Wahoos Edge Stars In 11 For Fifth Straight Win
August 22, 2013
Pensacola claimed their fifth straight win by sneaking past the Huntsville Stars 1-0 in 11 innings on Wednesday afternoon at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville.
Ryan LaMarre scored on a wild pitch from David Goforth (L, 4-3) with two outs in the top of the 11th for the game winning run. He singled to start the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and moved up to third on a groundout allowing him to score when the pitch to Yorman Rodriguez got away.
Both teams had opportunities to score earlier in the game. Corey Wimberly was thrown out at home in the third inning when he tried to score on a throw to first base behind LaMarre who had just singled. That was the second out of the inning, but LaMarre was stranded at second. Huntsville looked like they had a run in the seventh, on what seemed to be a sacrifice fly. With the bases loaded and one out, Hector Gomez flew out to LaMarre in deep left-center field, appearing to score Jason Rogers from third, but the throw to third was in time to get Shawn Zarraga trying to advance from second, and the plate umpire ruled that the out at third was before Rogers crossed home from third base.
Both starting pitchers were outstanding. For Pensacola, Josh Smith fired 6.1 shutout innings with four strikeouts and only one walk in a no decision. Ariel Pena also took a no decision for Huntsville. He worked seven scoreless with eight strikeouts. The Blue Wahoos bullpen preserved the shutout between 2.2 innings from Jaime Walczak, a scoreless 10th inning from Drew Hayes (W, 4-3) and a scoreless 11th from Trevor Bell (S, 16).
Hayes earned the win two strikeouts in the 10th before Bell tied a Blue Wahoos record with his 16th save of the season. The Wahoos closer worked around a two-out single to match Justin Freeman’s record of 16 saves from 2012. The 11th was Goforth’s only inning of work in the losing effort.
The Blue Wahoos will keep an eye on the Jacksonville-Chattanooga game in Chattanooga, Tenn. later Wednesday night. With a Suns loss, Pensacola will only be 3.5 games out of first place.
The Blue Wahoos will go for the series sweep on Thursday night in Huntsville. Pensacola will turn to RHP Robert Stephenson (0-1, 3.00) for his second Double-A start against RHP Books Hall (2-4, 4.53). First pitch is slated for 6:43 p.m. in Huntsville.
Fans ‘Meet The Chiefs’ (With Gallery)
August 21, 2013
Fans had chance to “Meet the Chiefs” Tuesday evening at Northview High School. NHS fans turned out to meet the Chiefs varsity and junior varsity teams, cheerleaders, band and dance team.
The defending state champs will take to the field a preseason matchup Friday at 7 p.m. against Bay High School.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Make It Four Straight Win 8-1 Rout Of Huntsville
August 21, 2013
Devin Lohman’s 3-for-4 game led the way as the Blue Wahoos beat the Huntsville Stars 8-1 for their fourth straight win on Tuesday night at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville, Ala. With a loss from the Jacksonville Suns, Pensacola picked up a game in the Southern League south division standings. The Wahoos now sit just 4.5 games behind the first place Suns.
Pensacola got the offense going with a four-run third inning. Two batters after Wahoos starting pitcher Tim Crabbe singled home the first run of the game, Devin Lohman unloaded for a three-run homer to left giving the Wahoos a 4-0 win.
The Blue Wahoos plated their fifth run on wild pitch in the fifth inning and put the game out of reach with three more runs in the seventh. Mike Costanzo’s two-run double highlighted the frame before he scored on a sacrifice fly from Tucker Barnhart.
Tim Crabbe (W, 7-8) earned the win for Pensacola after working six innings and allowing just one run on a sacrifice fly in the third. He surrendered five hits, all over the first three innings. The Blue Wahoo starter finished strong, retiring the final 10 batters he faced and 12 of the last 13.
Pensacola knocked the Brewers No. 3 rated prospect, Taylor Jungmann (L, 9-9), out of the game after five innings. He was charged with five of the Wahoos eight runs on seven hits. He walked two and fanned two in the losing effort. It was the first time all year Jungmann has allowed more than four runs in back to back starts.
Pensacola will look for their fourth straight win on Wednesday afternoon in Huntsville. The Blue Wahoos will send RHP Josh Smith (9-9, 3.67) to the mound against Stars RHP Ariel Pena (7-8, 4.09). First pitch is slated for 1:03p.m. from Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville.
Wahoos Sweep Double Header 2-1, 3-2 From Huntsville
August 20, 2013
The Blue Wahoos won their second and third straight games by sweeping their doubleheader with the Stars with a 2-1 win in game one, before claiming a 3-2 win in a rain-shortened second game.
In game one, the two teams waited out a 30-minute rain delay with two on and two outs and the Stars batting in the bottom of the first. Once it stopped, Huntsville took a 1-0 lead when Jason Rogers tried to move in to third on a pitch in the dirt, but Tucker Barnhart’s throw got away and allowed Rogers to score the first run of the game.
Pensacola evened the score in the fourth when Mike Costanzo unloaded on his third home run of the season, all against Huntsville. In the fifth, the Wahoos went ahead with back to back doubles from Jon Moscot and Ryan LaMarre. That proved to be all the Wahoos needed as Moscot (W, 2-1) finished five strong innings on the mound allowing just the one unearned run on only two hits with four strikeouts to earn his second win of the season.
Trevor Bell nailed down the save, his 15th of the season with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
In the second game, the Blue Wahoos used a solo home run from Brandon Short to kick start the offense. Later in the inning, Yorman Rodriguez plated two more with a two-run single to right. That was enough with the Wahoos holding off late rallies of a run each from the Stars in the fourth and fifth innings. With the Wahoos batting in the top of the seventh, the rains hit hard at Joe Davis Stadium immediately following a double to right by Corey Wimberly. The game was delayed and eventually called making the Wahoos the winners of the rain-shortened game.
Parker Frazier (W, 2-1) earned the win for the Blue Wahoos out of the bullpen with 1.2 scoreless innings worked. Stars starter Frankie De La Cruz (L, 1-4) surrendered all three Pensacola runs and was charged with the loss. Daniel Renken started for Pensacola and allowed just one run on four hits over four innings. He fanned six while walking just two.
The Blue Wahoos and the Stars will continue the series on Tuesday night in Huntsville. Pensacola will send RHP Tim Crabbe (6-8, 3.35) against Stars RHP Taylor Jungmann (9-8, 3-95). First pitch is slated for 6:43 p.m.
Wahoos Snap Losing Skid, Open Series With 4-1 Win Over Stars
August 19, 2013
Ryan LaMarre broke up a scoreless tie with a two-run homer in the top of the third which proved to be all Pensacola needed in their series-opening 4-1 win over the Huntsville Stars at Joe Davis Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The win snapped a six game losing streak for the Blue Wahoos.
Following LaMarre’s blast, Pensacola added another run later in the inning when three straight batters walked following a Devin Lohman single. Mike Costanzo provided an insurance run in the fifth with a solo home run to right field.
Wahoo starter Carlos Contreras pitched well through five innings before running into problems in the sixth when the Stars collected four hits against the right-hander, including an RBI single by Jason Rogers. Contreras was done after six and allowed just the one run on six hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts.
Offensively, Costanzo and Lohman along with Corey Wimberly each had multi-hit games for the Wahoos. Contreras earned the win for Pensacola with Trevor Bell picking up his 14th save of the year with a scoreless ninth. Drew Gagnon took the loss for Huntsville after getting charged with all four Wahoos runs on eight hits over 6.1 innings.
The two teams will continue the six game series with a doubleheader on Monday. Pensacola will send RHP Jon Moscot (1-1, 6.60) and RHP Daniel Renken (6-8, 3.67) to the mound in games one and two respectively against RHP Frankie De La Cruz (1-3, 5.06) and RHP Andy Moye (5-13, 4.20). First pitch is slated for 4:03 p.m. in Huntsville.
Wahoos, Braves A Washout
August 18, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos’ contest with the Mississippi Braves scheduled for Saturday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium was canceled due to inclement weather. The game will not be made up as the Braves and Blue Wahoos do not meet again this season.
Fans with tickets to Saturday night’s game can use their ticket for any of the final five 2013 regular season home games, subject to availability for a ticket of equal or lesser value. Exchanges must be made in person at the Blue Wahoos Ticket Office.
The Wahoos now hit the road for a six-game series with the Huntsville Stars starting on Sunday afternoon at 4:03 p.m. Carlos Contreras (1-2, 3.12), Saturday’s scheduled starter, will now get the call on Sunday against Huntsville’s Drew Gagnon (4-6, 5.51).
Wahoos Fall To Braves
August 17, 2013
Pensacola’s Robert Stephenson fired six shutout innings before yielding a pair of runs in the seventh and eventually falling in his Double-A debut, 5-1 to the Mississippi Braves in front of the 26th sellout crowd of the year at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Stephenson, touching 96 MPH with his fastball, allowed just two hits in the first six innings before walking the first two batters he faced in the seventh inning. Michael Lorenzen, the 38th overall pick in the 2013 draft, entered and gave up RBI singles to Jaime Pedroza and Barrett Kleinknecht with another run scoring on a throwing error by left fielder Josh Fellhauer turning a one-run deficit into a 3-1 lead for Mississippi.
Stephenson was charged with a pair of runs to fall to 0-1 with Pensacola. The right-hander yielded just two hits in six-plus innings with five strikeouts and three walks.
Mississippi’s Michael Lee was just as good for the Braves, limiting Pensacola to just one run on six hits in seven innings. His lone outlier was a Travis Mattair RBI single in the last of the second to give the Wahoos a 1-0. Lee improved to 8-8 on the year.
The Braves were able to put the game out of reach with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth against Drew Hayes. Mississippi strung together three hits around an error with RBI’s coming from Dan Brewer and Kleinknecht.
Pensacola will look to avoid its second series sweep of the year on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. The Wahoos will give the ball to Carlos Contreras (1-2, 3.12) with the Braves countering with southpaw Ian Thomas (7-7, 2.62).
story by Kevin Burke
Deer Hunting Changes Proposed
August 16, 2013
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is looking at possible changes to deer hunting in Northwest Florida, including all of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, for the 2014-2015 hunting season.
Under the proposed changes, the FWC is looking at antler-point regulations in Deer Management Unit (DMU) D-1 that would require that antlered deer have at least one antler with two or more antler points on one side to be eligible for harvest. DMU D-1 is south of Interstate 10.
In DMU D-2, which is north of Interstate 10, antlered deer would need at least one antler with three or more points on one side to be eligible for harvest.
Hunters under the age of 16 would be exempt from the proposed antler-point regulations on private lands and on some wildlife management areas.
“The purpose of the antler-point regulations, both in DMU D-1 and DMU D-2, is to protect the majority of 1.5-year-old bucks from harvest while allowing the harvest of 2.5-year-old and older bucks,” said James Kelly, Assistant Deer Management Program coordinator. “During our outreach efforts, we heard a lot of support for increasing the number of bucks in the population, improving buck-to-doe ratios and increasing the size of bucks harvested.”
Other changes under consideration are to shift the antlerless deer season on private lands in DMU D-1 (south of I-10) from the current seven consecutive days to four weekend days during the general gun season.
In DMU D-2 (north of I-10), antlerless deer days would increase to eight weekend days. Three weekends would occur during general gun season, and one weekend would occur during the muzzleloading gun season.
“The proposed change in antlerless deer days in DMU D-1 is to fulfill the stakeholders’ goal of maintaining or increasing the deer population while also increasing the flexibility of antlerless deer days during general gun season,” Kelly said. “Deer-herd density and productivity is higher in DMU D-2, which is why we are recommending more antlerless deer days for this unit.”
Kelly said the regulation proposals are based on detailed input from hunters, landowners, farmers and others during a series of public meetings, public webinars, surveys and technical assistance group meetings.
The proposed changes are recommendations by FWC staff and have not yet been presented to Commissioners for consideration and action. More detailed information and the opportunity to provide feedback on both proposals can be made at MyFWC.com/Deer.
Braves Power Past Pensacola
August 16, 2013
Tommy La Stella blasted a two run homer with two outs in the top of the seventh inning completing, a three-run comeback for the Mississippi Braves in a 4-3 win over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Thursday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Mississippi trailed 3-0 after a three-run home run from Yorman Rodriguez in the last of the third, but scored in three straight innings starting in the fifth against Pensacola starter Josh Smith. In the fifth, four straight hitters reached for the Braves with two outs, culminating in a two-out single from Omar Luna.
An inning later, Edward Salcedo smacked his 12th round-tripper of the year to cut the deficit to 3-2. La Stella, who tied the game in the ninth on Wednesday with a solo homer, blasted a two-run shot off of Smith to give the Braves their first lead of the day at 4-3.
Smith took the loss for Pensacola, falling to 9-9 on the season. The right-hander struck out eight batters in seven innings of work, but he yielded four runs on 10 base hits.
Mississippi starter Mitch Atkins limited Pensacola to just three runs, all on the homer from Rodriguez, in his seven innings of work. Atkins improved to 5-1 as he struck out six and allowed six hits.
James Hoyt picked up his first save of the season by tossing the final two frames for the Braves. In the ninth inning, Ryan LaMarre doubled and moved to third with one out, but Hoyt struck out Josh Fellhauer and got Brandon Short to ground out to third to end the contest.
Having dropped five straight games, the Blue Wahoos will turn to the Reds top pitching prospect Robert Stephenson who will take the ball in his Double-A debut on Friday night. Michael Lee (7-8, 4.02) will get the start for the Braves with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.
Wahoos Fall 3-2 In 14
August 15, 2013
Down to their final out in the ninth inning, the Mississippi Braves tied the game on a solo homer and went on to win on a wild pitch in the 14th inning 3-2 over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Wednesday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
In the 14th inning, Loek Van Mil walked the leadoff hitter Greg Golson, and then exited the game with an apparent injury. Mississippi loaded the bases on a single and a walk against Pensacola’s new pitcher Drew Hayes, who then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Golson to scamper home with the eventual winning run. Van Mil was charged with the loss for Pensacola, falling to 0-8 on the year.
Ryne Harper picked up his ninth save of the year with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 14th inning, making a winner of Gary Moran who improved to 2-2 with three scoreless innings of relief in extra innings.
Extras were made necessary thanks to Tommy La Stella’s two-out homer off Trevor Bell in the top of the ninth inning. It was the first blown save for Bell this season in 14 chances for Pensacola.
The Wahoos were held to just one hit through seven innings and found themselves down 1-0 headed to the eighth. However, the Wahoos found success against Shae Simmons as Josh Fellhauer gave Pensacola a brief 2-1 lead with a two-run double down the left field line.
The lone run in the game prior the eighth came on a controversial play at the plate in the fourth inning as La Stella somehow avoided a tag of catcher Tucker Barnhart at the plate on a Christian Marrero single and reached back to slap the plate ahead of Barnhart’s second attempted tag.
Both starters were strong in the game, although neither factored in the decision. For Pensacola, Tim Crabbe gave up just a run on seven hits in six innings while establishing a new season-high with nine strikeouts. Gus Schlosser limited the Wahoos to one hit over six frames, striking out four and walking three.
Pensacola will look to snap its four-game losing streak on Thursday night with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch. Josh Smith (9-8, 3.60) takes the ball for the Wahoos against the Braves’ Mitch Atkins (4-1, 2.65).