NEP Teams Place In Mid-Season Tournament
May 9, 2022
NEP Softball placed seven teams in the top three of their division in the recent GCGSA Mid-Season Tournament.
Blue Angels took the top award, winning the 10U A bracket scoring 23 runs while giving up just three runs.
10U A
Blue Angels Champions
8U A
Charmers 2nd place
10U A
Renegades 3rd place
16U
Red hots 2nd place
8U B
Swing rays 1st place
10U B
Lady rockies 3rd place
12U B
Vengence 2nd
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
M-Braves Top Blue Wahoos, End Series With Split
May 9, 2022
Jeff Lindgren delivered a quality start in his 2022 Pensacola Blue Wahoos debut, but a four-run seventh gave the Mississippi Braves a 6-3 win in Sunday’s series finale.
The Blue Wahoos will settle for a series split and a 6-6 road trip as they return home to Pensacola with a 12-15 record.
It was a pitchers’ duel early, as neither Lindgren nor M-Braves starter Darius Vines allowed a hit through three innings. Luke Waddell broke the ice in the fourth with a two-run homer to give Mississippi a 2-0 lead, and the Blue Wahoos didn’t manage a baserunner until a Luis Aviles Jr. double in the sixth.
Trailing 2-0 in the seventh, the Blue Wahoos got a big three-run homer from Griffin Conine to take a brief 3-2 lead. Tyler Ferguson (W, 1-0) stranded a runner at third base to prevent further damage, and Mississippi took advantage of a Hayden Cantrelle error to score four unearned runs against Josh Roberson (L, 0-1) in the bottom half of the inning. Andrew Moritz tied the game with a sacrifice fly, and an RBI single from Riley Delgado and a two-run triple from Justin Dean put the Braves back in front.
Indigo Diaz (S, 2) walked and hit a batter in the ninth, but struck out Bubba Hollins as the potential tying run to end the game.
After an off day on Monday, the Blue Wahoos return home for a six-game series against the Rocket City Trash Pandas on Tuesday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Regional Baseball, Softball Playoff Games Announced For Tate, Northview
May 8, 2022
Regional playoff baseball and softball schedules have been announced.
6A Baseball
In 6A baseball, No. 1 seed Pace will host No. 8 Forest (Ocala), and No. 5 Tate will travel to First Coast (Jacksonville). Both games are at 7 p.m. Tuesday with the winners meeting on May 13 in the regional seminfinal.
1A Baseball
In 1A baseball, No. 1 seed Holmes County will host No. 4 Jay, and No. 2 Northview will host #3 Paxton. Both games will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 10. The winners will play in the regional final on May 13.
1A Softball
In 1A softball, No. 1 seed Jay will host No. 4 Northview and No. 2 Holmes County will host Paxton on Thursday, May 12 in the regional semifinal. The winning teams will meat in the regional final on May 17.
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs defeated the Jay Royals 2-1 for the District 1-1A championship. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
McCambley And McIntosh Lead Blue Wahoos To 3-1 Win
May 8, 2022
Zach McCambley had his best start of the year and Paul McIntosh delivered yet another clutch hit as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos defeated the Mississippi Braves 3-1 on Saturday night.
The Blue Wahoos jumped ahead 1-0 right away in the first inning, as Hayden Cantrelle hit a leadoff double and scored on a Jerar Encarnacion sacrifice fly against Mississippi starter Freddy Tarnok.
McCambley (W, 1-2) allowed back-to-back doubles to Michael Harris II and Luke Waddell to begin his outing, but retired 17 of his final 18 batters with only a second-inning walk breaking up his dominant streak. The righty completed 6.0 innings for the first time this season, striking out a season-high eight batters.
Tied 1-1 in the sixth, the Blue Wahoos got a leadoff single from Cantrelle against M-Braves reliever A.J. Puckett (L, 0-3) and four consecutive two-out singles to take a 3-1 lead. McIntosh scored Cantrelle with an RBI single, then scored from first on a Griffin Conine hit to give Pensacola all the runs they would need.
After McCambley departed, Jefry Yan stranded two runners in scoring position in the seventh and Andrew Nardi (S, 2) earned a six-out save.
The Blue Wahoos improved to 12-14 on the season, remaining 2.5 games behind first place Montgomery and setting up an opportunity to win their first series of the season in Sunday’s finale.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up against the Mississippi Braves on Sunday afternoon
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Tate High Football’s Bruce Foster Commits To Millsaps College
May 7, 2022
Tate High School’s Bruce Foster who has committed to play football at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Rally To Win In 11 Innings Over Mississippi
May 7, 2022
Eury Pérez completed 5.2 innings in his longest start as a professional, and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos exploded for four runs in the 11th inning to beat the Mississippi Braves 6-4 on Friday night.
Pérez went toe to toe with M-Braves starter Alan Rangel, who struck out a career-high 11 batters over 4.0 innings. Back-to-back doubles from Luis Aviles Jr. and Thomas Jones gave the Blue Wahoos a 1-0 lead in the third, though Mississippi tied things up on a Michael Harris II double in the fifth and took a 2-1 lead with a two-out RBI single from Hendrik Clementina in the sixth. Pérez struck out six batters and recorded an out in the sixth inning for the first time in his career.
Trailing 2-1, the Blue Wahoos put together a two-out rally of their own in the seventh inning as Troy Johnston tied the score 2-2 with an RBI single. Both teams left runners on base in the eighth before a quiet ninth, setting things up for Pensacola’s third extra inning game of the season.
In the top of the tenth, Odalvi Javier (L, 0-1) benefitted from a double play to work around Pensacola’s placed runner and keep the game tied. Colton Hock (W, 1-2) pitched admirably with no margin for error, stranding his placed runner at second to send the game to the 11th.
Paul McIntosh led off the top of the 11th with an RBI double to put Pensacola in front 3-2, and Cobie Fletcher-Vance kept things rolling with an RBI single of his own. Fletcher-Vance scored on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error, and Hayden Cantrelle capped a four-run frame with an RBI double to bring the score to 6-2.
Eli Villalobos allowed a two-run homer to Trey Harris in the bottom of the 11th, but wrapped things up to secure the Blue Wahoos’ first extra-inning win of the season.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Mississippi Braves on Saturday.
Northview Chiefs Win Back To Back District Championships With 2-1 Defeat of Jay (With Gallery)
May 6, 2022
The Northview Chiefs are back to back District 1-1A champions, taking the crown with a 2-1 win over Jay Thursday night in Bratt.
Kaden Odom earned the win for the Northview Chiefs, allowing one run on three hits in a complete game.
Kaden Strength went five innings for Jay, giving up two runs on five hits and striking out one. Justin Smarr tossed one inning in relief, allowing one hit and striking out two.
Josh Landis led the Chiefs at the plate, going 2-2. Luke Bridges, Rustin Pope, Ethan Collier and Aron Chavira each had one hit.
Justin Smarr was 2-3 to lead Jay at bat. Andrew Diamond had one hit for the Royals.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here. (Action shots are at end of the gallery.)
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pace Takes District 1-6A District Title 5-4 Over Tate (With Gallery)
May 6, 2022
The Pace Patriots won the District 1-6A championship Thursday night 5-4 over the Tate Aggies.
Rilee Lowery went three and a third innings for the Aggies, giving up three runs on two hits while striking out three.
Bray Touchstone had two-run homer for the Aggies in the seventh inning.
Ethan McAnally pitched two and a third innings with one hit, one run and one strikeout. Drew Reaves threw 11 pitches in one-third of an inning, allowing one run.
Jackson Penton was 2-3 to lead the Aggies at the plate. Touchstone, Kirk Mosley, Drew Reaves and Cade Kelly each added one hit.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Laura Glodfelter, click to enlarge.
Jay Takes District 1-1A Softball Crown With 5-4 Win Over Northview (With Gallery)
May 6, 2022
The Jay Lady Royals claimed the District 1-1A softball championship Thursday night 5-4 over the Northview Chiefs in Jay.
With the bases loaded for Northview and down a run, Payton Gilchrist knocked the ball to the fence. But Jay center fielder Audrey Watson made the grab at the fence for the game-ending out.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Jamison Gilman opened for the Northview Chiefs, going four and a third innings, giving up four runs on four hits and striking out three. Emma Gilmore threw one and two-thirds innings in relief.
Cochran went five and a third innings for Jay, giving up four runs and five hits while recording seven strikeouts. Alayna Lowrey pitched one and two-thirds innings, striking out one with no hits and no runs.
Kayla Dixon had a homerun in the fifth inning for the Chiefs, and Gilmore had a homer in the sixth.
Gilmore led the Chiefs at bat, going 2-3. Gilman, Dixon and Kailyn Watson added one hit each.
Brooklyn Sorrells had a homer for the Lady Royals.
For Jay, Ella Nelson and Lowery were both 2-3 to lead at the plate. Sorrells contributed one hit with her homer.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Grayson James, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Fall Short In Rainy 2-1 Loss To Mississippi
May 6, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos played through a pair of rain delays on Thursday night but couldn’t prevail, falling 2-1 to the Mississippi Braves.
After a 45-minute pregame rain delay, the two teams played quickly and cleanly before more rain halted play in the top of the sixth inning with the M-Braves leading 1-0. The Blue Wahoos immediately tied the game up after a 1:03 delay on an RBI single from Troy Johnston, but an RBI single from Mississippi’s Trey Harris in the bottom of the seventh put the M-Braves back in front for a 2-1 final.
Mississippi starter Jared Shuster carried a perfect game into the fifth inning, and allowed only three hits over 5.1 innings before his start was halted by the weather. Cobie Fletcher-Vance hit a double in the sixth just as the rain started, and Johnston’s RBI single against Hayden Deal (W, 1-0) out of the delay knotted the game up 1-1. The Blue Wahoos then loaded the bases with an infield single and a walk, but Deal coaxed an inning-ending double play to preserve the tie.
Blue Wahoos starter Will Stewart struck out a season-high seven batters over 5.0 innings, allowing an early run on Yariel Gonzalez’s first inning RBI double but recovering nicely to keep his team in the game. Out of the delay, Josh Roberson pitched a scoreless inning of relief before Andrew Nardi (L, 1-2) allowed Harris’s go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning.
With more rain bearing down on the area, Justin Maese (S, 4) worked around an infield single in the ninth inning to earn the save.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Mississippi Braves on Friday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos