Blue Wahoos Blacked 1-0 By Mobile
April 24, 2019
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos received another brilliant pitching rotation from their staff, but weren’t able to provide any run support in a 1-0 loss to the Mobile BayBears.
Entering the game with the best ERA in the Southern League, Devin Smeltzer delivered his fourth strong start of the season, allowing just one run over 7.0 innings while striking out nine. The BayBears did their only damage in the third inning, using a two-out ground ball single by Connor Justus, a stolen base, and a single by Brandon Marsh to score the game’s only run.
With the lead, the Mobile pitching staff kept the Blue Wahoos batters out of rhythm throughout the night. Starter Jeremy Beasley threw 5.0 shutout innings to earn the win, striking out five and allowing just two hits. In relief, Joe Gatto tossed 2.2 scoreless and Dario Beltre earned the save by recording the game’s final four outs on strikeouts.
Offensively, Luis Arraez, Jaylin Davis, and Brian Navarreto split the Wahoos’ three hits evenly. Davis’ second inning infield single extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
With tonight’s one-run effort, the Blue Wahoos pitching staff now holds a 1.87 team ERA, the best in baseball at any level in the majors or minors.
The Blue Wahoos and BayBears will finish their five-game set at Blue Wahoos Stadium Wednesday evening.
Allstate Agent Scott Richards Presents $2,000 Donation To Tate QB Club
April 23, 2019
Cantonment Allstate agent Scott Richards (pictured right), presented a $2,000 donation Monday night to the Tate High School Quarterback Club. Accepting the donation is Aggie head coach Jay Lindsey. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local High Schools Begin Spring Football Practice
April 23, 2019
Spring football practice opened Monday for high schools in Florida. It was the first day of preparations for spring jamborees and the path to the first game of fall.
The Tate Aggies will hold their annual Crimson and Gray game and a fish fry on May 10 and will host the Escambia Gators in a spring game on May 17. The 2019 season for the Tate Aggies begins with a Kickoff Classic at Pace on August 16 and the first game of the regular season will be at home against Pensacola High on August 23.
The Northview Chiefs will hold their Garnet and Gold Game on May 11 and spring game on Friday, May 17 at Escambia County High School in Atmore. The fall season begins August 16 with a Kickoff Classic at Baker, and the Chiefs will host Lighthouse Christian for the first game of the regular season on August 23.
Pictured: The first day of spring practice for the Northview Chiefs Monday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Gets Senior Night Win Over Paxton (With Gallery)
April 23, 2019
Northview 2, Paxton 0
The Northview Chiefs defeated the Paxton Lady Cats 2-0 during a Monday Senior Night game in Bratt.
The only two runs in the game came in the bottom of the third for the Chiefs.
Tori Herrington faced 22 batters, striking out five. She was 1-3 with one RBI. Kailyn Watson went 1-3, and Valen Shelly was 1-2 with one RBI.
Before the game, the Lady Chiefs honor seniors Kendall Enfinger, Tori Herrington, Mikayla Jeneske, Aubree Love, Valen Shelly and Lydia Smith.
For a photo gallery, including Senior Night activities, click here.
Paxton 5, Northview 3 (JV)
Paxton defeated the Northview Lady Chiefs 5-3 Monday afternoon.
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs beat Paxton 2-0 Monday in Bratt. Pictured below: Northview Lady Chiefs senior Kendall Enfinger, Makayla Jeneske, Aubree Love, Tori Herrington, Valen Shelly and Lydia Smith. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Come Back For 7-4 Win Over Mobile
April 23, 2019
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos overcame a rare deficit in a 7-4 win over the Mobile BayBears on Monday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Brian Schales led the team both offensively and defensively, going 3-4 with a triple, double, single, run batted in, and run scored as well as a collection of impressive defensive plays at third base.
The Blue Wahoos scored first for the 15th time in 18 games this season, using a lead off single by Luis Arraez and subsequent triple by Schales to go up 1-0.
The lead held until the fourth inning behind Twins top pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol. The 20-year-old righty struggled with his control early, walking the first two batters of the game, but he responded with a pair of strikeouts and a pick off to get out of the first.
Graterol added two more strikeouts in the second, flashing 100 miles-per-hour on the radar gun multiple times. After a 1-2-3 third inning, he ran into trouble in the fourth. A one out walk was followed by singles by Bo Way and Roberto Pena and a home run by Brendan Sanger to make it 4-1 in Mobile’s favor.
The Pensacola offense wasted no time responding. In the home half of the inning, Caleb Hamilton dropped a double into centerfield and advanced to third on a single by Tanner English. Taylor Grzelakowski poked a single into left to score Hamilton and make it 4-2. After a walk to Jordan Gore, Arraez single home two to tie the game.
Graterol threw a scoreless fifth, finishing his day with a line of 5.0 innings pitched, four hits, four earned runs, four walks, and six strikeouts on 81 pitches.
The Wahoos put Graterol in line for the win by pushing a run across in the fifth. Schales led off the inning with a double and a Jaylin Davis singled moved him to third. Hamilton then brought him home with a single into right to give Pensacola the 5-4 lead.
Sam Clay entered in the sixth in relief of Graterol and worked himself into and out of jams in both the sixth and seventh inning, allowing two base runners in each frame, but keeping the BayBears from scoring both times.
He ceded to Ryan Mason in the eighth, who struck out a pair in the inning. In the home half of the eighth, the Wahoos added a pair of insurance runs, using a single by English, fielding error, sac bunt, Gore sacrifice fly, and wild pitch to go up 7-4.
Mobile threatened in the ninth, as the first two batters in the inning singled, but Mason induced a double play and a strike out to end the game, preserved the victory, and earn his third save.
Graterol was the winning pitcher for the Wahoos, who improve to a league-best 13-5 on the season. Clay was credited with a hold and Mason got the save. Zac Kelly took the loss for Mobile, allowing three runs (one earned) in four innings of relief of starter Jose Rodriguez (4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7 K).
Mobile and Pensacola will continue their five-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium Tuesday.
District Runner-up Tate High Girls Tennis Headed To Regionals This Week
April 22, 2019
The Tate High School girls tennis team is headed to regionals on Tuesday.
Last week, Tate won the District 1-3A runner-up title 4-3 over Pace High. Tuesday, they will travel to Tallahassee to face Tallahassee Chiles.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Get 8-5 Easter Sunday Win
April 22, 2019
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos used a pair of home runs from Jaylin Davis and Ernie De La Trinidad and a clutch, late heads up defensive play to beat the Mobile BayBears 8-5 on Easter Sunday, improving their record to a league-best 12-5 on the season.
RHP Jorge Alcala took the ball for the Blue Wahoos for the fourth time this season and delivered his fourth win. The righty was excellent early, allowing just one hit through the first four innings. In the fifth, he finally ran into problems, allowing five runs on two home runs (Brendon Sanger and Brandon Marsh), a double, two singles, and a walk. The crooked inning was the first blemish for a Blue Wahoos starting staff that entered the evening with a 1.39 ERA.
The Blue Wahoos offense had Alcala’s back. Jordan Gore led off the bottom of the first with a double and game in to score on a single by Taylor Grzelakowski. The Wahoos added five runs in the third, stringing together a single by De La Trinidad, double by Caleb Hamilton, and home run by Davis to go up 4-0. Grzelakowski followed with a walk, and Luis Arraez doubled him to third. Jimmy Kerrigan singled home Grzelakowski and a Joe Cronin sacrifice fly plated Arraez and made it 6-0.
Two more runs crossed the plate for Pensacola in the fourth. De La Trinidad led off the inning with a no doubt homer to right. Hamilton followed with a single, and Davis doubled him to third. Grzelakowski lofted a sac fly to center to make it 8-0.
After Mobile put the five-spot on Alcala in the fifth, LHP Tyler Jay tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief for the Blue Wahoos, striking out four. Rehabbing LHP Gabriel Moya entered in the eighth and opened the inning with a pair of strikeouts, but then allowed a single and two walks to load the bases.
Dusten Knight entered with the bases full and two outs. He uncorked a wild pitch, but the ball took a friendly hop off the backstop to catcher Brian Navarreto. The Blue Wahoos defense caught the BayBears in a rundown, completing an unusual 2-4-3-5 putout, ending the inning with Hamilton chasing down the runner from third and making a sprawling tag at the plate for the final out.
There was less drama in the ninth, as Knight set down the side in order, striking out the final two hitters to earn his fourth save of the season. He capped off the Blue Wahoos win with a signature backflip.
Hamilton was 3-5 with a pair of doubles, an RBI, and two runs. Arraez was 2-2 with a triple, a double, a walk, and a run scored. De La Trinidad and Davis each had two hits, including their homers.
Pensacola and Mobile will continue their five-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium tomorrow evening at 6:35 PM with Twins top pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol on the mound.
Wahoos Shut Out The BayBears
April 21, 2019
Pensacola’s lauded starting pitching rotation got a new cast member on Saturday evening at Blue Wahoos Stadium as Sean Poppen made his first start in a Blue Wahoos uniform. True to the part, the Harvard grad delivered 5.0 shutout innings and struck out 11 BayBears batters in a 5-0 win for Pensacola. With tonight’s outing by Poppen, Blue Wahoos starting pitchers now have a 1.39 ERA this season, having allowed just 13 earned runs in 84.1 innings.
Poppen, who made his first appearance of the year on the mound for AAA-Rochester, recovered from some first inning hiccups before cruising to the win. The game’s leadoff batter Jahmai Jones singled and one batter later Jack Kruger was hit by a pitch, but Poppen quickly worked out of the jam, striking out a pair in the inning.
After walking the first batter in the second, he struck out two more. In the home half of the inning, Tanner English was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on an Ernie De La Trinidad single, the first of three for De La Trinidad.
Poppen was back at it in the third, striking out a pair for the third straight inning. In the fourth, he one-upped himself, striking out the side. Two more strikeouts followed in the fifth, giving him 11 in the game, the most by a Blue Wahoos pitcher this season.
Pensacola scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, using a walk to Brian Schales and singles by Luis Arraez, Jaylin Davis, and English to go up 3-0.
Following the fifth inning, both teams welcomed John Matthew Peacock, an inspirational local 4-year-old who has battled medical problems throughout his life after being born prematurely, for 2019’s first Home Run For Life. John Matthew circled the bases, high fiving the players on both teams, before leaping on home and hugging Kazoo while a sold-out crowd gave him a standing ovation.
LHP Jovani Moran took over on the mound for Pensacola and picked up where Poppen left off, striking out five over 2.0 scoreless, hitless innings. RHP Cody Stashak followed in the eighth, and struck out a pair over over 2.0 scoreless to finish out the shutout for the Blue Wahoos and give Pensacola pitchers 18 strikeouts in the game.
Offensively, Pensacola had nine hits in the game, including a 3-4 night by De La Trinidad. English was 2-2 with a walk, two RBI, three runs scored, and two stolen bases. Davis was 2-3 with a run and a steal.
The win improves Pensacola’s record to a league-best 11-5 while Mobile falls to 6-9.
Two Jay Royals Place At State Weight Meet
April 21, 2019
Two Jay High School lifters places in the recent state 1A weightlifting meet.
Senior James Eddings tied for third in the 183 pound weight class with a total of 595 pounds at the state meet. The tiebreaker was a weigh off and resulted in a fourth place medal.
Junior Dylan Phillips had the winning total in the 119 pound weight class. There was a tie for the state championship in that weight class and Phillips finished as runner up in the tie breaker.
Blue Wahoos Split Doubleheader In Biloxi
April 20, 2019
The Pensacola Blue Wahoo split a doubleheader in Biloxi Friday. Pensacola took game one 9-1, and fell in game two 4-3.
Game One
The Blue Wahoos came out swinging in game one of their Friday night double header in Biloxi, using a pair of home runs and another brilliant outing from Griffin Jax on their way to a 9-1 victory.
Pensacola scored four times in the third inning. Brian Navarreto led off the inning with a double and Mark Contreras followed by reaching on a walk. A fielding error by Biloxi pitcher Alec Bettinger on a Jordan Gorec comebacker allowed Navarreto to score. Brian Schales followed with a three-run home run to make it 4-0.
With the lead, Jax was brilliant. The Air Force grad entered the game with the best ERA in the league and delivered 6.0 stellar innings, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out five. Major League rehabber Gabriel Moya added a scoreless inning of relief after Jax’s strong outing.
Navarreto was 3-4 in the game with 3 RBI, including a three-run home run in seventh and a double. Mark Conteras was 2-3 with an RBI.
Game Two
For the fifth time this season, the Blue Wahoos played in a game that ended with a 4-3 final score, this time ending on the losing end in game two.
Biloxi took an early 2-0 lead, scoring twice in the home half of the first on a throwing error, stolen base, and three consecutive singles.
Pensacola answered with two of their own in the top of the second. Mitchell Kranson opened the inning with a solo home run. Caleb Hamilton followed with a triple and scored on an RBI ground out by Taylor Grzelakowski.
A single, balk, and subsequent RBI single by C.J. Hinojosa gave Biloxi the lead back in the third inning against Blue Wahoos starter Andro Cutura, but the Blue Wahoos again answered the following inning, using a double by Brian Schales, a ground out to move him over, and a wild pitch to tie the game.
Jeff Ames entered in relief of Cutura (3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) in the bottom of the fourth. A pair of walks and an RBI single by Michael O’Neill gave the Shuckers the lead back at 4-3.
The score held there as Biloxi relievers Angel Perdomo (W, 2.1 IP, 0 H, 5 K) and Nate Griep (S, 1.0 IP, 0 R) combined to close out the game and preserve the win for the Shuckers.