Scientists Discover New Fish Species In Escambia, Perdido Rivers
June 29, 2013
Scientists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have uncovered a new species of black bass in area waters, including the Escambia and Perdido rivers.
FWC scientists first noted a DNA profile that did not belong to any recognized species while testing a bass specimen from the Chipola River in 2007, as part of a broader genetic study of bass.
“We didn’t set out to find a new species,” said Mike Tringali, who heads the genetics laboratory at the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. “It found us.”
After confirming the initial discovery, scientists searched for the DNA profile in bass caught in nearby rivers to determine the species’ range. They found that the Choctaw bass inhabits coastal river systems in Alabama and along the western Florida panhandle. The Choctaw bass has been confirmed in the Escambia, Perdido, Conecuh, Choctawhatchee, Yellow and Blackwater rivers.
“We chose the name ‘Choctaw bass’ because the species’ range overlaps the historic range of the Choctaw Indians,” said Tringali. “As for our recommended scientific name, Micropterus haiaka, ‘haiaka’ is a Choctaw word that means ‘revealed’.” The American Fisheries Society must approve the suggested scientific name for it to take effect.
The Choctaw bass is very similar in appearance to its relative, the spotted bass. The physical differences between the two species are not easily seen with the naked eye, one reason they had never before been distinguished despite decades of bass studies in the region.
Now that this native bass is known, scientists want to ensure the population remains healthy by implementing the best possible conservation management practices. Ironically, the biggest conservation threat to the Choctaw bass may come from its cousins, spotted bass and Alabama bass.
Typically, Choctaw bass have been found in the upper reaches of rivers and streams where sediment accumulates, avoiding stream headwaters and tidal zones found closer to the coast. As of late 2012, everywhere Choctaw bass had been collected, spotted bass and Alabama bass were absent.
Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Beat The Braves 7-6
June 29, 2013
Devin Lohman launched a leadoff homer in the first inning, setting the stage for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos’ 7-6 victory over the Mississippi Braves on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 5,038 at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. Combined with Jacksonville’s loss to Mobile, Pensacola moved back into a tie for the first place through the first 10 games of the second half.
Lohman’s dinger was part of a two-run first inning for Pensacola. Yorman Rodriguez reached on an error and came around to score on a double from Marquez Smith to make it 2-0. After Mississippi tied the game on a Mycal Jones RBI double in the top of the second, Pensacola rallied for five straight runs.
In the second inning, Devin Lohman brought home his second run of the day on a two-out single scoring Ryan LaMarre to make it 3-1. The power returned in the last of the third, as Donald Lutz singled to set up a two-run blast from Smith, his second in as many days. Two batters later, Travis Mattair mashed his team-leading 11th homer of the year to left-center to push Pensacola’s lead to 6-1. The solo shot was also Mattair’s third round-tripper in the last four games.
All of the runs in the first three frames were charged to Braves starter Aaron Northcraft (3-6). The right-hander gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits, three of which were long balls. The Mississippi bullpen stopped the bleeding by allowing just one run over the final five at-bats for Pensacola.
Pensacola tacked on what turned out to be an important insurance run, though, in the fourth when Lutz singled home Lohman who had walked earlier in the frame.
Josh Smith (6-6) picked up the win for the Wahoos by keeping the Braves at bay through six frames. He allowed just one run while scattering five hits.
Once Smith exited, though, the Braves made things interesting against the Pensacola bullpen. Trailing by six entering the seventh, Mississippi strung together three one-out hits, culminating in a Dan Brewer three-run homer to slice the deficit in half at 7-4 against Wilkin De La Rosa.
Mississippi cut the lead to just one in the eighth inning but putting two on with one out. Barrett Kleinknecht brought home a run with a sac fly against Jamie Walczak, who was replaced by Trevor Bell. The Pensacola closer’s first offering went straight to the backstop, allowing Emerson Landoni to scamper home, making it a 7-6 game.
Bell retired the last batter of the eighth inning before closing the door on Mississippi in the ninth for his third save of the year.
Having won back-to-back series for the first time all year, Pensacola travels to Jacksonville to start a five-game series against the Suns at 6:05 p.m. CT. Chad Rogers (3-2, 2.09) will get the start for the Blue Wahoos against the Suns’ Robert Morey (3-4, 4.73).
story by Kevin Burke
Tate Grad Hoffman Signs Golf Scholarship With Faulkner
June 28, 2013
Tate High School 2013 graduate Jared Hoffman has signed a scholarship to play golf at Faulkner University in Montgomery. Hoffman is pictured with Athletic Director David Venettozzi. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Braves Slip By Wahoos
June 28, 2013
The Mississippi Braves took their second straight game against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 3-2, on Thursday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium in front of a capacity crowd of 5,038. It was the 15th sellout of the season. Despite the loss, the Blue Wahoos remain just a game out of first place behind the Jacksonville Suns.
Daniel Renken got the start for Pensacola and gave up a solo homer to Jose Martinez with two outs in the first inning to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. Renken settled down in the next couple frames before the Wahoos tied it up in the last of the third on an RBI groundout from Yorman Rodriguez.
Mississippi took the lead for good, though, in the fourth. After a leadoff walk to Edward Salcedo, Christian Marrero blasted an RBI double to right-center to put the Braves on top 2-1. Marrero would come around to score on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Barrett Kleinknecht.
Pensacola would get a run right back in the last of the fourth inning on a leadoff homer from Marquez Smith, his first blast as a Blue Wahoo. That would be all of the offense though, as neither team would scratch across a run in the final five frames.
The Wahoos had the tying run in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings but weren’t able to push across the tying tallies against the best pitching staff in the league. Gus Schlosser (6-2) picked up the victory for Mississippi by allowing just two runs on five hits in five innings. James Hoyt, Andrew Russell, and Mark Lamm allowed just one hit over the final four frames with Lamm picking up his 10th save of the year.
Renken fell to 2-6 for the Wahoos, despite a quality start. He allowed three runs on five hits in six innings while striking out six.
In his return to Pensacola, outfielder Donald Lutz picked up two hits to lead the Wahoos’ offense. Yorman Rodriguez singled in the fifth to extend his Double-A hitting streak to nine games and overall hitting streak (combined with High-A Bakersfield) to 18 games.
The two teams will square off in the rubber match of the five-game set on Friday night. Josh Smith (5-6, 3.65) gets the call for Pensacola against Mississippi’s Aaron Northcraft (3-5, 3.86).
story by Kevin Burke
Braves Drop Wahoos 8-3
June 27, 2013
Barrett Kleinknecht launched a three-run homer in the top of the seventh, capping the Mississippi Braves’ second straight four-run frame in an 8-3 win over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Wednesday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Pensacola entered the sixth inning with a 1-0 lead and starter Ryan Dennick cruising through five frames. He retired the first batter he faced in the sixth, but would not set down another hitter in his outing. After Christian Bethancourt walked, Jose Martinez hit a ground ball to third baseman Travis Mattair who had trouble corralling the ball and overthrew the first baseman Marquez Smtih, allowing Bethancourt to score from first on the error.
Edward Salcedo then drove home Martinez with a double to left and came around to score on Jaime Pedroza single, putting the Braves on top 3-1. Dennick departed after another single by Omar Luna and gave way to Shaun Ellis. The right-hander issued a two-out bases loaded walk to pinch-hitter Kyle Russell to push Mississippi’s lead to 4-1.
An inning later, the Braves strung together three two-out hits as Pedroza collected an RBI single and Kleinknecht put the game out of reach with his three-run blast off Ellis.
Dennick (3-9) ended up taking the loss. The southpaw pitched five scoreless before giving up the four runs in the sixth. Overall, he allowed four runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings.
Pensacola jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a Travis Mattair solo homer in the last of the fourth inning. It was Mattair’s team-leading 10th blast of the year and his second in as many days.
The Wahoos scratched across a pair of runs in the last of the seventh on an RBI triple Ryan LaMarre and an RBI single by Brodie Greene, but they wouldn’t threaten the rest of the night.
Chason Shreve (3-1) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief for Mississippi. Starter Ian Thomas allowed a run on three hits in four frames, not going long enough for the win.
The series continues on Thursday as the Wahoos and Braves tangle in the fourth game of the five-game set. Daniel Renken (2-5, 3.93) takes the mound for Pensacola against Mississippi’s Gus Schlosser (5-2, 2.35) with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.
story by Kevin Burke
Molino 12U Allstars Win Tourney
June 26, 2013
The Molino 12U team beat NEP 12-10 Tuesday night to win the GCYBA District Allstars Championship in Navarre. Team members are (front, L-R) Tanner Jackson, Carson Daniels, Spencer Newton, Spencer St. Cyr, Nick Venable, (middle row) Brett Fillingim, Tanner Deese, Taylor Meacham, Caleb Abney and Issac Kelly. Coaches (back, L-R) are Jerry Venable, Larry Meacham, Ken Daniels, James Newton and Mark Jackson. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Molino’s Gindl Goes 2-4, Has First Major League RBI
June 26, 2013
Molino’s Caleb Gindl of the Milwaukee Brewers went 2 for 4 Tuesday night against Chicago Cubs and had his first Major League RBI.
The Brewers trailed, 3-1, entering the fifth, but Rickie Weeks started the scoring with an RBI double into the left-center-field gap, scoring Juan Francisco all the way from first base.
Weeks then took third on a Edwin Jackson wild pitch, and Gindl tied the game with his first Major League RBI, a liner up the middle past a diving Darwin Barney. KyleLohse bunted Gindl to second before Norichika Aoki walked to set up a run-scoring double from Jean Segura and a two-run single from Jonathan Lucroy, putting Milwaukee ahead, 6-3.
The Brewers went on to a 9-3 win against the National League Central-rival Cubs at Miller Park.
Pensacola Rolls Past Mississippi
June 26, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos rallied from a 3-0 fifth-inning deficit, scoring seven unanswered runs over four straight at-bats in a 7-3 triumph over the Mississippi Braves on Tuesday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Pensacola won for the first time after trailing by three or more runs this season. Down 3-0 halfway through the game, the Wahoos started the comeback with a two-run double in the last of the fifth by Brodie Greene, cutting the Braves lead to one.
Travis Mattair provided the deciding blow in the contest for Pensacola, breaking out of a 0-for-16 skid in the sixth inning. With the Wahoos trailing 3-2, Yorman Rodriguez singled with one out in front of Mattair, who launched his team-leading ninth homer of the season to left-center field off Mississippi starter Michael Lee, putting Pensacola on top 4-3. Lee fell to 3-6 by allowing four runs on six hits in six frames for the Braves.
The Wahoos added two more runs in the last of the seventh inning against Major League rehabber Cristhian Martinez. Ryan LaMarre led off with a walk, stole second base, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a balk by Martinez to make it 5-3. Devin Lohman drove home Pensacola’s sixth run of the day with a two-out single scoring Greene.
In the eighth, Mattair led off with a single and came around on a LaMarre base knock to give Pensacola a four-run cushion. That was more than enough for Trevor Bell, who picked up his second save of the season by tossing the final two frames to shut the door on the Braves.
Wahoos starter Tim Crabbe retired the first 10 batters of the game before allowing a solo homer to Christian Bethancourt in the top of the fourth inning to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. An inning later, Mississippi had runners on second and third with one when Dan Brewer chopped a ball to Mattair at third. Mattair threw home to catcher Tucker Barnhart, who dropped the ball when he was run over by Barrett Kleinknecht. The ball trickled away allowing Kleinknecht and Mycal Jones to score, opening up a 3-0 lead.
Crabbe exited after five innings, not factoring in the decision. The right-hander allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits while striking out three. Josh Ravin (1-2) picked up the win for Pensacola out of the bullpen by firing two scoreless innings, facing the minimum six hitters in the sixth and seventh innings.
Winners of three in a row for only the second time all season, Pensacola looks for a season-long four-game winning streak and a series win against Mississippi on Wednesday night. Ryan Dennick (3-8, 3.23) will get the ball for the Wahoos against Braves southpaw Ian Thomas (3-4, 2.70). First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
story by Kevin Burke
Wahoos Walk Off Over Braves 3-2
June 25, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos entered the ninth inning with just two hits on the night, but the Wahoos strung together three straight one-out knocks, culminating on Theo Bowe’s two-runwalk-off triple to give the Wahoos a thrilling 3-2 win over the Mississippi Braves on Monday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Facing Braves closer Mark Lamm, Devin Lohman reached on a single with one out before Yorman Rodriguez followed with a bloop single off the glove of the shortstop Jaime Pedroza. Bowe, pinch-hitting for the pitcher, laced a first pitch fastball into the right field corner scoring Lohman from second and Rodriguez all the way from first to give the Wahoos their third walk-off win of the season. It was Bowe’s second triple of the year and 12th and 13th RBI.
The game featured two phenomenal pitching performances. In his first start since June 2, Pensacola’s Chad Rogers allowed just a first-inning run on an Edward Salcedo RBI single in four innings of work. Having just come off the DL earlier in the day, Rogers didn’t miss a beat as he struck out six and retired the final eight batters he faced.
Jamie Walczak entered in the fifth inning and retired the first six batters he faced before allowing a one-out double in the seventh inning. He ended up allowing just the one hit in three innings while striking out five.
Meanwhile, Braves starter Mitch Atkins tossed a two-hit gem over seven innings. Both of the hits came from Marquez Smith, who doubled in the fifth and scored on a sac fly from Ray Chang to knot the game at one. Atkins struck out seven in a season-long seven innings.
The game was tied at one after seven frames before pinch-hitter Dan Brewer led off the eighth with a single against Pensacola reliever Drew Hayes. A sac bunt and groundout moved Brewer to third with two outs before Christian Marrero was intentionally walked up to set up a matchup between Hayes and Salcedo. The Braves’ third baseman lifted a ball down the right field line that landed on the chalk for an RBI double. Wahoos’ second baseman Brodie Greene picked up the ball and gunned down Marrero trying to score all the way from first for the final out, keeping the lead at just one.
Hayes (2-1) picked up the win for the Wahoos, allowing a run on three hits in two innings. Hayes combined with Rogers and Walczak to strike out 12 Mississippi hitters, tying a season-high for a nine-inning game. Lamm (3-3) took the loss while blowing just his second save in 11 chances this season.
Having won back-to-back games for the first time since a doubleheader on June 6, the Wahoos look to tie their season-long winning streak of three games with a victory on Tuesday night. Tim Crabbe (3-6, 3.36) gets the ball for Pensacola against Mississippi’s Michael Lee (3-5, 4.38). First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
story by Kevin Burke
Cantonment 14U Pony Team Wins GCYBA District Allstars Championship
June 24, 2013
The Cantonment 14U Pony team brought home their second straight GCYBA District Allstars Championship Sunday. Cantonment beat Myrtle Grove 8-2 in Navarre to remain undefeated in the tourney to win the championship.
Team members are Clay Ryland, Corey Ryland , Money Purifoy , Josh Neese , Corey Grim, Quentin Sampson , Nickey Johnson, Travis Delacruz , Rod Smith and Chris Geoghagan. Coaches are Chris Ryland, Mike Neese, Wonder Purifoy , Barry Gunter and Ritchie Grim.
Pictured: Cantonment 14U Pony team celebrates their GCYBA District Allstars Championship win. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.