. Marquez Smith nearly tied the game with a deep fly out to the right field corner for the first out. Travis Mattair battled to extend the game, but he struck out after an 11 pitch at bat. The Montgomery closer finished off the game with a strikeout of Tucker Barnhart to nail down his 10th save of the season.
Ryan Dennick (L, 3-8) allowed all three Biscuits runs over his six innings. He walked just one and struck out five despite taking the loss. Colla (W, 2-0) picked up the win for the Biscuits. The Biscuits lefty walked three and struck out three over his seven one-hit innings of work.
Pensacola will try to bounce back on Friday night. RHP Daniel Renken (1-5, 3.88) will get the nod for the Wahoos against Biscuits LHP Enny Romero (6-2, 2.86). First pitch from Riverwalk Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
story by Kevin Burke
Pensacola Storm 10U Major Win 8th Tournament Title
June 21, 2013
The Pensacola Storm 10U Majors team won the North Florida Championship recently in Destin, their eighth first place tournament win out of 14 USSSA tournaments.
The Storm 10U team beat the West Florida Hammerheads 8-2 before defeating the Dirtbags of Montgomery 14-7. The wins gave the Storm the number one seed for the tournament.
On Sunday, the Storm beat the Dirtbags again in the semifinals 4-3 and then went on to win the North Florida Championship with a 9-4 victory over the Pace Mudcats. The tournament win gives the Pensacola Storm a USSSA 40-13 overall record.
Pictured top: (bottom, L-R) Aaron Noack, Josh Turner, Trenton Norton, Tanner Rouchon, (top, L-R) Jordan Jarman, Ian Ladieu, Jordan McCants, Damarius McGhee, Hunter Pierson, Coleman Dorsett and Jordan Peacock. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
New Districts Proposed For High School Baseball, Softball
June 20, 2013
New baseball and softball districts proposed last week by the Florida High School Athletic Association will mean some changes for several local schools.
The Tate Aggies and Navarre will move up to a new District 1-7A, along with Niceville, Crestview and Fort Walton Beach.
District 1-6A will drop to six teams without Tate and Navarre — Pine ForestEscambia, Milton, Pace, PHS and Washington.
The West Florida Jaguars and Catholic will be in District 1-4A along with Walton and Marianna.
The Northview Chiefs and Jay Royals will move into District 1-3A in Region 2 along with Baker, Chipley, Freeport and Holmes County.
Schools can appeal the new district alignments with the FHSAA until June 25.
Wahoos Open Second Half With Second Half Win 4-2 In Montgomery
June 20, 2013
Tim Crabbe dominated Montgomery Biscuits hitters over six innings helping the Blue Wahoos earn a 4-2 win to open the second half of the 2013 season Wednesday night from Riverwalk Stadium. Yorman Rodriguez, fresh up from Advanced-A Bakersfield, sparked the offense finishing a home run shy of the cycle with his 3-for-4 game in his Double-A debut.
After getting the leadoff man on for the third straight inning, Pensacola finally capitalized in the third. Luis Durango opened the inning with his second straight leadoff single. A batter later, Rodriguez tripled him home giving Pensacola an early 1-0 lead. Travis Mattair would plate Rodriguez from third later in the inning with an RBI groundout.
The Biscuits countered with a run in the bottom of the third, but it was the only run they would score off Crabbe. Pensacola opened up a three-run advantage with another pair of runs in the fifth. Again it was the top of the order getting it done for Wahoos. With one out, Durango drew a walk which started the rally. He scored when a throw from right field hit him in the back while he was sliding into third on a Rodriguez single. The ball got away allowing the speedy outfielder to scramble to his feet and head home. Marquez Smith then doubled into the left-center field alley plating Rodriguez from second making it a 4-1 Blue Wahoos lead.
The Biscuits would get their final run in seventh off Blue Wahoos reliever Drew Hayes. Riccio Torrez singled home Kyeong Kang from second, but Torrez was thrown out by Durango trying to stretch the one-out hit into a double. Hayes went on to retire the next four batters he faced to close out his two innings of work. Loek Van Mil (S, 6) shut down the Biscuits in the ninth, retiring them 1-2-3 for his sixth save of the season.
Rodriguez nearly launched his first home run as a Wahoo in the seventh. Initially ruled a solo homer, it was later changed to a ground-rule double when the umpires gathered and ruled the ball was wedged between a railing on top of the wall and pads.
Crabbe (W, 3-6) earned his first win for Pensacola since 5/5, also against Montgomery in Pensacola. He matched his season-high with seven strikeouts over six innings. He walked just two and allowed just two hits. Pensacola scored all four of their runs against Biscuits starter Jake Thompson (L, 6-7), though only three were earned. He took the loss after striking out seven over seven innings.
Pensacola looks to build on its win to open the second half on Thursday night. LHP Ryan Dennick (3-7, 3.13) is slated to start for the Wahoos against Biscuits RHP Michael Colla (1-0, 5.56). First pitch from Riverwalk Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
story by Kevin Burke
NEP Blue Wins Gospel Projects Tee Ball World Series (With Complete Scores)
June 19, 2013
NEP Blue won the Gospel Projects 2013 Tee Ball World Series Tuesday night in Milton. NEP Blue downed Pace in a close one, 30-28 for the championship.
Pace beat NEP Gold 23-14 for the Loser’s Bracket championship, and back on Saturday Molino beat Milton 33-21 for the consolation championship.
Here are complete scores:
WINNERS BRACKET
Thursday
- Tri-County American 22, Perdido 21
- Brent 40, Cantonment 19
- GP World 37, Molino 16
- Pace 29, Bellview 18
- Tri-County Nationals 27, East Milton 15
- NEP Gold 30, Navarre 8
- NEP Blue 23, Milton 10
- Myrtle Grove 28, GP American 13
Friday
- Brent 27, Tri-County American 12
- Pace 23, GP World 3
- NEP Gold 39, Tri-County National 18
- NEP Blue 29, Myrtle Grove 6
Saturday, Round One
- Pace 33, Brent 22
- NEP Blue 24, NEP Gold 21
Saturday Round Two
- NEP Blue 29, Pace 27
Tuesday Championship
- NEP Blue 30, Pace 28
LOSERS BRACKET
Friday
(Friday numeric scores were unavailable)
- Perido over Cantonment
- Bellview over Molino
- Navarre over East Milton
- GP Ameircan over Milton
Saturday
- Myrtle Grove 24, Perido 13
- Bellview 26, Tri County National 20
- GP World 35, Navarre 24
- Tri-County American 32, GP American 30
- Bellview 28, Myrtle Grove 11
- GP World 30, Tri County America 9
- Brent 33, Belleview 24
- NEP Gold 33, GP World 17
Monday
- NEP Gold 32, Brent 31
- Pace 23, NEP Gold 14
CONSOLATION BRACKET
- Milton 30, East Milton 29
- Molino 32, Cantonment 13
- Molino 33, Milton 21
Pictured top: Tee Ball World Series Champions NEP Blue. Pictured below: The Molino All-Stars. Pictured bottom: The Tri-County Nationals. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
