Smokies Make It Two In A Row Over Wahoos
April 27, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos threatened late against the Tennessee Smokies, but fell short 5-3 at Smokies Park in Kodak, Tenn. on Friday night. Tennessee has now won the first two games of the five-game series. Blue Wahoos manager Delino DeShields was ejected for the first time in 2013 when he argued an appeal play at first base in the fourth inning. First base umpire Matt McCoy ruled that Devin Lohman didn’t touch the base on what would have been a two-out double to left field.
Pensacola struck first in the second inning when Tucker Barnhart scored from first on an RBI double from Lohman. The Smokies scored two runs in the fourth inning to go ahead 2-1 and had the Wahoos playing catch up the rest of the way. Ty Wright came home for the first run when Rubi Silva reached on an error by Lohman at short stop. Rafael Lopez brought home the second run with an RBI single later in the inning.
The Smokies delivered a big blow in the sixth. With Jae-Hoon Ha aboard, Silva launched his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot, to make it a 4-1 Smokies lead.
Theo Bowe singled home Lohman in the seventh inning to chip away at the deficit. It was the first run batted in for Bowe on the season. Ryan LaMarre nearly tied the game, but his long fly ball to right-center field was flagged down on the warning track by Ha at full sprint to end the inning.
The Blue Wahoos answered a Smokies seventh-inning run when Brodie Greene singled home Steve Selsky to pull Pensacola back within two, but that was as close as Pensacola would get.
Daniel Renken (L, 1-2) took the loss after getting charged with two earned runs, four total, on six hits over 5.2 innings. He walked a season-high four batters and struck out two.
Alberto Cabrera (W, 3-1) earned the win for the Smokies with six strong innings. The Wahoos got to the Tennessee starter for one run on three hits. He walked three and fanned six. Trey McNutt (S, 2) worked the final four outs to pick up the save.
Pensacola and Tennessee continue the series at Smokies Park on Saturday night. The Blue Wahoos will send RHP Daniel Renken (1-1, 3.57 ERA) to the mound against Smokies LHP Eric Jokisch (3-0, 1.11 ERA). First pitch is slated for 5:15 p.m. CT.
story by David Burke
Escambia Academy Out Of AISA Playoffs With 2-Game Loss
April 26, 2013
Escambia Academy’s Alabama Independent School Association playoff hopes were dashed Thursday as the Cougars from Canoe, Ala., dropped two to Pike County Liberal Arts of Troy.
Pike won game one 11-1 and took the nightcap 16-1 in the best two of three series.
Escambia Academy was coming off a two-game sweep of Kingwood Christian in round one of the AISA playoffs.
Smokies Take Series Opener Over Pensacola’s Blue Wahoos 2-1
April 26, 2013
The Tennessee Smokies scored single runs in the second and third innings which proved to be enough as the Blue Wahoos dropped the series opener at Smokies Park 2-1.
The Smokies got on the board in the second inning taking advantage of a two-out walk to Jonathan Mota. A batter later, Rafael Lopez doubled him home to put Tennessee in front 1-0. The next inning, Ronald Torres tripled to open the third off Blue Wahoos starter Ryan Dennick. He scored on a base hit by Jae-Hoon Ha, which would prove to be the winning run.
Pensacola would break though with their only run of the game in the eighth inning. Ryan LaMarre scored from third on a wild pitch from Zac Rosscup. That was all the Blue Wahoos would get. Brian Schlitter (S, 1) retired Pensacola in order in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
LaMarre finished the game 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base. It was fifth multi-hit game of the season.
Despite another strong start, Dennick (L, 1-1) took the loss. He was charged with both Smokies runs. The lefty worked six innings with four strikeouts, two walks and five hits allowed.
Dallas Beeler (W, 2-2) allowed seven hits but shut out the Blue Wahoos over his seven innings to earn the win.
The Blue Wahoos look to even the series Friday night at Smokies Park. RHP Daniel Renken (1-1, 3.57) will start for Pensacola against Smokies RHP Alberto Cabrera (2-1, 4.63). First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m. CT.
story by Kevin Burke
District Losses For Northview, Tate
April 26, 2013
Both Northview and Tate came up short Thursday night in their homes for district championships, but both teams are still alive headed into the district semis as runner-ups.
District Finals Class 6A
The Tate Aggies had a taste of playing as the visiting team on their own field as the No. 2 sees as they faced the Pace Patriots in the District 1-6A title game.
The Aggies were first on the scoreboard with a base hit from David Moorhead that sent JT Granat in to score for a 1-0 Aggie lead. The Aggies stole home to make it all tied up 1-1 in the second.
The Patriots took at 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth and held on, as Pace beat Tate 2-1 for the tourney title.
Also Thursday night, Crestview beat Mosley 3-2.
It will be Tate at Crestview and Mosley at Pace when the regional tournament gets underway
District Finals Class 1A
In the Class 1A title games, the Northview Chiefs lost to Holmes County Bonifay 3-0 and Paxton beat Central 3-0. When the 1A regional semifinals get underway on May 7, Northview will travel to Paxton, and Central will travel to Bonifay to face Holmes County.
Tate, Pace Advance To 1-6A Title Game
April 25, 2013
The Tate Aggies and the Pace Patriots will face off for the District 1-6A title tonight.
The No. 1 seed Patriots beat Navarre Wednesday afternoon 5-3, while the No. 2. seed Aggies beat the Escambia Gators 5-2 in the semifinals.
Tonight’s District 1-6A game begins at 7::00 at Tate High School.
House Votes For Tighter Controls For FHSAA
April 25, 2013
The nearly century-old organization that oversees high school athletics in Florida may be entering its final years of eligibility.
The House approved a measure (HB 1279) on Wednesday, in a bi-partisan 89-26 vote, that gives student-athletes more flexibility as to where they play and requires the Florida High School Athletic Association to more closely follow the wishes of the Legislature or be replaced.
The Senate must still take up the measure, either taking up the House bill on the floor or take up a nearly similar proposal (SB 1164) offered by Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland.
Backers of the changes say the overhaul is needed as the FHSAA has used its authority in an arbitrary manner that has overreached when investigating student eligibility and claim the measure could help prevent some students from dropping out by expanding athletic opportunities.
“One hundred years of being an organization doesn’t make you right, it does make you powerful,” said Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City.
Opponents contend the matter is a “playground fight” that has been elevated to the Capitol chambers by Lakeland-area lawmakers due to fines imposed against Lakeland High School after students were ruled ineligible to play for infractions ranging from falsifying addresses to receiving impermissible benefits that included free rent.
The opponents say the legislation will also invite frequent transfers, and force administrators and teachers to continually readjust academic plans for students who jump campus to campus.
“This is an awful, awful bill,” said Rep. Kevin Rader, D-Delray Beach. “It’s important we have a good athletic association. To turn it upside down and make it a free agency is something that is disgusting.”
The measure places new restrictions on investigations by the FHSAA, expands the ability for students to transfer schools during the school year, alters the makeup of the board of directors, would give school districts more say over athletic regulations in each county, and sets a 2017 date to sunset the 93-year-old organization.
The overhaul gives charter and home school students more opportunities to play for public and private school teams, gives students the right to try out at schools for a sport that is not offered by their own school, and expands representation on the FHSAA board to charter school, home school and non-public school members and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association.
“We’re not messing with anything that we’re not already messing with currently in law,” Stargel said. “We already set up who the board is. We have the authority to set up who the board is. We already have the ability to dictate bylaws. We’re not changing that now.”
The bill also requires the Legislature to replace the FHSAA by July 2017. If no replacement is found, the commissioner of education could extend the deadline by four years.
By The News Service of Florida
Five-Run Seventh Pushes Pensacola’s Wahoos Past Jackson
April 25, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos broke open a 3-3 tie with a five-run seventh against the Jackson bullpen and went on beat the Generals 8-4 on Wednesday afternoon. The win gave Pensacola its second series victory of the season, but just its first since the opening homestand against Tennessee.
The Wahoos used a balanced attack to batter a beleaguered Jackson pitching staff. Eight of the nine Pensacola starters recorded at least one base knock with three players driving in multiple runs.
Theo Bowe started the decisive seventh inning with a one-out double, his second of the game, and came around to score the go-ahead run on a Brodie Greene single. Donald Lutz then provided the biggest blow of the frame with a two-run triple to center to open up a three-run cushion. Steve Selsky added an RBI single and scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch.
It was Pensacola’s second big inning of the game as the Wahoos erased an early 2-0 deficit with a three-run third, thanks in part to two Jackson errors. The Wahoos got an RBI single from Ryan LaMarre, a bases-loaded walk from Greene and a sac fly from Selsky to take a 3-2 lead.
Jackson tied the game at three with a Steven Proscia solo homer in the sixth off Chad Rogers, but the Wahoos immediately responded with the five-run seventh to take the lead for good.
Rogers earned his second win of the season by going seven strong frames, yielding three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out five.
Moises Hernandez took his second loss of the series for the Generals as he gave up four runs in just one-third of an inning. Starter James Gillheeney went six innings for Jackson and gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits before departing with the game tied.
Now halfway through their 10-game road trip, the Blue Wahoos trek across the state of Tennessee to open a five-game series with the Tennessee Smokies tomorrow night. Ryan Dennick (1-0, 2.65) will start for the Wahoos against Tennessee righty Dallas Beeler (1-2, 4.07). First pitch from Smokies Park is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.
Escambia Academy Advances in AISA Playoffs
April 25, 2013
Escambia Academy have advanced to the second round of the Alabama Independent School Association playoffs.
The Cougars swept Kingwood Christian behind strong pitching and timely hitting with wins of 8-2 and 6-0. Michael Thompson pitched in the first game, striking out 14 and allowing only one hit. Reid Bell pitched the second game, striking out 16 and allowing six hits.
Hitters for Escambia Academy were Helton 1-7, Bell 2-5, Thompson 3-7, McAnally 1-3, Sawyer 3-5, Gorum 1-5, and Clark 2-5.
Thursday games will be at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., with another game on Friday, if needed.
District Baseball Roundup: Wins For Northview, Tate; Loss For WFHS
April 24, 2013
Here’s a look at district baseball playoff scores from across the area Tuesday:
In District 2-1A tournament action at Baker, the Northview Chiefs defeated Freeport 4-2, and Bonifay downed Baker 4-0. No 1. seed Bonifay will face No 1. Northview Thursday for the district championship.
In District 1-6A play at Tate, the Tate Aggies beat Pine Forest 4-2, and Pace downed Washington 6-5 in eight innings. Pace will play Navarre at 4 p.m. today, and Tate will play Escambia at 7 p.m. in the District 1-6A semifinals.
And in District 1-5A, No. 2 seed West Florida fell to Gulf Breeze 8-4, and Rutherford slammed Arnold 10-0. No. 1 seed Rutherford will play No. 3 Gulf Breeze on Thursday at Arnold.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Generals Down The Pensacola Blue Wahoos 2-1 In 13 Innings
April 24, 2013
Blue Wahoos outfielder Ryan LaMarre homered on the third pitch of the game to give the Blue Wahoos their only run of the game in a 2-1 loss in 13 innings at the Ballpark in Jackson on Tuesday night. The home run was LaMarre’s first of the season.
After that, the Blue Wahoos never got another runner past second base in the game. Generals starter Chance Ruffin surrendered only four hits and the one run over seven innings. He struck out seven and walked two, but didn’t get a decision.
The Generals tied the game in the fifth inning, cashing in on a leadoff triple from Jack Marder. He scored on a groundout to second base by Gabriel Noriega to even the game at 1-1. That was the only run Wahoos starter Tim Crabbe would allow in his seven innings of work.
Pensacola played some great defense as the Wahoos and Generals traded zeros until the 13th inning. Steve Selsky prevented the game winning run from scoring in the 10th inning with a strike to catcher Tucker Barnhart from right field to nail Brandon Bantz at the plate for the second out of the frame. Brantz tried to jar the ball loose from Barnhart but the Wahoos backstop held on to keep the game tied.
Jackson finally broke through with a two-out double to left-center field by Abraham Almonte to score the winning run from third in the bottom of the 13th to end the game against reliever Josh Ravin. Ravin (L, 0-1) was tagged with the loss allowing the run after recording two outs in his only inning of work. Nick Hill (W, 1-1) pitched two perfect innings in relief to earn the win.
Both bullpens pitched well. Shaun Ellis, Lee Hyde and Drew Hayes all combined to work five scoreless innings for Pensacola. Jonathan Arias, Tyler Burgoon and Hill allowed just one hit over six shutout innings in relief for Jackson.
The two teams wrap up the series on Wednesday. RHP Chad Rogers (1-0, 2.04) will start for Pensacola against LHP James Gilheeney (2-0, 1.10) for Jackson. First pitch is set for 11:05 a.m. from the Ballpark in Jackson.
story by Kevin Burke