M.D. Johnson Leads Blue Wahoos To Win
June 8, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
His aunt and her family had not seen the Blue Wahoos’ M.D. Johnson pitch since his collegiate days at Dallas Baptist University.
They made the drive to Pensacola from Waco, Texas to watch Johnson pitch Friday night for the first time in his pro career.
He made sure it was memorable.
In what he later termed his best outing this season, Johnson again delivered superlatives, working six innings, allowing just a first-inning run and helping the Blue Wahoos to a 3-1 victory against the Mississippi Braves to even this week’s series amid a capacity crowd of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The win kept the Blue Wahoos (29-25) within striking distance of the Montgomery Biscuits, who had a rain delayed game Friday and a 2.5 game-lead on the Blue Wahoos for the first half Southern League South Division race.
“I felt good,” said Johnson, after visiting with his aunt, her husband and their children on the field following the game. “I was a little bit off at times. I had the four walks, but really kept the ball on the ground better than I have in all the other starts this year and that really helped.
“What I was trying to do gameplan-wise and executing that, I would say yes, it was my best. The only thing I am upset about is walking four guys. I have to keep the ball in the (strike) zone. It has been my Achilles Heel in pro ball. When I am in the (strike) zone, good things will happen.”
They certainly did just that on Friday. Johnson gave up a game-opening double to David Fletcher, the former Los Angeles Angels veteran who is making a comeback bid as a combo infielder and knuckeball pitcher. Fletcher is set to pitch for the second time this week in Sunday’s series finale.
The M-Braves’ Nacho Alvarez followed with an RBI single. But from that point, Johnson retired the next three batters, striking out the last two in ending the inning. The rest of the way, only one M-Braves hitter got into scoring position through Johnson’s six innings.
The Blue Wahoos bullpen was outstanding again.
Patrick Murphy threw two hitless innings, striking out four and bouncing back from a previous rough night.
Austin Roberts recorded his ninth save, the best in the Southern League, sealing the win by freezing Fletcher with a perfect two-strike pitch for the punchout, then getting Alvarez to fly out to end the game.
Johnson has now allowed just one run in each of his last three starts at Blue Wahoos Stadium. A year ago, his earned run average was dramatically lower in home starts than road starts.
Why so?
“Honestly it’s being home,” said Johnson, who improved to 2-3 on the season with a 2.68 ERA. “Whenever I’m at home, my wife’s here, I have my routine.
“I live in a trailer (in Pensacola).. my house. Being home and having a home base is huge. This is where home is.
“I would love to just take (the trailer) on the road trips and it would be fantastic, but it’s not a realistic thing.”
The Blue Wahoos got their first run when Jacob Berry, who returned to lineup Friday after being out with a minor injury this week, singled to start the second inning, then scored on Harrison Spohn’s two strike single.
In the third inning, Joe Mack reached on a fielder’s choice, advanced on Nathan Martorella’s single, then again to third base when Berry beat out a double-play attempt at first. That was big, because a wild pitch then scored Mack for the second run.
Mack then continued his big week at home with an eighth-inning solo blast to straightaway center that just cleared the wall for his third homer in three days.
The series continues Saturday with the Blue Wahoos’ Paul Campbell (5-1) on the mound against the M-Braves’ Jake McSteen. A limited number of tickets remain on the Fireworks Saturday night.
GAME NOTABLES
— The game was designated as ALS Awareness Night. Representatives from the ALS Association-Florida attended the game, participated in a ceremonial first pitch and were interviewed during the game broadcast.
— There were eight different ceremonial first pitches prior to Friday’s game.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Mississippi Braves vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Saturday, 6:05 p.m.
Molino Red 8U Wins GCGSA All-Star Championship
June 7, 2024
The Molino Red 8U softball team took the GCGSA All-Star Championship recently. Molino Red won all four of their games by mercy-rule. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Bounce Back To Beat M-Braves
June 7, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
his was not a walk-off win, but it was one Thursday night deemed by Joe Mack’s teammates worthy of a celebratory, post-game ice water dousing.
After all, the Blue Wahoos catcher had a starring role with multiple exclamations.
Mack smacked the go-ahead run on a solo homer in the sixth inning, then threw out the Mississippi Braves’ speedy Geraldo Quintero in the game’s biggest defensive play in the eighth, as Pensacola held on for a 4-3 victory on Mullet Thursday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Taking on their alternate identity on Thursdays as the Pensacola Mullets, the win was a bounce back moment from Wednesday’s rough 14-6 loss and provided a good vibe in the home clubhouse, following the two losses to start this series.
“This win was a good one. It was a big win, getting back in the win column,” said Mack, after toweling off from the teammates’ bucket splash during his on-field interview. “And not giving in from previous days, continuing to go every single day and try and do our best.
“When we have games like today, we have a lot of fun. I love playing these games and enjoy the game in general.”
Mack went 3-for-4 to continue a hot bat this week. He’s now 7-for-12 in this series with a pair of home runs. Equally important, he threw out two M-Braves baserunners.
The one in the eighth inning followed a leadoff walk by first baseman Bryson Horne. Quintero got a great jump on his steal attempt as pinch-runner, but Mack’s throw was a perfect laser on the inside part of the bag that beat Quintero’s slide by a split-second as shortstop Harrison Spohn applied the tag.
It made an easier situation for reliever Zach McCambley, who followed that second out by getting Cade Bunnell on a lineout to left field to end the inning.
In the ninth, Blue Wahoos reliever Anderson Pilar earned his first save by throwing a perfectly placed fastball on the inside corner to strike out the M-Braves’ catcher Drake Baldwin to end the game.
Pensacola hit three homers in this game to account for the runs. In the third inning, Jacob Marsee drew a two-out walk, then stole second and third base.
Designated hitter Paul McIntosh then blasted a changeup deep over the left center fence for a 2-1 lead.
Zach Zubia led off the fourth inning with a homer to make it 3-1. The M-Braves tied the game against Pensacola starter Evan Fitterer on a two-run triple in the fifth by Cody Milligan.
But Mack’s homer enabled Fitterer to pick up his fifth win on a night where he battled through six innings, striking out seven, but issuing four walks and allowing seven hits.
“It was a big win. I had a good part in it, but it wasn’t all me,” said Mack, who joined the team in late April from the Beloit (Wisc.) Sky Carp, the Miami Marlins High-A affiliate. “And my teammates really battled. A couple of good homers by Paul and Zubia.
“This team is awesome. We have bunch of great guys and we’re not quitters, so if we lose one game or two games it doesn’t matter. We will find a way to win the next one.”
GAME NOTABLES
— The Blue Wahoos are now 4-2 this season wearing the Pensacola Mullets uniforms.
— Jessica Voigt, a group sales trainee, continued her role as a frequent National Anthem singer by delivering another crowd-cheering rendition Thursday night.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Mississippi Braves vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Friday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Blue Wahoos Buried In M-Braves’ Hitting Barrage In 14-6 Loss
June 6, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
The Blue Wahoos would have taken their chances with four extra base hits and eight base runners through four innings against a pitcher without a dent at this level since April.
Just not on this night.
The Mississippi Braves pounded 15 hits, including three doubles from shortstop Cal Conley and six RBI from catcher Drake Baldwin, in an eventual 14-6 victory against the Blue Wahoos on a Fireworks Wednesday that lasted more than three hours before the actual post-game display.
A crowd of 4,312 saw a slugfest at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The teams combined for 27 hits, three homers, two triples, 10 doubles and included a ball hit by the Blue Wahoos’ Jake Thompson that appeared a home run, but was ruled a triple by the umpires on fan interference.
This game began with the M-Braves’ top hurler, righthander Ian Mejia, who had not allowed a run in 29.1 consecutive innings of Double-A pitching and threw a seven-inning, no-hitter May 17, having his club-record streak quickly ended.
The Blue Wahoos’ Joe Mack blasted a two-out pitch in the first inning over the left-center wall, which became Mejia’s first run yielded since April 28 at this level.
Sean Roby then tied the game at 2-2 with his second-inning double. At that point, it was a game pointing toward the home team direction.
The M-Braves quickly changed that notion. They erupted with consecutive 4-run innings to blow open the game, knock out Blue Wahoos starter Luis Palacios in the fourth inning and require the bullpen to use four pitchers.
Six of the nine batters in the M-Braves lineup had multiple hits.
Mejia was lifted with two outs in the fifth inning, after throwing 96 pitches, so he didn’t get credit for the win. The M-Braves led 10-2 at the time.
For the Blue Wahoos, four batters had multiple hits, including the aforementioned Thompson, who rejoined the team this week and delivered a pair of RBI.
He hit what seemed to be a 3-run homer in the seventh that a young fan caught on the right field berm near the wall, but it was ruled a triple on fan interference. It was part of the Blue Wahoos’ four-run rally that trimmed the deficit to 10-6. But the M-Braves kept pounding hits and runs to widen their lead in the final two innings.
The pregame activities included a salute to the Gulf Breeze High beach volleyball team, which won the state title in only its second season and finished unbeaten.
Mejia was lifted with two outs in the fifth inning, after throwing 96 pitches, so he didn’t get credit for the win. The M-Braves led 10-2 at the time.
GAME NOTABLES
— After being saluted for its state title, the Gulf Breeze beach volleyball team created a unique first pitch with sophomores Sydney Sutter and Allie Hepworth. They were the team’s duo on the court for the deciding third-set win against Berkeley Prep from Tampa to win the championship match. They brought a volleyball Wednesday with Hepworth setting up Sutter for a one-hand smash to the plate.
— The Pine Terrace Baptist Church from Milton performed the National Anthem as part of a 350-member group outing at the stadium.
— The Booker T. Washington baseball team held its fundraiser night at the game
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Mississippi Braves vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Thursday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Florida Approves NIL Deals For High School Student Athletes
June 5, 2024
Florida is now the 31st state to allow high school student-athletes to make money from their name, image, and likeness.
The Florida High School Athletic Association on Tuesday approved NIL agreements effective with the next school years, pending ratification by the State Board of Education on July 24.
A student-athlete may profit from the use of their own NIL. Permissible activities include, but are not limited to, commercial endorsements, promotional activities, social media presence, product, or service advertisements.
A NIL agreement is limited to the athlete’s high school period of athletic eligibility and will not extend beyond graduation. They will not be allowed to use uniforms, logos, or mascots from their school. They cannot endorse or promote anything during school or district sponsored events and can’t reference their school accolades or championships. Politics and adult entertainment products and services are off-limits.
Schools will be able to use NIL activities to recruit, and transfer students will be prohibited in most cases from entering into a NIL agreement during their transfer season.
Pictured: The Tate Aggies host the West Florida Jaguars on October 6, 2023. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos’ Eighth-Inning Lead Evaporates In 6-3 Loss To M-Braves
June 5, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
First pitches quickly became outs. Innings flew by in minutes. There was still sunlight during the seventh-inning stretch.
And then, the Blue Wahoos had a potential record-speed win fade into darkness of a laborious eighth inning and loss.
The Mississippi Braves followed a leadoff out into a six-run rally for an eventual 6-3 victory against the Blue Wahoos to start an intriguing Tuesday night of their six-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Blue Wahoos led 1-0 into the eighth inning.
This game on “Doggone Tuesday” with fans bringing their beloved dogs to the ballpark, featured a repurposed, veteran Major League infielder David Fletcher continuing his bizarre buzz in the baseball world as a knuckleball pitcher.
Making his M-Braves debut, his second minor league start, Fletcher raised attention by throwing six, solid innings with his fluttering, 60-something, miles-per-hour knucklers. He allowed just two hits, both in the first inning, as the Blue Wahoos couldn’t get solid contact with his pitches.
Fletcher was recently acquired in a December trade with the Atlanta Braves. When joining the Braves, Fletcher mentioned his desire to become a knuckleball pitcher.
He is being paid $6.1 million this season, part of a $25 million contract extension he signed with the Angels following his best MLB season in 2020 when he garnered American League MVP votes as a second baseman.
Fletcher, who turned 30 on May 31, made his first mound start last week with the Gwinnett Braves, the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate. He is scheduled to start twice this week in Pensacola with the M-Braves. He’s down to be the starter on Sunday to close out the series.
In the first inning, Fletcher’s flutterers were hit the hardest. Blue Wahoos catcher Joe Mack hit a one-out double and Nathan Martorella followed with an RBI single. Zach Zubia flew out deep to left for the second out and from that point, Fletcher retired 11 of the next 13 batters he faced.
Meanwhile, Blue Wahoos starter Jonathan Bermúdez dazzled with a no-hitter through five innings. He gave up an infield single in the sixth, then pitched out of a two-on, one-out jam to match his longest start this season.
But in the eighth inning against reliever Patrick Murphy, the M-Braves batted around the order following a leadoff strikeout. The next six batters reached base – four of those on hits – as the Blue Wahoos’ 1-0 lead became a five-run deficit. The rally earned a second win for former Pensacola State College pitcher Patrick Halligan, who threw a scoreless seventh inning.
The Blue Wahoos got a pair of runs back in the eighth and had two more runners on base when the M-Braves’ bullpen ended the threat.
The Blue Wahoos (27-24) will have Luis Palacios start Wednesday’s second game of the series against M-Braves ace and rising prospect Ian Mejia (5-0, 1.45 ERA) who tossed a seven-inning, no-hitter win earlier this season.
GAME NOTABLES
— Recent UWF graduate Tris Weeks sung the National Anthem while playing her guitar as she continues pursuit of her musical career.
— The Blue Wahoos had a 20-0 success rate when leading in the seventh inning before Tuesday’s loss.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Mississippi Braves vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Wednesday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
NWE Wins 10U Cal Ripken Championship
June 4, 2024
The Northwest Escambia 10U won the Cal Ripken District 7 championship Monday night at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill. Flomaton was runner-up. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos, Shuckers Canceled In Biloxi
June 3, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
Furious Comeback Helps Wahoos Beat Shuckers 8-7
June 2, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos overcame an early five-run deficit to beat the Biloxi Shuckers 8-7 on Saturday night.
Buoyed by a season-high three home runs and a strong performance from the bullpen, Pensacola got back in the win column and secured a series victory with one game to go in their weeklong set against the Shuckers.
Despite the win, the Blue Wahoos fell to 2.0 games back of first-place Montgomery with 19 games to play in the first half. The Biscuits swept a doubleheader over the Braves in Mississippi, gaining a half-game on Pensacola.
Leadoff batter Jakob Marsee started the game with a bang, hitting a solo home run off starter Bradley Blalock for an immediate 1-0 lead. It was Pensacola’s first leadoff home run since Kameron Misner in September 2021, ending an unusual drought for the franchise and beginning a 3-for-4 night for Marsee with three runs scored.
Pensacola starter Paul Campbell, who had completed at least 5.0 innings in each of his first seven starts, struggled mightily. The Shuckers put up six runs on three hits and three walks, bouncing Campbell after just 0.2 innings. The big blow came from catcher Andy Yerzy, who turned around the first pitch he saw for a three-run homer and a 6-1 Biloxi lead.
The Blue Wahoos chipped away with solo homers from Sean Roby in the second and Nathan Martorella in the third. In the fourth, Blalock was removed from the game after back-to-back walks. Will Childers (L, 0-2) fared little better, allowing a bunt single to Marsee before Paul McIntosh hit a two-run double to draw the Wahoos to within a run at 6-5. Marsee scored on a wild pitch to tie the game before McIntosh came home on a fielding error from shortstop Eric Brown Jr. to put the Blue Wahoos ahead 7-6.
Marsee singled, took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on an error and scored on a McIntosh sacrifice fly in the sixth inning for an insurance run that would prove to be the game-winner.
Adam Laskey (W, 2-0) led a dominant relief effort for Pensacola, working 3.1 scoreless innings. Matt Pushard, Dale Stanavich and Raffi Vizcaíno (S, 3) held the lead for an 8-7 final.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their road trip in Biloxi on Sunday. First pitch from Shuckers Ballpark is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
Five-run Sixth Sinks Wahoos In Loss To Shuckers
June 1, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos saw their three-game winning streak come to an end with an 8-5 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday night.
Despite a pair of two-run homers from Zach Zubia and Joe Mack, the Blue Wahoos couldn’t overcome a five-run sixth inning for Biloxi that proved to be the difference in the game.
With the loss, the Blue Wahoos fell to 1.5 games back of first-place Montgomery with 20 games to play in the first half. The Biscuits were rained out in Mississippi, and will play a doubleheader on Saturday.
Jakob Marsee began the game by drawing a walk against Brett Wichrowski, and stole two bases before coming in on a Mack RBI groundout for a 1-0 Pensacola lead. Zubia’s two-run homer in the third put the Blue Wahoos up 3-1.
Pensacola starter M.D. Johnson worked 5.0 innings, surrendering an RBI double to Noah Campbell in the second and RBI singles to Mike Boeve and Carlos Rodriguez in the third to depart the game tied 3-3.
Chandler Jozwiak (L, 1-3) entered in the bottom of the sixth, and recorded only one out while allowing five runs on four hits. Campbell’s second double of the night gave Biloxi a 5-3 lead, and an Ethan Murray RBI single plus a pair of sacrifice flies put the Shuckers ahead for good.
Mack hit a two-run homer in the eighth against T.J. Shook (W, 3-6), but that was all the Pensacola offense could muster. Blake Holub (S, 1) recorded the final four outs for the Shuckers to nail down the win, snapping a franchise-record 10-game losing streak in the process.
For the second straight night, the umpire crew kept their pen and paper handy. Biloxi first baseman Ernesto Martinez Jr. and manager Joe Ayrault were tossed arguing an out call in the bottom of the first, and Pensacola reliever Austin Roberts was ejected arguing balls and strikes in the bottom of the eighth.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series in Biloxi on Saturday. First pitch from Shuckers Ballpark is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.