License-Free Freshwater Fishing This Weekend In Florida
June 10, 2023
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites Florida residents and visitors to go freshwater fishing June 10-11 without a license.
The license-free fishing weekend offers a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and experience the many fishing opportunities the Fishing Capital of the World has to offer. The FWC encourages everyone to take advantage of the weekend to spend time enjoying the beautiful Florida waters.
“Fishing is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and experience Florida’s abundant fishing opportunities,” said Roger Young, FWC’s executive director. “License-free fishing weekends allow Floridians and visitors to get outdoors, connect with nature and create lasting memories with family and friends.”
During the license-free weekends, all bag limits, size limits and fishing regulations still apply. Anglers must also follow all other fishing rules, such as gear restrictions, seasons and closures. To help ensure a fun and safe fishing experience, the FWC encourages all anglers to review the regulations before heading out on the water.
Pictured: Fishing at Lake Stone near Century. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Rosario’s Walk-Off Homer Lifts Blue Wahoos To Thrilling Victory
June 10, 2023
Dalvy Rosario arrived in Pensacola shortly before noon on Friday.
Nine hours later, he was celebrating as a team hero.
The 22-year-old outfielder, called up from the Beloit Sky Carp to fill a position need, electrified a capacity crowd in his debut Friday night with a dramatic, ninth-inning, two-run walk-off homer, lifting the Blue Wahoos to a 6-4 victory against the Montgomery Biscuits.
The win pushed the Blue Wahoos (34-21) into a seven-game lead over the Biscuits, six games ahead of the Biloxi Shuckers, who lost Friday, in the first half Southern League division race that has 14 games left to play.
Rosario, a Dominican Republic native, had not homered this season. But on a 3-1 count, he jumped on a slider from Biscuits reliever Graeme Stinson and sent a moon shot over the left field wall with the ball carrying 380 feet and exiting at 101 mph off his bat.
And it was also his first Double-A hit, although he just missed a homer to center field earlier in the night.
When the hit was launched, the roar began, the Blue Wahoos dugout erupted, and a celebratory ice bucket bath awaited from teammates at home plate in one of Pensacola’s signature wins this season.
It was the first time the Blue Wahoos had a walk-off homer since Peyton Burdick, now a Miami Marlins outfielder, produced the feat in the 2021 season. It was the Blue Wahoos’ second walk-off win this season. The first happened on a fielder’s choice and throwing error.
This one came on Giveaway Friday where fans received a Blue Wahoos 2022 championship t-shirt courtesy of game sponsor Total Fire Protection.
Rosario’s rocket was even more significant because it happened after the Biscuits’ Evan Edwards tied the game with two outs in the top of the ninth with a monster shot off reliever Brady Puckett. The ball went over the video board traveling 461 feet towards the water.
Earlier Friday night, it was the Patrick Monteverde and José Devers show. Monteverde, the Blue Wahoos’ top pitcher, was in his usual form. The lefty allowed just two hits and one run, striking out nine batters in six innings.
Meanwhile, Devers hit a two-run homer in the third inning and followed with a solo blast in the fifth. He began the night with just two homers this season. Both of the ones Friday were no-doubter line drives into the right field berm.
Cobie Fletcher-Vance, making his return from Triple-A Jacksonville had a good night at the plate as well, including an RBI double in the fourth inning.
Monteverde threw 100 pitches in his outing. His final pitch was a ground out to second baseman Nasim Nuñez – the third putout for Nuñez in the inning – to complete the sixth.
After Monteverde exited, carrying the 4-1 lead, the Biscuits quickly trimmed it on their first two at-bats off reliever Will Stewart in the seventh inning.
Mason Auer led off with a fly ball that Norel González misplayed into a triple. Diego Infante followed by launching a blast into the right-center berm. Stewart then recovered to get a lineout and pair of strikeouts around a single to end the inning.
Jefry Yan replaced Stewart in the eighth inning and was solid, recording a pair of strikeouts in his return from Triple-A Jacksonville.
Puckett started the ninth with a long fly ball out and was in position to get the save when Edwards hit the bomb.
The Blue Wahoos will try to gain the series win on Saturday night. Jonathan Bermudez (0-2, 2.95 ERA) will be on the mound for the Blue Wahoos against the Biscuits’ Mason Montgomery (0-2, 4.75).
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Conine Homers Twice, Sets RBI Record In Wahoos 9-6 Win
June 9, 2023
Griffin Conine learned the night earlier that he was going to be moved up to second in the Blue Wahoos batting order.
“Pretty shocked. I was nervous to be honest,” he said. “I haven’t hit in the first inning all year. You have to be ready right away.”
He was ready, all right, producing in a big way to forever remember in Pensacola’s 9-6 slugfest win against the Montgomery Biscuits on Mullet Thursday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Conine, the franchise home run leader, blasted a pair of two-run homers, including the first pitch he saw in the first inning, then drew a bases-loaded walk for a fifth RBI that made him the team’s all-time leader in runs batted in. He passed Travis Mattair in that category with 128 in his three seasons in Pensacola.
“I think you want to be a clutch player and drive in runs,” said Conine, who reached base four times and scored three runs. “That’s what it’s all about. There are a lot of different things to measure a good hitter and RBI isn’t really one of them, but that’s what it’s all about so definitely a good one to have.”
Amid a crowd of 4,321, the team took on its Thursday alternate identity as the Pensacola Mullets and used a big start to take a second win in the series.
Conine’s two-run homer in the first inning came on a first-pitch fastball, exited at 114 mph and traveled 447 feet over the right-center berm.
“I was looking to pull something. I wanted to get in the (batters) box and be ready to go right away,” Conine said. “Can’t let one go by.”
The Blue Wahoos then scored three runs in the third inning on a RBI double from Norel González, run-scoring single by José Devers and Cody Morissette’s sacrifice fly.
Conine followed in the fourth inning with an opposite-field homer to left to provide a 7-3 lead. In the eighth inning, Conine drew a bases-loaded walk for his fifth RBI, further padding the Blue Wahoos’ lead.
The Biscuits hit three homers, all solo shots in the game, including one in the ninth.
The Blue Wahoos had their top reliever, Sean Reynolds, and top hitter, Dane Myers, elevated Thursday to Triple-A Jacksonville.
Conine and teammates carried the night. It was his first multi-homer game of the season, fifth in his Blue Wahoos career, and gave him four homers in the past week.
“Our offense is really tough to face, top to bottom,” he said.
Blue Wahoos starter M.D. Johnson matched his longest start of the season. He worked six innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
He worked out of trouble in the second inning after a solo homer from Logan Driscoll, then a pair of two out singles with two outs. In the fifth inning, he stranded two runners with one out, then had a clean sixth inning.
The series now shifts to the weekend where the Blue Wahoos will have their top pitcher, Patrick Monteverde (6-1, 2.16 ERA), on Friday night against the Biscuits’ Victor Munoz (4-3, 6.68).
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Tonight’s High School All-Star Softball, Baseball Games Postponed
June 8, 2023
UPDATE 4:30 PM — Tonight’s scheduled Pensacola Sports High School All-Star Series baseball and softball games have been postponed due to weather. The new date and time will be announced soon.
Previous story:
West teams are composed of just-graduated seniors from Escambia County. West teams are players from Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
Softball begins at 6 p.m. and baseball at 6:30 p.m. at Pensacola State College. For each game, tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students from GoFan.
West Baseball
Head Coach: Justin O’Quinn, Washington High
Zachary Beaver — Pine Forest — SS/P
Allen Beasley — Pine Forest — 1B
Tate Sanders — Escambia — 1B/3B
Tait Anderson — Escambia — C/OF
Jacob Smith — Escambia — RHP
Chandler Gither — Escambia — RHP/C
Blake Clonts — Escambia — 2B/3B/OF
Drew Reaves — Tate — SS/RHP
Frankie Randall — Tate — 2B
Rilee Lowery — Tate — RHP
Ethan McAnally — Tate — 1B/RHP
Jay Davis — Tate — OF/RHP
Tyler Pinney — West Florida — 1B/P
Gavin King — West Florida — 3B/2B
Jay Henderson — West Florida — CF
Anthony Longo — Washington — C
Avanti Anderson, Jr. — Washington — 3B/2B
Mike Smith Jr. — Catholic — CF/OF
Will Barter — Catholic — C
Zack DeJesus — Catholic — LF/OF
Will Krehely — Catholic — P/OF
Jonah Cook — Catholic — P/1B
Rustin Pope — Northview — C
Kaden Odom — Northview — SS
Jamarkus Jefferson — Northview — 3B/1B
East Baseball
Head Coach: George Sands, Rocky Bayou High
Brock Marello — Niceville — SS/OF
Kai Bailey — Niceville — 1B
Jackson McKenzie — Pace — 1B
Alex McCranie — Pace — SS/2B/P
Ty Humphreys — Pace — RF/1B
Matthew Musgrove — Pace — C
Josh Senterfitt — Laurel Hill — 1B
Javin Shoemaker — Crestview — C/SS
Bryson Martin — Crestview — OF/RHP
Robby Kopp — Crestview — OF
Aiden Justice — Crestview — CF
Eli Lowry — Jay — P/OF
Kade Gilbreath — Jay — 2B/SS
Brayden Dykes — Milton — RHP
Deyton Powell — Milton — OF
Hudson Bartolomei — Rocky Bayou — OF/P
Ben Cline — Rocky Bayou — CF/OF
Donovan Monsees — Choctaw — RHP/1B
Ashton Wasielewski — Choctaw — C/RHP
Alex Kruse — Fort Walton Beach — P/CF/1B
Josh Noll — Fort Walton Beach — P
Troy Coughlin — Gulf Breeze — 1B/2B
Seth Frantz — Gulf Breeze — RF/CF
Jacob Pinardo — Gulf Breeze — C/2B
Quinton Renfroe — Gulf Breeze — 1B/P
West Softball
Head Coach: Holly Brown, Catholic High
Alissa White — Pine Forest — OF/INF
Patrice Rudolph — Pine Forest — SS/3B
Rheanna Bourgeois — Escambia — SS
Abbie McNair — Escambia — 2B/OF
Trinity Brown — Escambia — OF
Belle Clark — Escambia — OF/1B
Leah Smith — Escambia — OF
Aubrey Stuckey — Northview — P/1B
Emma Gilmore — Northview — P
Mariah Golson — West Florida — OF
Karah Barajas — West Florida — Utility
Amissa McDaniel — West Florida — 3B
Charli Vinson — Tate — 1B/3B
Mackenzie Cook — Tate — 3B/2B
Caitlyn Cameron — Washington — P/1B
Kelly Cameron — Washington — 1B/P
Rachael Ludwig — Catholic — P/1B
Victoria Bruder — Catholic — 3B/1B
Kimsey Lawrence — Pensacola — 2B/SS
East Softball
Head Coach: Chelsea McGehee, Gulf Breeze High
Morgan Kronlage — Gulf Breeze — 1B/OF
Kaylee King — Gulf Breeze — SS/3B
Erika Earl — Gulf Breeze — CF/OF
Kamille Lucas — Milton — OF/P
Audrey Luedtke — Milton — C/1B
Ashley Leach — Laurel Hill — SS
Riley Forbes — Pace — OF/CF/LF
Bethany Dean — Pace — 2B/OF
Mary Owens — Niceville — 3B/C
Grace Langston — Niceville — CF/SS
Halaigh Sallee — Niceville — 3B/P
Alaynah Smith — Baker — P/RF
Jolee Sloan — Baker — SS
Caitlyn Gavin — Jay — 2B/SS
Kassidy Nevels — Jay — RF/OF
Jenna Toups — Jay — P/1B
Cailyn Cooke — Navarre — C/OF
Harmony Stafford — Navarre — SS/OF
Jessi Farrer — Navarre — OF/P
Alyanni Enriquez — FWB — SS/2B/OF
Tess Tolliver — FWB — 1B/3B
Alex Carrol — Crestview — C
Riley Bowles — Crestview — CF
Fitterer Shines, But Blue Wahoos Lose Seesaw Battle to Biscuits
June 8, 2023
Evan Fitterer wove one of his best starts in a season for the Blue Wahoos that he has punctuated with several other qualifiers.
But on this night, the bullpen couldn’t make it complete.
The Montgomery Biscuits rallied in each of the final three innings for an 8-5 victory Wednesday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium on the first mid-week summer fireworks night of the season.
Most of a near-capacity crowd (4,777) remained to watch a popular addition with the team hosting a fireworks show on Wednesdays in June and July home games. The fans also had their opportunity to play baseball bingo.
The Blue Wahoos (32-21) provided some sparkle. They regained leads in the sixth and seven innings, only to have the Biscuits answer against Blue Wahoos relievers. Montgomery put the game away with a third consecutive multi-run inning in the ninth.
Fitterer, a right-hander ranked as the Miami Marlins’ 27th overall prospect, made his eighth start Wednesday. He produced a career-high nine strikeouts in six innings. He allowed just three hits and two runs. Fitterer threw 95 pitches, 57 for strikes. He faced just 22 batters – four above the minimum – in his outing.
The Blue Wahoos’ Cody Morissette put him in line for a win after he blasted a two-run, go-ahead homer out of the ballpark, traveling 433 feet over the right-center berm.
But that 3-2 lead quickly evaporated in the top of the seventh. The Blue Wahoos’ first reliever, Zach Willeman, did not record an out. He hit the first batter he faced, then walked the next two. After Evan Edwards followed with a single, Willeman was pulled for Dylan Bice, who allowed another run, but escaped worse damage.
But the Blue Wahoos answered back with their at-bat in the seventh. Dane Myers led off with a walk. He then stole second and went to third on a throwing error. Troy Johnston was hit by a pitch. José Devers then flared a single for the tying run.
After Devers was picked off first, Will Banfield hit a sacrifice fly to score Johnston for the go-ahead run.
The Biscuits seized the lead for good in the eighth inning on a two-run bomb by Heriberto Hernandez on a two-out fastball from Bice.
Devers went 2-for-4 for the Blue Wahoos, highlighted by his solo homer in the third. Griffin Conine continued to swing a hot bat, going 2-for-3 with a walk.
The series continues on Thursday with Pensacola taking on their alternate identity as the Pensacola Mullets on Mullet Thursday. The team will wear their Mullets uniforms.
The Blue Wahoos will have M.D. Johnson (0-2, 5.63) on the mound against the Biscuits’ Cole Wilcox (0-4, 5.23).
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Conine Homers As Blue Wahoos Beat Biscuits
June 7, 2023
Returning from a long time away, the Blue Wahoos found the place to their liking.
Especially with someone able to lock the doors.
Sean Reynolds continued his pressure-embrace as reliever, producing his league-best ninth save, after twice getting out of precarious situations, as the Blue Wahoos beat the Montgomery Biscuits 5-2 Tuesday night in their first home game since May 21.
Reynolds entered with two runners on in the eighth and got a strikeout to end that inning. In the ninth, he got help from second baseman José Devers, who made a sensational dive on a line drive to produce a game-ending double play with runners on second and third.
Devers also went 2-for-4 at the plate – the only Blue Wahoos hitter with multiple hits on the night.
The win amid a crowd of 4,012 at Blue Wahoos Stadium began the series with a good vibe on “Doggone Tuesday” where fans brought a variety of their beloved dogs to the ballpark.
It also extended the Blue Wahoos’ (32-20) grip on first place in the Southern League South Division against one of the teams chasing.
The Blue Wahoos started Tuesday with a three-run second inning. Griffin Conine blasted a two-run homer into the right-center berm. Cody Morrisette preceded the blast with an RBI sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
The Biscuits (26-26) chipped back in the fourth inning on Diego Infante’s run-scoring double and Heriberto Hernandez RBI single.
Insurance was added for the Blue Wahoos on two run-scoring wild pitches by Biscuits reliever Graeme Stinson in the sixth and seventh. Stinson entered with the bases loaded in the sixth, and tossed a wild pitch with Morrisette at the plate.
But Stinson got out of the jam by striking out Conine and J.D. Orr to end the threat.
In the seventh, Stinson threw a pair of wild pitches to score Nasim Nuñez, who had singled, advanced on an errant throw and scored on another.
The second game of the series is set for Wednesday night with the Blue Wahoos having righthander Evan Fitterer (4-1, 3.06 ERA) on the mound. The Biscuits starter was not announced.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
NHS Cross Country Summer Conditioning Underway
June 6, 2023
Summer conditioning for the Northview cross country team is being held each morning Monday through Friday at 6:30 at Travis Nelson Park on West Highway 4.
For information about cross country or any other Northview High School sport please contact Athletic Director Obreonne Parker at 850-761-6000, ext 302003.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Blue Wahoos Fall to Shuckers In Road Trip Finale
June 5, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos came up just shy in the final game of their 12-game road trip on Sunday evening, falling 6-5 to the Biloxi Shuckers.
A five-run seventh, capped by a Jackson Chourio three-run homer, proved to be the difference for the Shuckers as the Blue Wahoos were forced to settle for a series split and a 6-6 record in their two weeks away from Pensacola.
After a pregame rain delay of an hour and 16 minutes, the first five innings moved quickly. Pensacola managed only an infield single from J.D. Orr against Justin Jarvis (W, 6-2), and Jonathan Bermudez held the Shuckers hitless thanks to a pair of leaping catches from Griffin Conine – including a home run robbery of Jeferson Quero in the fourth inning.
Pensacola scratched a run across in the sixth thanks to a Nasim Nuñez walk and stolen base, followed by a Dane Myers RBI single, but the Shuckers answered back in their half of the inning. Wes Clarke ended the no-hit bid with a leadoff single and scored on a bases-loaded walk to tie the game 1-1.
Austin Roberts (L, 2-1), who coaxed an inning-ending double play to leave the bases full in the sixth, ran into trouble in the seventh. Felix Valerio hit a go-ahead two-run double before Chourio launched his three-run homer against Cristian Charle to give the Shuckers a 6-1 lead.
The Blue Wahoos chipped away with three runs in the eighth and another in the ninth against Abner Uribe (S, 5), but saw their comeback bid fall just short.
The Blue Wahoos lost a game in the South Division standings, and are now 5.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi and Montgomery with 18 games to play in the first half.
After an off day on Monday, the Blue Wahoos welcome the Montgomery Biscuits to Pensacola for a six-game series on Tuesday.
Homer-Happy Wahoos Rout Shuckers 11-2
June 4, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos hit a season-high four homers in a blowout 11-2 win over the Biloxi Shuckers on Saturday night.
Patrick Monteverde (W, 6-1) allowed just an unearned run over 5.0 innings to earn his league-leading sixth win, lowering his season ERA to a league-best 2.16 in the process.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, the Blue Wahoos manufactured the game-tying run against Shuckers starter Nick Bennett (L, 2-2) with a José Devers double and a Griffin Conine RBI infield single. An inning later, Victor Mesa Jr. brought home the go-ahead run with an RBI single to give the Blue Wahoos a 2-1 lead.
Will Banfield greeted Biloxi reliever James Meeker with a solo homer to lead off the fourth, and Devers launched a three-run blast in the fifth for his first homer of the season. Conine capped the five-run fifth with a solo blast of his own, extending the lead to 8-1.
Dane Myers added an RBI single in the sixth, and Mesa highlighted a four-hit, four-RBI night with a two-run shot to right field one batter later.
A.J. Puk made his third rehab appearance for the Blue Wahoos in the eighth, retiring the first two batters he faced before Tristen Lutz hit a drive to the right-center gap. Mesa was injured in a collision with the wall, allowing Lutz to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Sean Reynolds came in to get the final four outs of the game for Pensacola.
The Blue Wahoos gained a game in the South Division standings, and are now 6.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi and Montgomery with 19 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Shuckers on Sunday
Myers Homers Twice, But Blue Wahoos Fall 10-7 To Biloxi
June 3, 2023
Dane Myers continued his hot hitting, homering twice and driving in five in a 3-for-5 night, but the Pensacola Blue Wahoos squandered an early lead in a 10-7 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday.
The game turned in the bottom of the fifth, as Biloxi scored five runs against starter M.D. Johnson and reliever Will Stewart (L, 2-1). The Shuckers needed only one hit, a Zavier Warren two-run double, thanks to four walks, a hit batsman, and a throwing error.
Pensacola jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first against Shuckers starter Carlos Rodriguez as Myers sent a three-run homer out to left-center. They added another run in the third on a Cody Morissette RBI single and two more in the fourth on Myers’ second homer of the night, a two-run blast.
Biloxi chipped away in the fourth, drawing a pair of walks against Johnson before Wes Clarke hit a three-run homer to draw the score to 6-4. Morissette hit another RBI single in the fifth to give Pensacola a seven-run lead, but Biloxi’s big inning followed.
Johnson walked the first two Biloxi batters in the fifth before departing. Stewart, who had not allowed a run in 11.1 Double-A innings, allowed Warren’s double before loading the bases with a hit batsman and a walk. Clarke then drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game before Felix Valerio hit a potential double-play grounder that instead allowed the Shuckers to take a 9-7 lead. Nasim Nuñez’s low throw to first skipped out of play, scoring two runs and capping the five-run frame.
A.J. Puk allowed a pair of singles in his second rehab appearance, but wriggled out of the jam thanks to a strikeout, pickoff and popout to throw a scoreless eighth.
The Shuckers got effective long relief from T.J. Shook (W, 2-1) before Abner Uribe (S, 4) worked a spotless ninth.
The Blue Wahoos lost a game in the South Division standings, and are now 5.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi with 20 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Saturday.
written by Erik Bremer