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Berry’s Blast, Strong Pitching Lift Blue Wahoos To Win

written by Bill Vilona

Along with taking on their usual alternate identity Thursday as the Pensacola Mullets, the Blue Wahoos recreated what has always worked so well.

They got a strong start on the mound. Flawless relief pitching. And one big hit.

The summation became a 3-1 win against the Montgomery Biscuits on “Mullet Thursday” that was much needed, following the first two games of this homestand at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

“Yeah, we’re kinda in a race right here to make the playoffs, obviously that’s the goal, and we’re just trying to play our best brand of baseball,” said Jacob Berry, whose two-run homer in the fourth inning was the decisive hit in the game.

“Just top to bottom it was great baseball.”

Evan Fitterer set the early tone by tossing three scoreless innings with runners on base each time. His only run allowed was on a fourth inning ground out. He worked five innings to earn the win, improve to 6-4 and lower his earned run average to 3.60 for the season.

Fitterer had six strikeouts in his quality start.

The game was decided in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Graham Pauley reached on a single. Berry timed a one-strike cutter from Biscuits starter Sean Hunley that was low in the strike zone, but launched high into the right-center berm for his eighth home run.

It continued a hot bat that Berry has swung this week, after collecting five hits in seven plate appearances the first two games.

“I wasn’t really thinking about it too much, just trying to stick to my positives,” Berry said. “Just trying to put a good swing on it. I feel like I got a good pitch to hit.”

Later in the inning, Paul McIntosh drove in the third run on a grounder that scored Nathan Martorella, who singled and advanced to third on Joe Mack’s double.

From that point, the Blue Wahoos bullpen took over in a way that didn’t happen on previous nights.

Adam Laskey earned his seventh hold by shutting out Montgomery the next three innings, allowing just two hits and getting two strikeouts among the 12 batters he faced. The pivotal moment occurred in the sixth inning when Laskey entered the game.

The first two Biscuits batters reached on a hit by pitch and single. Laskey then got a lineout to shortstop Jared Serna, struck out the next batter and ended the inning on a ground out to first baseman Nathan Martorella.

That set things up for Justin King to get his first save in a Blue Wahoos uniform. King gave up a leadoff single in the ninth, but ended any drama by striking out the next two batters and having a fly out that Jacob Marsee tracked in left-center to end the game.

Catcher Joe Mack began clapping as he ran to congratulate King with a hug as the Blue Wahoos finished a game played in two hours, nine minutes.

They will now try to even the series on Friday, a Giveaway Friday where the first 1,000 fans will receive a refillable drink container. It will be the first home start for newcomer Jacob Miller, who has made two effective road starts since being promoted from High-A Beloit at the beginning of the month.

GAME NOTABLES

— The Blue Wahoos are now 8-2 on Thursdays wearing the Pensacola Mullets jerseys.

— Unfortunately for Jacob Serna, who had produced at least one hit in each of his 13 games since joining the Blue Wahoos, his streak ended Thursday with an 0-for-4 night.

— During pregame ceremonies, Clay Pyle, the “Jean Lafitte LXIX” of Pensacola’s Krewe of Lafitte, presented a $5,000 check on behalf of the Krew and the Krewe of Lafitte Foundation to the local chapter of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Pensacola’s Krewe of Lafitte is celebrating its 70th anniversary since being founded in 1954.

The Krewe partnered with the Blue Wahoos for its “KOL Pirate Takeover of Blue Wahoos” on Thursday night and helped bring awareness and raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

— The All Sports Association, based in Fort Walton Beach, had its group outing Thursday night. The organization was formed in 1970 and is the sports association for the Fort Walton-Destin and Walton County area, headlined by its annual awards banquet in February.

WANT TO GO?

WHO: Montgomery Biscuits vs. Blue Wahoos

WHEN: Thursday, 6:05 p.m.

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium

Blue Wahoos’ Big Lead Erased In 12-8 Loss To Montgomery

written by Bill Vilona

A night after their most lopsided home loss this season, the Blue Wahoos experienced the most deflating.

After taking an 8-0 lead into the fourth inning, the big lead and feel-good dugout vibe Wednesday eventually dissolved into a ninth inning collapse and 12-8 loss against the Montgomery Biscuits at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
With the Blue Wahoos leading 8-5, newcomer reliever Nigel Belgrave had his home debut in the top of the ninth melt down without getting an out.

He gave a leadoff double, then plunked two batters with another base hit in between, had a walk, uncorked a wild pitch and was lifted with the Biscuits up 9-8.

Tyler Eckberg came in and was tagged for a two-run double. A deep flyout scored the other run. The half-inning lasted 26 minutes and required more than 60 pitches before the Biscuits’ onslaught stopped.
It put a glum ending to a game that began so well for the home team.

Pensacola took on its alternate identity, along with uniform change, as the Pensacola Pok-ta-Pok, in the final of a quartet of games this season as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión initiative.
For the first time in 53 home games, this one began late, following a 41-minute rain delay
.
All that pent-up energy in seeking to erase Tuesday’s 18-5 loss began well for the Blue Wahoos. They jumped on Biscuits starter Trevor Martin for four runs in the first inning.

Jakob Marsee led off with a single, the stole second. Shortstop Jared Serna extended his hitting streak to 13 games with an RBI single. Jacob Berry singled. And with two out, Joe Mack blasted a moon shot over the stadium’s right field party deck area and out of sight somewhere behind the ballpark.

In the third inning, Nathan Martorella blasted a three-run homer to score Serna and Berry, who had both singled. For Serna, he’s had at least one hit in each of his 13 games since the former New York Yankees rising prospect joined the team in a trade.

Mack then followed a solo homer, giving him a team high 19 for the season.

Blue Wahoos starter Luis Palacios appeared in line for his 19th career win for the Blue Wahoos, which would have tied the franchise career record set by Daniel Wright set during his time in 2015-2018.
Even after Palacios gave up a two-run homer in the fourth inning, then back-to-back homers in the sixth, he still had a three-run lead.

Reliever Dale Stanavich then retired all seven batters he faced to get the Blue Wahoos to the ninth inning with a 3-run lead.

But Belgrave could not find the strike zone and wasn’t close with many of his pitches. He had made four relief appearances during the Blue Wahoos’ two-week road trip since joining the team from the Class-A Beloit Sky Carp. He had allowed just two runs and three hits during that span.

This time, however, Belgrave couldn’t get into a groove. He was a 15th round pick by the Miami Marlins and the first member of their 2023 Draft class to reach Double-A.
The Biscuits pounced on his mistakes, scoring seven runs total in the inning.

The Blue Wahoos will now try and get back into the homestand series on Thursday with Evan Fitterer on the mound against the Biscuits’ talented righthander Sean Hunley (4-2, 1.79 ERA).

GAME NOTABLES

— The Blue Wahoos grounds crew, led by Gordon van Weyhe, raced to combat a pop-up storm late Wednesday afternoon. Once the tarp was on, then eventually removed, it took just 45 minutes to get the field ready for a first pitch and kept the Blue Wahoos’ string of home games without a postponement intact. This season, there had not been a game delayed by pregame rain until Wednesday.

— The Blue Anchor Belles performed the National Anthem.

WANT TO GO?

WHO: Montgomery Biscuits vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Thursday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium

Tate Aggies Volleyball Gears Up For Season With New Jerseys

The Tate Aggies volleyball team is ready to serve up a new look for the 2024 season. The squad recently unveiled fresh jerseys as they prepare to hit the court.

The Aggies will kick off their season on the road, facing off against the Milton Panthers on August 20 and the Gulf Breeze Dolphins on August 22. They will then return home to host the Pensacola Catholic Crusaders on August 27.

Pictured: New Tate volleyball white jerseys worn by the senior class and new Dig Pink jerseys modeled by junior Aggies. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Blue Wahoos Sustain Rough Return Home In Loss To Biscuits

written by Bill Vilona

This was not exactly the welcome back the Blue Wahoos sought.

Their successful road trip was replaced by a forgettable restart Tuesday, after the Montgomery Biscuits pounded out 10 runs in the first two innings, then rolled to an 18-5 victory to begin the first homestand in 16 days at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

The Biscuits had all nine hitters at the plate in the first inning, scoring six runs on a pair of homers, then chased out starter Patrick Monteverde with four more runs, including another multi-run homer, before the second inning ended. The Biscuits led 14-0 into the seventh inning.

Montgomery blasted six home runs Tuesday. It was that kind of forgettable night in the Blue Wahoos’ worst home loss this season.

The Biscuits (62-47 overall, 22-18 in the second half), who edged out the Blue Wahoos (60-47, 22-17) for the first half divisional win, now have four of the Tampa Bay Rays’ top six prospects in their batting order.

All did early damage Tuesday.

Shortstop Carson Williams, the Rays’ No. 2 overall prospect, doubled home Montgomery’s first run, then walked and scored on catcher Dominic Keegan’s two-run double in the second inning. Keegan is the Rays’ No. 6 rated prospect. His hit scored Xavier Issac (No. 3 prospect) who reached on a single and finished with three hits, three RBI in the game.

Later that inning, Brayden Taylor (No. 4 rated), blasted a two-run homer off Monteverde. Taylor also scored in the first inning on Matthew Etzel’s homer.

It was the roughest outing Monteverde encountered in his three seasons with the Blue Wahoos. He was the Miami Marlins Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season and a Southern League All-Star.

In 1.2 innings Tuesday, he yielded 10 runs on eight hits, including three homers.

One bright spot for the Blue Wahoos was reliever Anderson Pilar, who followed Monteverde with 2.1 quality innings with four strikeouts, no walks and one hit.

Another home club highlight was Cody Morissette smashing a 3-run homer in the seventh inning over the centerfield wall. Newcomer Graham Pauley had a two-run homer in the eighth inning.

In his final at-bat, Jared Serna singled to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, getting at least one hit in each game since joining the Blue Wahoos in a trade.

The Blue Wahoos, who have struggled against the Biscuits this season to a 6-13 record, entered this week with good vibes. They went 8-3 on the two-week road trip against the Chattanooga Lookouts and Mississippi Braves to pull within two games of first place Biloxi in the second half division race.

It was their second 16-day break between home games this season. Tuesday was the first game since May 23 played on a school night after area schools began their 2024 fall semester on Monday.

The second game of the series will be Wednesday at 6:05 p.m. with the Blue Wahoos’ wins leader, lefthander Luis Palacios (8-5, 4.85 ERA), on the mound against the Biscuits’ Trevor Martin (1-2, 4.91.). Pregame activities will begin at 5:45 p.m. and include ceremonial first pitches. The actual first pitch in the game will be at 6:05 p.m.

GAME NOTABLES

— Prior to the game, the Blue Wahoos held a moment of silence for Gene Rosenbaum, a long-time season-ticket holder, who passed away on July 27. He was a regular attendee at Blue Wahoos Stadium and well-known among the fans seated in his section.

— The Blue Wahoos added infielder Johnny Olmstead, who was recently elevated from the Beloit Sky Carp, the Miami Marlins’ High-A affiliate. Olmstead, 24, was a 19th round selection by the Marlins out of the University of Southern California. He was batting .239 with 11 homers with the Sky Carp.

— The move corresponded to outfielder Andrew Pintar being placed on the injured list after he was hit in the face by a pitch in Sunday’s game against Mississippi. He was one of four new players joining the Blue Wahoos when the Marlins received 15 new players in their organization from various trades on the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

Blue Wahoos Toppled In Road Finale By Pair Of Big Innings

written by Erik Bremer

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (60-46) fell Sunday in the finale of their two-week road trip by a score of 10-1 against the Mississippi Braves (49-58).

With a series win already in hand, the Wahoos turned to veteran righthander Jeff Lindgren (L, 1-4) to close out a fifth win in six days. At first, both Lindgren and his mound opponent David Fletcher (W, 2-4) matched one another pitch for pitch. The game remained scoreless through the first three innings before the Wahoos dented the scoreboard first.

In the top of the fourth inning, Pensacola shortstop Jared Serna doubled to right field. The extra-base hit extended Serna’s Double-A hitting streak to 11 games. After a lineout moved Serna to third, first baseman Nathan Martorella’s groundout drove in Serna to give Pensacola a 1-0 lead.

However, the advantage proved to be short-lived. The M-Braves responded with a five-run barrage in the bottom of the fifth inning, which put them ahead for good. Working against Lindgren, Mississippi loaded the bases with one out for designated hitter David McCabe, who singled to score two runs and give the Braves a 2-1 lead. Second baseman Yolbert Sanchez then brought home another run with a sacrifice fly before first baseman Bryson Horne doubled off of Wahoos lefthander Chandler Jozwiak to drive home two additional runs and put the Braves ahead 5-1.

The five-run outburst proved to be more than enough for Mississippi, who put up a second five-run inning in the bottom of the seventh to go ahead 10-1. The game marked the first time the Wahoos had given up double-digit runs since June 5 – also against Mississippi. Despite the defeat, Pensacola returns home having won eight of 11 games during its two-week road trip.

The Wahoos saw several recent additions perform well during the two-week road trip. Shortstop Jared Serna hit .444 with 10 doubles in his first 11 Double-A games, while lefthander Robby Snelling impressed through his first two Pensacola starts (combined 10.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 14 K).

The Blue Wahoos return home on Tuesday to begin a series versus the Montgomery Biscuits. First pitch from Blue Wahoos Stadium is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT

Tate High Cheerleaders Receive State Championship Rings

The Tate High School cheerleaders received their state championship rings Friday evening at the Crimson and Gray game.

The Tate cheerleaders won the FHSAA State Championship back in February, their third in six years. They also placed fifth in the nation.

Members of the team and their coaches were:

Northescambia.com and courtesy (top) photos, click to enlarge.

Wahoos Win 7-1 Over Braves

written by Erik Bremer

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos secured a series win in their six-game set with the Mississippi Braves on Saturday night, cruising to a 7-1 victory.

Robby Snelling (W, 1-0), acquired two weeks ago by the Marlins in a deadline trade with the San Diego Padres organization, led a combined two-hitter to earn his first win with the Blue Wahoos. The 20-year-old lefty struck out seven batters over 5.0 scoreless, one-hit innings while needing only 62 pitches.

Jared Serna, another recent trade acquisition from the New York Yankees organization, continued his torrid pace at the plate. The Blue Wahoos shortstop went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI, giving him a 10-game hitting streak to start his career in Pensacola. Through his first 10 games with the Blue Wahoos, Serna is batting .452 with nine doubles and 11 RBI.

The Blue Wahoos jumped ahead right away in the first inning against Braves starter Ian Mejia (L, 7-5), turning a Serna walk into the game’s first run with an RBI double from Nathan Martorella.

The game opened up in a five-run fourth inning, as the Blue Wahoos got an RBI single from Shane Sasaki and a bad-bounce fielding error off the bat of Jakob Marsee before Serna capped the frame with a two-run double.
Handed a 6-0 lead, Snelling cruised through 5.0 innings to qualify for his first Blue Wahoos win. Adam Laskey, Justin King and Nigel Belgrave contributed effective relief to lock down the win.

The Blue Wahoos gained ground on the first-place Biloxi Shuckers, who fell 1-0 to the Biscuits in Montgomery and are now just 1.0 game ahead of Pensacola in the South Division with 31 games remaining in the regular season.
The series in Mississippi wraps up on Sunday afternoon. First pitch from Trustmark Park is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. CT.

Photos: Tate Aggies Crimson And Gray

The Tate Aggies held their annual Crimson and Gray Game and Fish Fry Friday night in Pete Gindl Stadium.

It’s good food, good friends and good football with inter-squad scrimmages

The football portion of the evening ended quickly due to a thunderstorm with nearby lightning.

Next Friday night, Tate will host a Jamboree game against Pine Forest at 7 p.m.

For a photo gallery, click or tap here.

NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Photo Gallery: Northview’s Meet The Chiefs (And The Blackcats, And Eagles)

Northview High School held “Meet the Chiefs” before a large crowd on a steamy Friday evening.

Fans were introduced to the Northview Chiefs football team, cheerleaders and Tribal Beat band. The football teams and cheerleaders from the Northwest Escambia Chiefs and Century Blackcats were also introduced, as were the cheerleaders and football players for the Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles.

The event came to a quick end thanks for a heavy downpour.

For a photo gallery, click or tap here.

Next Friday night, the Northview Chiefs and Ernest Ward will travel to Backer for a Jamboree that begins at 5:30 p.m. Ernest Ward is scheduled to play Baker Middle School at 6 p.m. Northview JV will face Baker JV at 6:30 p.m. The Northview varsity will play Pleasant Home varsity at 7:30 p.m., and Northview varsity to play the Baker varsity at 8 p.m.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Miller Masterful in 2-1 Wahoos Win Over M-Braves

written by Erik Bremer

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos continued a successful road trip on Friday night, putting together a dominant pitching performance in a 2-1 win over the Mississippi Braves.

Jacob Miller (W, 1-0) earned his first Double-A win a day before his 21st birthday, scattering two singles over 5.0 scoreless innings to lead the Pensacola pitching effort. The Blue Wahoos improved to 7-2 on their longest road trip of the year and, at 59-45 overall, are a season-high 14 games above the .500 mark.

Drue Hackenberg (L, 1-2), who delivered a 16-strikeout masterpiece at Blue Wahoos Stadium in July, was nearly as good in his encore performance but fell victim to poor run support. The Blue Wahoos jumped ahead 1-0 in the first, turning a Jakob Marsee walk and stolen base into a run on an RBI single from Graham Pauley, and held the lead the rest of the night.

The Blue Wahoos added another run in the seventh on a Jacob Berry sacrifice fly, and that insurance proved vital as Mississippi’s David McCabe hit a solo homer off Anderson Pilar in the bottom of the inning to cut the Pensacola lead to 2-1.

Matt Pushard contributed a scoreless eighth before Dale Stanavich (S, 2) locked down the win with a 1-2-3 ninth.

The Blue Wahoos kept pace with the first-place Biloxi Shuckers, who beat the Biscuits 11-1 in Montgomery and remain 2.0 games ahead of Pensacola in the South Division with 32 games remaining in the regular season.

The series in Mississippi continues on Saturday. First pitch from Trustmark Park is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT,

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