Blue Wahoos Drop To Jacksonville Before Capacity Crowd
April 20, 2012
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell to the Jacksonville Suns 4-3 Thursday night before a capacity crowd of 5,038 — the seventh full house this year out of 10 home contests.
The large crowd almost certainly guarantees the Blue Wahoos will continue to lead the Southern League in attendance, as they came into tonight’s contest best in that category, averaging 4,799 fans per contest.
Jacksonville won the series 4-1 after winning each of the final four games after dropping the first contest to Pensacola 2-1.
The Suns got out to an early 2-0 lead in the first, but the Blue Wahoos tied it at 2-2 after a sacrifice fly from 3B Henry Rodriguez, while 2B Brodie Greene led off the second with a single and subsequently scored on RF Yordanys Perez’s RBI double. Jacksonville however, made it 4-2 after solo home runs from C Kyle Skipworth and LF Ryan Patterson. The Blue Wahoos narrowed the margin to one from C Mark Fleury brought home Guzman but were held scoreless after that point.
SS Didi Gregorius (2-3, 1 R, 1 SO) extended his hit streak to eight games with his fifth multi-hit effort of the year, while CF Ryan LaMarre (2-4, 1 BB, 1 SO) and 1B Joel Guzman (2-4, 1 R) also collected two hits.
Blue Wahoos starter J.C. Sulbaran (6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO) suffered the loss despite fanning a team season-high 11 batters, allowing three earned runs on six hits in six frames. Suns RHP Omar Poveda (5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO) earned the win after giving up three earned runs on eight hits in five innings, while reliever A.J. Ramos (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO) notched his first save of the season after allowing a scoreless ninth inning.
Pensacola now heads on the road for a ten-game road trip, with stops in Montgomery and Jacksonville. The Blue Wahoos will begin their five-game series in Montgomery with the Biscuits on Friday night at 7:05 pm, with the Blue Wahoos expected to send RHP Pedro Villarreal to the mound. The Biscuits have yet to announce who will oppose Villarreal in tonight’s contest.
Jacksonville Edges The Pensacola Blue Wahoos
April 19, 2012
Jacksonville right fielder Kyle Jensen and catcher Kyle Skipworth both homered, while the Suns thwarted a Pensacola comeback attempt led by a trio of longballs and shortstop Didi Gregorius’ four hits to top the Blue Wahoos 8-7. With the win, the Suns clinched a series victory on Wednesday night at Pensascola’s bayfront stadium.
Jensen led off the second with his longball, while Skipworth left the yard in the following frame to help push the Suns to an early 4-0 advantage. Pensacola brought the contest to within one run when second baseman Brodie Greene deposited a 2-0 pitch over the left field wall with two men on for his first roundtripper of the season.
After the Suns plated two runs in the sixth, the Blue Wahoos roared back with a three-run seventh to draw the contest even. Center fielder Ryan LaMarre began the inning with a solo home run to right center, while first baseman Joel Guzman went deep later in the frame with a two-run blast to even the score.
Jacksonville again answered with a pair of tallies in the eighth to grab back the lead at 8-6, but Pensacola did not go down quietly in the final frame. Gregorius singled and moved to third on third baseman Henry Rodriguez’s single, before he was brought home on Guzman’s sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one. Greene then singled to place the tying run in scoring position for pinch hitter Mark Fleury, who fought hard in an eight pitch at bat but was called out on strikes to end the contest.
Suns reliever Joshua Schmidt (0.2 IP, 1 SO) earned his first victory of the season, while Blue Wahoos RHP Drew Hayes (1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB) suffered the loss to fall to 0-2 on the year. Jacksonville closer Evan Reed (2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 SO) pitched the final two frames to notch the save, his fourth of the year.
Gregorius’ (4-5, 3 R) four-hit game was his second of the season after accomplishing that feat less than a week earlier, while LaMarre (2-5, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI), Rodriguez (2-5, 1 R, 1 2B), Greene (2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI) and right fielder P.J. Phillips (2-4) all collected multi-hit efforts in the loss. Jacksonville shortstop Chris Gutierrez (2-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB) was the lone Suns hitter to tally a multi-hit contest, adding two runs and two RBI.
Pensacola and Jacksonville will meet Thursday night in the final game of the five-game series, with first pitch set for 7:00 pm. The Blue Wahoos are slated to send RHP J.C. Sulbaran to the hill, while the Suns are expected to hand the ball to RHP Omar Poveda.
Thursday night’s contest will be the first Thirsty Thursday of the season, with domestic drafts on sale for $2 dollars, while 12 ounce canned sodas will be $1 dollar. The Fur Circus, featuring three circus-themed mascots, will also be on hand for the second night in a row to perform before and during the game.
By Andrew Green
Pictured: Shortstop Didi Gregorius had four hits in Pensacola’s 8-7 loss to the Suns Wednesday night. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Ernest Ward, Ransom Middle Schools Track
April 18, 2012
Ernest Ward Middle and Ransom Middle school boys and girls recently competed in a track meet at Bellview Middle School in Pensacola.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Results from the meet were not provided by the host school.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Suns Shut Out Wahoos 7-0
April 18, 2012
Jacksonville third baseman Shane Bowman collected three hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs to push the Suns past the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in a rain-shortened 7-0 shutout on Tuesday evening at Pensacola’s multi-use stadium.
The game was called following the first pitch of the ninth inning, when home plate umpire and crew chief Spencer Flynn called for the grounds crew to cover the field with the tarp. Officially the game ended after eight frames, with Jacksonville taking a 2-1 lead in the series.
Bowman (3-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI) brought home runs with a run-scoring single in the third, a two-run base knock in the fifth and a solo home run in the seventh as he led all hitters with three hits. It was the second night in a row Bowman left the yard, as he tied last night’s contest at 4-4 with a solo home run to left in the seventh.
Pensacola RHP Daniel Corcino (4.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO) suffered the loss to fall to 0-1 on the year after allowing two earned runs on three hits, while Jacksonville RHP Zach Neal (7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 7 SO) earned the win after yielding six hits while fanning seven in seven shutout innings pitched.
Blue Wahoos RF Yordanys Perez (3-3) accounted for half of the club’s six hits, collecting three hits in his first multi-hit game of his professional career.
Pensacola and Jacksonville will meet again Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 pm. RHP Tim Crabbe is slated to get the ball for the Blue Wahoos, while the Suns are expected to send LHP Graham Taylor to the mound.
By Andrew Green
Yordanys Perez had three hits in Pensacola’s 7-0 loss to the Jacksonville Suns Tuesday night. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Flomaton Downs Northview; Canes Headed Into Playoffs
April 17, 2012
The Flomaton Hurricanes wrapped up their regular season with a 2-0 win over the Northview Chiefs Monday night in Bratt.
The Hurricanes ended the season with a 23-4 record as they prepare for the state playoff series beginning Friday.
The winning pitcher for Flomaton was James Dean (5-0), pitching four while striking out six, walking two and allowing no hits. Jacob Newton pitched two for FHS, strikingo out three, walking one and allowing no hits, while Hunter Bonds allowed one in one inning on the mound.
Hunger Rigby took the loss for the Chiefs.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
The Northview Chiefs have one regular season game remaining Thursday at 6 p.m. at Pensacola High School. And the Flomaton Hurricanes will host the first round of the playoffs against Zion Chapel at 4:30 and 6:30 on Friday.
Flomaton: Hunter Bonds SB; James Dean 2-4 2B, 1B R; Zack Watson SB; Jacob Newton 1-3 1B R; Cody Nolan 1-1 1B; Nick Sutton 1-2 1B.
Pictured: Flomaton traveled to Bratt Monday. NorthEscambia.com photos by Taylor Rigby, click to enlarge.
Locals Run Boston Marathon
April 17, 2012
Several North Escambia area runners took part in the Boston Marathon Monday, with the locals led by Eric Kujawski of Pensacola and Matthew Dobson of Jay.
Kujawski, 37, finished 1,338th overall in the 116th Boston Marathon with a time of 3:14:52. Dobson, 42, finished at number 1,480 overall, with a time of 3:16:32. Dobson is no stranger to the event; he finished the 2004 Boston Marathon 49th overall out of 20,000 runners and was the 16th fastest American.
The overall winner was Welsey Korir, a citizen of Kenya and resident of the United States, with a time of 2:12:40.
North Escambia area runners taking part in Monday’s Boston Marathon were:
- 1338 — Eric Kujawski, 37, Pensacola, 3:14:52
- 1480 — Matthew Dobson, 42, Jay, 3:16:32
- 1828 — Jeremy Lloyd, 32, Pace, 3:20:10
- 1836 — Paul Epstein, 46, Pensacola, 3:20:10
- 3799 — Mark W. Rice, 51, Atmore, 3:35:32
- 4643 — Scott Winnier, 44, Pensacola, 3:40:20
- 9649 — Hank Colburn, 46, Cantonment, 4:05.16
- 10,601 — Jeannette Boyum, 43, Pensacola, 4:10.12
- 10,602 — Rodney D. Boyum, 43, Pensacola, 4:10:12
- 11,263 — Wayne A. Bennet, Jr., 54, Milton, 4:13:41
- 12,150 – Marguerite Mogul, 42, Pensacola, 4:18.28
- 14,092 –Gail Fry, 44, Pensacola, 4:29:32
- 14,095 — Michael Fry, 64, Pensacola, 4:29:33
- 19,635 — Deena M. Crooke, 50, Pensacola, 5:31:04
Lady Chiefs Out Of District Tourney; Jay Royals Play Tonight
April 17, 2012
The Northview Lady Chiefs lost Monday to the Chipley Tigers, 1-0, in the FHSAA Class 1A District 2 Tournament at Baker School.
Chipley advances to play the No. 1 seed Jay Lady Royals (9-1 in district play) at 4 p.m. Tuesday. The winner advances to the championship game Thursday at 6 p.m.
The Lady Chiefs finished the season at 10-9 overall, 4-6 in regular season district play.
Jacksonville Tops Wahoos 5-4 In 13 Innings Monday Night
April 17, 2012
Jacksonville center fielder Jose Duarte scored from third on a wild pitch in the 13th inning as the Suns defeated the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 5-4 in front of 4,457 on Monday night at Pensacola’s multi-use stadium.
Duarte led off the frame with a single before first baseman Jaime Ortiz reached on a base knock and left fielder Jake Smolinski walked to load the bases with no outs. After retiring the first two batters, catcher Kyle Skipworth went down in the count 0-2 before a wild pitch sent in Duarte for what proved to be the game-winning score.
The Blue Wahoos got off to a hot start, grabbing a 4-1 lead with five consecutive hits to begin their half of the first frame, thanks in part to a two-run double from third baseman Henry Rodriguez and an RBI double from Mike Costanzo. Costanzo extended his hit streak to seven games with the knock and has also reached base in ten straight contests.
The Suns chipped away at the deficit with a pair of longballs, including a two-run homer from second baseman Paul Gran in the sixth, and a solo shot from third baseman Shawn Bowman in the following frame. Gran recorded five hits in the contest after entering the game with seven hits in his first nine games of the season.
Pensacola reliever Luis Atilano (3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO) suffered the loss to fall to 0-1 after allowing an earned run on two hits in three innings of relief, while Jacksonville LHP Wade Korpi (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 SO) earned the victory to improve to 1-1 on the year after giving up just one hit in his scoreless frame. RHP Chris Squires (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO) notched his first save of the season, yielding just one hit in the last inning.
The Blue Wahoos and Suns will meet again Tuesday night for the third game of the five-game series, with first pitch set for 7:00 pm. Pensacola is scheduled to send RHP Daniel Corcino to the hill, while RHP Zach Neal is expected to toe the rubber for the Suns.
By Andrew Green
Sparta Downs Atmore Christian
April 17, 2012
Atmore Christian School lost to Sparta of Evergreen, Ala., on Monday, 11-4. The junior varsity game between ACS and Sparta was canceled due to rain.
Pictured: Atmore Christian School takes on Sparta in Evergreen, Ala., on Monday. Submitted photos by Alisa Hart for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola To Host Florida College Softball Championship
April 17, 2012
The Pensacola Sports Association (PSA) in coordination with the City of Pensacola Department of Neighborhood Services, and Pensacola State College will host the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) Women’s Fast Pitch Softball Championship. This is the second year of a four-year contract.
From April 27 to April 29, 16 teams from across the state who have qualified for the state tournament will make their way to Pensacola to compete for the opportunity to advance to the national tournament. This championship actually consists of two district tournaments and a state championship game. The two district champions will advance to play for the national championship in St. George, Utah.
“We are again excited to host this event. We have one year of experience under our belts and we are using that experience to further enhance the event for both the student-athlete and the spectators,” said PSA Executive Director Ray Palmer. “I also predict an even larger crowd of family and friends traveling to support the teams as we heard a lot of very positive comments from the teams last year, many who had never visited our part of the state and who were looking to returning and telling their friends and families about our area.”
Exchange Park will host all the games at its newly renovated four-field complex. Recent upgrades including new field fences, expanded field lengths, dugouts, paint, field work, and remodeled air-conditioned bathrooms.
“The City of Pensacola welcomes the 16 best Florida state college softball teams on April 26-29 at the newly renovated Exchange Park Softball Facility,” commented Pensacola Athletic Superintendent Buddy Connelly. “Being the host City of this prestigious tournament is an honor for our City and our Department of Parks & Recreation. We hope everyone enjoys our efforts to make this tournament the best of an already memorable year for these Schools. The City Staff looks forward to serving all participants and making this tournament a lifetime memory for these young women.”
In addition to the competing teams traveling to Pensacola, the FCSAA Executive Director Jeb Blackburn and staff and college administrators will be in attendance for conference meetings and to watch the great softball action.
“We are looking forward to returning to Pensacola for the Florida College System Activities Association State Fast-Pitch Softball tournament,” said Blackburn. “We received wonderful comments about the tournament last year and the staff of the Pensacola Sports Association and the City Parks staff have been awesome. We hope to fill the stands to watch some great competition.”
Fans are sure to be entertained as they watch some of the best collegiate softball in the country. Teams already qualified include Florida State College at Jacksonville, Seminole State College, Santa Fe College, Daytona State College, Indian River State College, Miami Dade College, Brevard Community College, Chipola College, Tallahassee Community College, Gulf Coast State College, Northwest Florida State College, State College of Florida, St. Petersburg College, Polk State College, and Hillsborough Community College. A playoff will be played between St. John’s River State College and College of Central Florida to determine the 16th and final team.