Pensacola Blue Wahoos Top Mobile BayBears 4-2
June 15, 2018
The Blue Wahoos came out on fire scoring four runs in the first two innings, on their way to a 4-2 win over the Mobile BayBears Thursday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Pensacola now leads the series 2-0.
In the first inning, Nick Longhi singled on a ground ball to right field that scored Shed Long to put the Wahoos up 1-0. In the bottom of the second, Long doubled on a fly ball to score Gavin Lavalley. With two on and only one out, Narciso Crook singled on a ground ball that allowed Taylor Sparks and Long to score to increase the Wahoos lead 4-0. Every Blue Wahoo in the lineup had at least one hit and the Wahoos recorded a base hit in all eight innings they came to the plate.
Wright (W, 3-4) had a great outing for Pensacola. After giving up a double to leadoff hitter Luis Rengifo, Wright retired the next 13 batters he faced until Connor Justus singled with one out in the fifth. Wright pitched seven innings and allowed no runs on three hits, no walks, and three strikeouts.
The BayBears mounted a comeback in the top of the eighth inning as Luis Rengifo grounded into a force out that scored Justus. Shortly after Brennan Lund singled on a ground ball past third baseman Taylor Sparks to score Brendon Sanger that cut the Mobiles deficit at 4-2. Carlos Navas (S, 3) came in from the pen and got the Wahoos out of the jam with the final out of the inning.
Mobile threatened to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning after a pair of Navas walks, but both were stranded after Brandon Sandoval flew out to center fielder Brian O’Grady to secure the Wahoos the win. Navas got credit with the save after recording the game’s final four outs.
Pensacola can claim their third straight series win with a victory on Friday night. Right-hander Keury Mella (5-3, 3.33) will take the mound on for Pensacola, and RHP Jose Rodriguez (5-6, 5.68) will take the hill for the BayBears.
Wahoos Take Series Opener Against Mobile, 2-1
June 14, 2018
Brain O’Grady drove in Shed Long with a sac fly in the bottom of the ninth to give the Blue Wahoos a 2-1 walk-off win over the Mobile BayBears in Wednesday night’s series opener at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Pensacola began its comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning while trailing 1-0 against Mobile. Chris Okey smashed a solo home run over the left field wall to tie the game at 1-1. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shed Long led off with a double. He advanced to third on a passed ball. Narciso Crook was intentionally walked before O’Grady came through on a two-strike pitch. Right fielder Brandon Sanger made a sliding catch on the shallow fly ball, but his throw was way too late to get Long, sparking the Blue Wahoos celebration.
Pensacola got both runs off Mobile reliever Greg Mahle (L, 3-1), the brother of former Wahoo and current Red Tyler Mahle, who was saddled with the loss.
Seth Varner pitched an excellent game for the Wahoos. Varner pitched 6.2 innings and allowed only one run on three hits, and one walk. Varner finished with a season-high nine strikeouts, which was one shy of tying his career-high at 10. Alex Powers (W, 1-1) is credited with the win as he retired all three Mobile batters in the top of the ninth, producing two strikeouts in his one inning pitched.
BayBears starter Jason Alexander had a solid outing for Mobile. Alexander pitched six innings and only had one hit with no runs, two walks and six strikeouts in a no-decision.
Pensacola center-fielder C.J. McElroy left the game in the top of the first inning after he collided with the wall while making a spectacular catch on the second batter of the game.
The series continues Thursday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Right hander Daniel Wright (2-4, 5.05) will get the start for the Wahoos against BayBears RHP Luis Pena (2-4, 4.27).
Tiger Basketball’s Prewett To Headline Auburn Club Dinner Meeting
June 13, 2018
Chad Prewett will be the guest speaker Thursday for a dinner meeting of the Escambia County (AL) Auburn Club.
Prewett is the director of basketball operations for Auburn University. Prewett is entering his fourth season on head coach Bruce Pearl’s staff and was promoted to director of basketball operations in April 2017. Pearl announced this week that Prewett will be back for the upcoming season.
Prewett started his coaching career at Escambia Academy in Canoe, just outside Atmore. From 1995-2004, he was a coach for the basketball, football, golf and track teams and added the title of Athletics Director from 1998-04. Escambia was awarded the AISA Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Program in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Check-in for the meeting begins at 5:30 at Wind Creek in Atmore, with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 for adults, $15 for children under 12. Tickets are available at United Bank in Atmore and Flomaton, First National Bank and Trust in Atmore, Gregg’s Salon in Atmore and Talula Belles in Brewton.
Courtesy image for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino 8U Team Takes Second In GCYB Tourney
June 13, 2018
This Molino 8U All Stars team took second in a recent Gulf Coast Youth Baseball tournament. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Split Double Header, Split Series With M-Braves
June 13, 2018
Vladimir Gutierrez (W, 3-8) picked up his second win in as many starts and Narciso Crook drove in the go-ahead in the sixth inning as the Wahoos earned a series win with a 2-1 victory in game one of Tuesday night’s doubleheader at Trustmark Park against the Mississippi Braves.
Gutierrez was locked in from the get-go. The Cuban right-hander allowed two hits through the first four innings of the ballgame and neither batter reached scoring position. In the fifth, his only mistake pitch was punished as Alex Jackson homered the 2-0 offering from Gutierrez to tie the game at 1-1. Gutierrez had the perfect response though as he retired the next three batters in order to close out the fifth.
It was the Wahoos who struck first in the game thanks to Taylor Sparks’ solo home run in the second inning off Andres Santiago (L, 2-3). It was his fifth homer of the year and it gave Gutierrez and the Blue Wahoos a quick 1-0 edge.
Santiago—much like Gutierrez—elevated his game after the home run. The right-hander allowed a total of three hits and pitched all seven innings for the M-Braves. The only other time he ran into trouble was in the sixth inning, when the Wahoos took the lead. Daniel Sweet led off with a bunt single and took second base on a throwing error by Daniel Lockhart. After a Shed Long sacrifice bunt moved Sweet to third, Narciso Crook singled home Sweet with an RBI single to right-field, which gave the Wahoos a 2-1 lead.
After 5.1 impressive innings from Gutierrez, manager Jody Davis turned to ball over to Alejandro Chacin to close the game out. Chacin secured the final five outs and the Wahoos hung on for the win. Gutierrez finished the game allowing just one walk and striking out seven.
In the second game of the twin bill, the M-Braves used a grand slam from Carlos Martinez to surge to a 5-1 win.
Wyatt Strahan (L, 5-5) ran into trouble in the second inning when he walked M-Braves starter Michael Mader with the bases loaded to give Mississippi a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless third inning, the M-Braves blew it open in the fourth when Martinez launched a questionable grand slam off the railing in left field to make it 5-0. At first glance, it appeared the ball hit off the top of the wall, but despite Davis’s pleas with the home plate umpire, the call stood.
Pensacola nabbed a run in the sixth when Crook singled home C.J. McElroy to make it 5-1. Crook finished the game with a pair of hits and extended his Double-A hitting streak to seven games. However, that would be all of the offense the Wahoos could muster as the M-Braves closed out the seventh inning in scoreless fashion.
The Blue Wahoos will wrap up the first-half of the season with a five-game series against the Mobile BayBears. These two teams haven’t met since Mobile took three of five from Pensacola in the opening series of the season. RHP Daniel Wright (2-4, 5.05) is expected to take the hill for the Blue Wahoos while RHP Jesus Castillo (4-4, 5.23) gets the nod for the BayBears.
Molino 10U Wins All-Star Championship
June 12, 2018
The Molino 10U All Stars recently won the Gulf Coast Youth Baseball tournament. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino 8U Wins All Star Championship
June 11, 2018
The Molino 8U team won an all-star championship this weekend. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino 14U Wins All-Star Championship
June 10, 2018
Molino 14U recently won the GCYB All-Star championship in Navarre. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Braves Best The Wahoos
June 10, 2018
Mississippi Braves starting pitcher, Touki Toussaint (W, 3-6), got it done on the mound, but did serious damage at the plate with two hits and three RBI in the M-Braves 12-4 win over the Blue Wahoos Saturday night at Trustmark Park.
The Braves struck first against Blue Wahoos starter Daniel Wright (L, 2-4) with a pair of runs in the second inning on Toussaint’s two-run single. He would strike again with two outs in the fourth. Toussaint ripped a double to left-center field driving home Connor Lien to put the M-Braves back on top 4-3.
Pensacola took the lead briefly in the top of the fourth. Brian O’Grady doubled home Nick Longhi to cut the deficit to 2-1. With two outs, Chris Okey singled home O’Grady and Luis Gonzalez to put the Wahoos up 3-2. The Braves piled on after taking the lead with a four-run fourth inning.
The Braves knockout punch came in the sixth inning. Already leading 9-3, Lien launched a drive to left field, Daniel Sweet made a leaping attempt into the fence, but he couldn’t hold on. Three runs scored on the two-out triple. Pensacola got a run back in the seventh on Narciso Crook’s first double-a home run to make it 12-4.
Wright lasted four innings and was charged with six runs on five hits with four walks in the losing effort. On the mound, Toussaint earned the win with 5.2 innings and three runs, one earned, on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts. At the plate, Shed Long led the way with his second-straight two-hit contest.
The Blue Wahoos will look to bounce back behind All-Star RHP Keury Mella (4-3, 3.56). The Braves will counter with RHP Bryce Wilson (1-2, 7.43).
Varner Pitches Wahoos To Series Opening Win
June 9, 2018
Seth Varner pitched six strong innings for the Blue Wahoos in the 6-1 win over the Mississippi Braves Friday night at Trustmark Park. It is the season-best third straight win for the Blue Wahoos.
Varner (W, 3-0) surrendered a leadoff home run to Connor Lien in the bottom of the first inning and that was his only blemish in the start. He finished with just five hits allowed, one walk and two strikeouts.
The Blue Wahoos pounded out 12 hits with everybody in the lineup reaching base with a hit or a walk. Pensacola got the first five runs against M-Brave starter Kyle Wright (L, 3-7), and the scoring started in the third.
Shed Long doubled home Chris Okey to tie the game at 1-1. A batter later, Nick Longhi drove a deep sacrifice fly to the center fielder Lien which scored the go-ahead run, Varner, from third. Narciso Crook tripled and scored on a fielder’s choice in the fourth inning to stretch the Pensacola lead to 3-1.
The Wahoos had Wright on the ropes when the first five batters of the fifth inning reached. C.J. McElroy led the rally off with a single followed by base hits from Long, Longhi and Brian O’Grady before Luis Gonzalez walked. Longhi’s single scored McElroy, and O’Grady’s brought home Long to make it a 5-1. Gonzalez drove Long in for his second run of the game with a single in the ninth to cap the scoring at 6-1.
Longhi and Long both paced the Wahoos hot bats. Longhi finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Long finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
Robinson Leyer did a fine job in relief of Varner with two scoreless innings before Jesus Reyes finished the game with a scoreless ninth.
The Blue Wahoos look for their fourth straight win on Saturday night in Mississippi. Pensacola will start RHP Daniel Wright (2-3, 4.50) against Braves RHP Touki Toussaint (2-6, 3.52). First pitch is set for 6:00 c.t. from Trustmark Park.