Blue Wahoos: Northview Teacher Tosses First Pitch, NHS NJROTC Presents Colors
May 8, 2015
Pictured: Escambia County Teacher of the Year, Anna Barry of Northview High School, tossed the first pitch at Thursday night’s Blue Wahoos game in Pensacola. The Northview High School NJROTC presented the colors before the game. Photos by Barrett McClean for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Beat Smokies
May 8, 2015
Jesse Winker’s first hit of the game Thursday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium knocked in the winning run which led to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 100th home victory in its fourth season.
Winker’s single to center field scored Juan Perez from second base to give Pensacola a, 5-4, victory over the Tennessee Smokies in front of 4,386 fans. The Blue Wahoos are just 1,620 fans away from reaching one million Friday in its first four seasons of existence.
Winker said a chance for a walk-off is the position a hitter looks forward to being in. Friday’s was his third for Pensacola since being promoted mid-season last year from High-A Bakersfield.
“It’s always a situation you want to be in whether you are 10-for-10 or 0-for-10,” said Winker, the Cincinnati Reds No. 2 rated prospect according to MLB.com. “It’s the best feeling in baseball. Those are the moments you live for.”
After losing both doubleheaders in the last inning on Thursday, the Wahoos turned the tables on the Smokies, who scored its four runs in the first inning off of starting pitcher Daniel Wright on a walk and four hits. The big hit came on right fielder Bijan Rademacher’s bases-clearing double.
The first pitch for the game was tossed by Escambia County’s Teacher of the Year, Anna Barry from Northview High School, and the colors were presented by the Northview High School NJROTC. Click for photos.
Wright settled down and had two 1-2-3 innings and got out of a bases loaded jam in the third inning. He struck out 10 batters in five innings.
Meanwhile, the Blue Wahoos fought back with two runs in the bottom of the first inning when first baseman Kyle Waldrop singled to center field and Perez scored. Seth Mejias-Brean then singled sharply back up the middle to drive in Ryan Wright to bring Pensacola within, 4-2.
Winker scored in the fifth on a ground out by Mejias-Brean, his second RBI of the game. Kyle Skipworth, who led off the sixth with a single in his first game down from Triple-A Louisville, tied the game, 4-4, when he scored on a wild pitch by Smokies reliever Fernando Cruz.
Wright said the two runs in the bottom of the first helped calm him down on the mound. He was happy with pitching six innings and getting the no-decision.
“The two in the bottom of the first really settled me in,” Wright (0-4) said. “I have to spot up my fastball. I don’t throw 97 mph fastballs. That’s not my game.”
“He’s a Hall-of-Famer and you don’t get that chance every day,” Winker said. “I look forward to implementing some of the things he said.”
Both Winker and Wright hope the walk-off changes the course of the season for the last place Blue Wahoos who are 9-19.
“We haven’t started the season off like we wanted to,” Wright said. “We’ve got the batters to do it. We’ve got the pitchers to do it. Jesse coming through there for us is big for us.”
Added the ever-confident Winker: “Anything can happen from this point on.”
Pensacola Manager Pat Kelly said both Winker and Waldrop talked hitting with Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin before the game. Larkin has been in Pensacola during the Smokies series.
“They talked about hitting mechanics,” Kelly said. “We’ve been close a couple of times. Jesse’s been close. He’s worked really hard.”
Winker, who’s hitting .240 this season after winning the Arizona League batting crown in the fall, acknowledged getting some advice from Larkin earlier in the day.
Photos by Barrett McClean for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Beats Liberty County, Chiefs Head To Regional Finals
May 6, 2015
The Northview Chiefs beat Liberty County 7-0 in Bratt Tuesday night in the Region 2-1A semifinals.
With the playoff win, the Chiefs (18-2) will be on the road Friday to Panama City to take on Bozeman in the Region 2-1A championship game. The winner heads to the state tournament, the loser heads home.
Brett Weeks pitched seven for the Chiefs, allowing five hits and no runs, and striking out seven. Hitting for Northview were RBI; Chasen Freeman 2-3, 2 RBIs, run; Quentin Sampson 1-3, 2 runs, Dakotah Lowery 1-3, RBI; Brody Amos 1-2, 2 runs; Weeks 1-1, 2 RBIs.
Photos by Ramona Preston for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate’s Simmons Signs With Alabama State
May 5, 2015
Tate High School senior Regine Simmons has signed a volleyball scholarship with Alabama State University. Simmons is pictured being congratulated by Tate High Principal Rick Shackle. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate To State: Lady Aggies Hit The Road
May 5, 2015
The Tate Lady Aggies hit the road Monday for Vero Beach and the state semifinals. The Lady Aggies will face the Bartow High School Yellow Jackets in the Class 7A state semifinals Wednesday afternoon. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Beat Jackson
May 4, 2015
Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitcher Josh Smith picked up his second win of the season by throwing seven scoreless innings against the Jackson Generals on Sunday.
Smith, who last pitched for the Blue Wahoos in 2013, is now 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA after giving up six hits and striking out eight in Pensacola’s, 5-1, victory at The Ballpark in Jackson. The win ended a two-game losing streak to the Generals, who wrap up its five-game series Monday with Pensacola.
Smith wasn’t the only star for Pensacola on Sunday. Designated hitter Kyle Waldrop went 3-5 with a double, scored a run and drove in two more. Marquez Smith also had a 3-5 day and scored.
Pensacola scored first in the third inning. They took a 1-0 lead when Juan Silva tripled for the first time this season on a soft line drive to right field and Beau Amaral knocked him in with a single on a line drive to left field.
Marquez Smith then singled sharply to left field and Waldrop doubled on a fly ball to center field that drove in Smith to put Pensacola up, 2-0. Waldrop moved to third base on a Seth Mejias-Brean ground out to shortstop. Chris Berset drove Waldrop in on a sacrifice fly to center field for a 3-0 Pensacola lead.
Pensacola made it 4-0 when Jesse Winker reached first on a fielder’s choice and two out. Smith followed with a single to right field and Winker took third on a fielding error by Jackson right fielder Jabari Blash. Waldrop then drove in Winker with a two-out single to center field.
The Blue Wahoos added an insurance run in the ninth when Juan Perez singled on a ground ball to the second baseman and reached third on a wild pitch by Jackson’s Trevor Miller. Ryan Wright then drove Perez in on a sacrifice fly to go ahead, 5-0.
Perez went 2-5 and has now hit in six straight games and 15 of the last 16 games. He’s leading Pensacola with a .311 batting average.
Tate To State After Regional Final Win
May 2, 2015
For the second year in a row, the Tate Lady Aggies are headed to the State Final Four.
The Lady Aggies beat Atlantic Coast High School in Jacksonville 2-1 Friday night to claim the Region 1-7A championship.
Tate was led by pitcher Tori Perkins on the mound. In seven innings, she allowed five hits while striking out five. Hitting for Tate were Lauren Brennan 1-2, 2 RBI; Casey McCrackin 1-3, 2 R; Elizabeth Werdann 1-3; Hayden Lindsay 1-3; Savannah Rowell 1-2.
The Aggies will travel to Vero Beach to take on the Bartow Yellow Jackets Wednesday at Historic Dogertown in the Class 7A state semifinals.
Pictured: The Tate Lady Aggies celebrate their regional championship win Friday night in Jacksonville. Photo by Mike Brennan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jay Wins Regional Title; Headed To State
May 2, 2015
The Jay Lady Royals won the Region 2-1A championship Friday night with a 2-1 win over the Chipley Tigers. It will be the third trip to state in the last four years for the Lady Royals
Destiny Herring pitched seven innings for Jay, allowing just two hits and striking out six. At the plate, Herring as 1-3 with a run, while Samantha Steadham wen 1-3 with a double. It was Coach Brian Watson’s 200th win.
The Jay Lady Royals will travel to Vero Beach for a Wednesday morning game against Sneads at Historic Dodgertown in the state semifinals.
Pictured: The Jay Lady Royals after their regional win Friday night. Photo By Diann Tagert for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Two West Florida Seniors Sign
May 2, 2015
Two West Florida High School seniors signed letters of intent Friday. Keandre Prim signed to play football with Faulkner University, while Teandre Jones signed a basketball scholarship with Shelton State. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Chiefs’ Lambert, Newsome Sign Letters Of Intent
May 1, 2015
Two Northview High School seniors signed football letters of intent Thursday. Cameron Newsome (right) signed with Waldorf College in Iowa, and Nick Lambert signed with Faulkner University in Montgomery. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
