Wahoos Weather Late Biloxi Rally In 8-7 Win
June 26, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos withstood a furious late-inning rally on Saturday night, holding on to beat the Biloxi Shuckers 8-7 despite allowing the final five runs of the game.
Jeff Lindgren (W, 2-1) was dependable as always, recording his sixth quality start in eight Double-A appearances this year with 6.0 innings of two-run ball.
The Blue Wahoos had only one hit through the first six innings, but turned a Thomas Jones double into the game’s first run in the third inning thanks to a sacrifice fly from Troy Johnston.
Thomas Dillard, Friday’s walk-off hero for Biloxi, evened the score with an RBI single in the bottom of the third, but Lindgren quickly settled into a groove. The righty allowed a career-high nine hits, but all were singles as the game remained tied 1-1 going to the seventh.
Pensacola put up four runs in the top of the seventh against Luis Contreras (L, 1-2) to take a 5-1 lead. Jones brought home Bubba Hollins from first base with his second double of the game, and scored on a J.D. Orr single past a drawn-in infield. Ray-Patrick Didder walked before Orr scampered to third on a wild pitch and scored on a subsequent throwing error. Johnston capped the rally by scoring Didder from third on his second sacrifice fly of the night.
Lindgren departed after allowing a pair of baserunners in the seventh, but Eli Villalobos worked out of the jam with only one inherited run allowed. Villalobos was handed three more runs of support in the eighth thanks to a three-run homer from Norel González, but gave two back in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homer from Biloxi’s Nick Kahle.
In the ninth, Dylan Bice surrendered a leadoff homer to Felix Valerio before walking back-to-back batters. Colton Hock (S, 7) entered in a save situation, allowing an RBI double to Cam Devanney and an RBI single to Yeison Coca, but stranded the tying run at third as he worked out of the crisis to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up the first half against the Shuckers on Sunday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Baseball Players From Tate, Catholic And Pace Play In State Coaches’ All-Star Game
June 25, 2022
Three area high school baseball players were recently invited to take part in a state coaches’ association all-star game.
Josiah Glodfelter from Tate High, Jackson Hiatt from Catholic High, and Boc Parmer from Pace, played in the 43rd Annual Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Baseball Classic in Lakeland.
Photos by Laura Glodfelter for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Biloxi Gets 5-4 Walk-Off Win Over The Wahoos
June 25, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos held another late lead on Friday night, but a pair of rallies gave the Biloxi Shuckers a 5-4 comeback win in walk-off fashion.
With the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth, Zack Leban (L, 0-1) just missed the zone on a 3-2 pitch to give Thomas Dillard a walk-off walk.
One night after clinching a South Division First Half title, the Blue Wahoos jumped out to an early lead thanks to an unexpected power surge. Thomas Jones blasted his fourth home run of the year out to left field in the second inning, giving the Blue Wahoos a 2-0 lead, and J.D. Orr sent a liner over the left field wall in the third for his first professional homer.
J.D. Osborne hustled a misplayed liner into an RBI triple after the Orr long ball, giving the Blue Wahoos their fourth and final run of the night. Bryan Mitchell turned in a quality start for Pensacola, allowing three runs over 6.0 innings, but a two-run double from Dillard in the bottom of the third drew the Shuckers to within a run at 4-3.
Pensacola’s one-run lead would hold until the eighth, when Josh Simpson allowed a game-tying RBI single to Dillard. Brady Puckett escaped the eighth without further damage, but the Blue Wahoos couldn’t do anything against Nash Walters (W, 3-1) in the top of the ninth. Leban walked a man and hit two before walking Dillard, giving the first baseman his fourth RBI of the night and sending the Blue Wahoos to their third walk-off loss of the year.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Saturday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Northview Chiefs Go 5-0 To Win Emerald Coast FCA Tournament
June 24, 2022
The Northview Chiefs won the TeamFCA Emerald Coast Fellowship of Christian Athletes 7 on 7 competition. The Chiefs went 5-0 in the tournament at Niceville. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Clinch First Half Title With 10-6 Win At Biloxi
June 24, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos clinched the First Half South Division title with a thrilling 10-6 win over the Biloxi Shuckers on Thursday night.
The Blue Wahoos are headed to the postseason for the sixth time in team history, their first time since 2019, and have claimed their first division title since 2017.
Zach McCambley (W, 3-4) took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and allowed only two runs over 5.2 innings in a clutch performance. The Blue Wahoos scored five runs in the ninth, enough to withstand a four-run Biloxi rally in the bottom half, to lock in their playoff spot.
After four scoreless innings, the Blue Wahoos took a 2-0 lead in the fifth on an RBI single from Bubba Hollins and an RBI double from Devin Hairston against Nick Bennett (L, 3-6). They extended the lead to 5-0 in the sixth thanks to a two-run double from Paul McIntosh and a pivotal passed ball that brought home another run.
McCambley didn’t allow a run until the sixth, when Jakson Reetz hit a two-out, two-run single to bring the score to 5-2, but Anthony Maldonado entered and came through with a strikeout of Felix Valerio to keep the Shuckers at bay.
Biloxi threatened again in the eighth, but Jefry Yan escaped a jam with an inning-ending double play against Thomas Dillard to preserve the 5-2 lead.
The Blue Wahoos exploded for five runs in the ninth against J.T. Hintzen, highlighted by another two-run double from McIntosh to take a 10-2 lead. Colton Hock allowed four runs on five hits in the ninth, but struck out Jason Lopez to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Friday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Late Rally Sinks Wahoos In Loss To Shuckers
June 23, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos had a prime opportunity to clinch their first half division crown on Wednesday, but saw a late lead slip away in a 5-4 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers.
The Blue Wahoos still need to win only one of their four remaining first-half games against the Shuckers to claim a postseason berth.
Eury Pérez was ambushed by the Shuckers in the first, as Joey Wiemer hit a two-run home run on just the second pitch of his start to put Biloxi ahead 2-0. The young righty settled down after that, striking out six batters and completing 5.0 innings with no further damage.
Paul McIntosh got the Blue Wahoos on the board with a solo homer in the fourth, and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the fifth from Troy Johnston tied the game 2-2.
José Devers tripled in the seventh against Carlos Luna (W, 2-4), and Ray-Patrick Didder followed with a go-ahead two-run homer to put Pensacola ahead 4-2. That lead would not last long, however, as Eli Villalobos surrendered a two-run double to Noah Campbell in the bottom of the inning to tie the game up 4-4.
In the eighth, Jakson Reetz took Josh Simpson (L, 3-1) deep for his 15th home run of the season to put Biloxi ahead for good. Zach Vennaro (S, 7) worked a quick ninth to earn the save.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Thursday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Biloxi Shuckers Beat The Wahoos
June 22, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos missed out on an attempt to clinch the South Division on Tuesday, falling 5-3 to the Biloxi Shuckers.
The Blue Wahoos will need to win only one of their five remaining first-half games against the Shuckers to claim a postseason berth.
A.J. Ladwig (L, 2-1) completed six solid innings, but allowed four early runs that Pensacola couldn’t overcome. Joey Wiemer drove in the game’s first run in the first inning with an RBI single, Terence Doston doubled the lead in the second with an RBI hit of his own, and Jakson Reetz lined a two-run homer in the third for a 4-0 Biloxi lead.
Noah Zavolas (W, 2-1) was dominant in his start for the Shuckers, allowing only three unearned runs over 6.2 innings. He was aided by defense from Wiemer, as the right fielder robbed a home run from José Devers in the third and made two more leaping grabs at the wall later in the game.
The Blue Wahoos broke through in the seventh inning with a Cobie Fletcher-Vance sacrifice fly and Devin Hairson two-run single, but the Shuckers added an insurance run in the eighth and Luis Contreras (S, 1) got the final six outs to earn his first save.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series at the Shuckers on Wednesday.
by Erick Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
FWC Asking Residents To Report Wild Turkey Sightings
June 21, 2022
See a wild turkey? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking residents to report it to help biologists learn more about Florida’ wild turkey population.
Report all wild turkeys seen during normal daily activities through August 31.
FWC is interested in sightings of hens with and without poults (young wild turkeys), and male birds (jakes and gobblers) from all regions of the state, including rural and developed areas. When reporting numbers of poults, be sure to look carefully because young birds may be difficult to see in tall grass or brush.
Jay Royals 12U Wins All-Star Tournament
June 21, 2022
The Jay Royals won the 12U division in the recent GCGSA all-star tournament in Molino. Players are Desi Dales, Ansley Emmitt, Lani Steadham, Jayden Williard, Aubrey Hadley, Reese Shehan, Jesseca Pritchett, Tenley Smarr, Lexie Smith, Olivia Adkinson, and Melanie Kelley. Coaches are Lisa Smarr, Nicole Pritchett, Heath Shehan, Matt Mathis and Cody Emmitt. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Foiled in Finale, But Move One Step Closer To Division Title
June 20, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell 5-1 to the Tennessee Smokies on Sunday afternoon, but a Biloxi loss in Chattanooga drew the club one step closer to their first division title since 2017.
The Blue Wahoos maintained their 4.5-game lead over Biloxi in the South Division, and will need to win only one of their six remaining first-half games against the Shuckers beginning on Tuesday to claim a postseason berth.
Cody Mincey (L, 3-3) gave his team six innings in a losing effort, allowing four runs on nine hits. The Smokies broke the ice in the second when, enabled by a Mincey throwing error, Bryce Ball and Cole Roederer hit RBI singles to take a 3-0 lead.
Roederer would strike again in the sixth with an RBI single to extend the Tennessee advantage to 4-0. The left fielder finished 3-for-3 with a double, walk and three RBI.
Pensacola couldn’t solve Smokies starter Ryan Jensen, who turned in 3.0 scoreless innings. Long reliever Dalton Stambaugh (W, 4-1) ran into trouble in the seventh, as Jan Mercado got the Blue Wahoos on the board with an RBI infield single, but Blake Whitney (S, 1) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and kept the game from getting any closer.
The Blue Wahoos will enjoy an off day on Monday before their series opener against the Biloxi Shuckers on Tuesday.
by Eric Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos