Blue Wahoos Foiled in Finale, But Move One Step Closer To Division Title
June 20, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell 5-1 to the Tennessee Smokies on Sunday afternoon, but a Biloxi loss in Chattanooga drew the club one step closer to their first division title since 2017.
The Blue Wahoos maintained their 4.5-game lead over Biloxi in the South Division, and will need to win only one of their six remaining first-half games against the Shuckers beginning on Tuesday to claim a postseason berth.
Cody Mincey (L, 3-3) gave his team six innings in a losing effort, allowing four runs on nine hits. The Smokies broke the ice in the second when, enabled by a Mincey throwing error, Bryce Ball and Cole Roederer hit RBI singles to take a 3-0 lead.
Roederer would strike again in the sixth with an RBI single to extend the Tennessee advantage to 4-0. The left fielder finished 3-for-3 with a double, walk and three RBI.
Pensacola couldn’t solve Smokies starter Ryan Jensen, who turned in 3.0 scoreless innings. Long reliever Dalton Stambaugh (W, 4-1) ran into trouble in the seventh, as Jan Mercado got the Blue Wahoos on the board with an RBI infield single, but Blake Whitney (S, 1) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and kept the game from getting any closer.
The Blue Wahoos will enjoy an off day on Monday before their series opener against the Biloxi Shuckers on Tuesday.
by Eric Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Hot Saturday Night For The Wahoos With Their Fifth Straight Win
June 19, 2022
Jeff Lindgren overcame a rocky first inning and delivered yet another quality start on Saturday night, helping the Pensacola Blue Wahoos win their fifth in a row over the Tennessee Smokies by a score of 5-3.
Lindgren (W, 1-1) allowed the first four batters of the ballgame to reach base, and fell behind quickly on a two-run double from Matt Mervis, but rebounded for his fifth quality start in seven appearances for the Blue Wahoos this season. The righty struck out a season-high nine batters to earn his first Double-A win of the year.
The Blue Wahoos maintained their 4.5-game lead in the South Division with 7 to play in the first half. A combination of three Blue Wahoos wins or Biloxi losses will clinch Pensacola’s first playoff berth since 2019 and their first division title since 2017.
In front of a sellout crowd, the Blue Wahoos answered quickly in the bottom of the first with five runs against Tennessee starter Riley Thompson (L, 0-2). The righty recorded just one out, allowing two-run homers to Troy Johnston and Griffin Conine, before departing. Devin Hairston added an RBI infield single to score Pensacola’s fifth run, enough to last the rest of the ballgame.
The Smokies got a run back in the third on a solo homer from Jake Slaughter, but that would be the final run of the night for either team. Lindgren was relieved by Eli Villalobos, who turned in two scoreless innings of relief, and Colton Hock (S, 6) retired the Smokies in order in the ninth.
At 97 degrees, Saturday’s first pitch temperature was the hottest of the season for the Blue Wahoos.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Wahoos Win Fourth in A Row
June 18, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos won their fourth in a row Friday night, defeating the Tennessee Smokies 3-1 thanks to a dominant pitching performance from Bryan Mitchell.
Mitchell (W, 1-0), with parts of six seasons of major league experience, put it all together in his third Blue Wahoos start. The righty allowed only one run on five hits over 7.0 innings, striking out seven without walking a batter.
The Blue Wahoos maintained their 4.5-game lead in the South Division with 8 to play in the first half. A combination of four Blue Wahoos wins or Biloxi losses will clinch Pensacola’s first playoff berth since 2019 and their first division title since 2017.
Mitchell locked horns with Smokies starter Javier Assad, with the two teams scoreless until a Bubba Hollins RBI single in the sixth put Pensacola ahead 1-0.
Smokies right fielder Alexander Canario led off the seventh with an opposite-field solo homer to tie the game 1-1, but the Blue Wahoos answered back in the bottom of the seventh against C.D. Pelham (L, 1-1). Paul McIntosh drew a leadoff walk before Griffin Conine blasted a go-ahead two-run homer to right field, putting Pensacola ahead 3-1.
Josh Simpson (S, 2) struck out five batters for a six-out save, his second of the series.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Tennessee Smokies on Saturday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Wahoos Beat The Smokies 6-5 In Another Walk-Off Win
June 17, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos earned another walk-off win on Thursday night, defeating the Tennessee Smokies 6-5 in 10 innings when Norel González was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The win was Pensacola’s third in a row over the Smokies, and the Blue Wahoos have now won six of their past nine home games in walk-off fashion.
The Blue Wahoos maintained their 4.5-game lead in the South Division with 9 to play in the first half. A combination of five Blue Wahoos wins or Biloxi losses will clinch Pensacola’s first playoff berth since 2019 and their first division title since 2017.
Smokies starter Anderson Espinoza was erratic, walking six batters over 1.2 innings, as the Blue Wahoos jumped out to an early 5-1 lead. A two-run single from González in the second was followed by an RBI single from Bubba Hollins to give Pensacola starter Zach McCambley early run support.
McCambley was sharp through three innings, but lost command of the zone himself in the fourth. Tennessee scored three runs on only one hit to draw the score to 5-4. An inning later, Jake Slaughter hit a solo homer to tie the game 5-5.
Scoreless bullpen work from Zack Leban and Jefry Yan helped the Blue Wahoos send the game to the 10th, where Andrew McInvale (W, 1-1) escaped a bases-loaded jam to keep the Smokies off the board again.
In the bottom of the 10th, Ray-Patrick Didder walked and Troy Johnston singled against Danis Correa (L, 1-2) before Griffin Conine was intentionally walked to load the bases. González was hit in the back leg by a Correa breaking ball to force in the winning run.
The Blue Wahoos continue their home series against the Tennessee Smokies on Friday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Molino 8U Softball Finishes Second In Tournament
June 16, 2022
Molino Ballpark’s 8U All-Stars finished second in the recent Gulf Coast Girls Softball Association All-Star Tournament. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Johnston Walks It Off Again In 5-4, 11-Inning Wahoos Win
June 16, 2022
Troy Johnston was the hero again for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Wednesday night, providing a walk-off double in the bottom of the 11th for a 5-4 win over the Tennessee Smokies.
Johnston, who was 3-for-6 on the night, slashed a base hit into the left field corner to score Bubba Hollins with the winning run. It was Pensacola’s sixth walk-off win of the season, and fifth in their past eight home games.
The Blue Wahoos maintained their 4.5-game lead in the South Division with 10 to play in the first half.
Eury Pérez was sharp his his start for Pensacola, allowing only one run on four hits over 5.0 innings with 5 strikeouts. He departed with a 3-1 lead thanks to a three-run homer from Thomas Jones in the second inning.
The Smokies rallied against reliever Eli Villalobos, scoring a run on a wild pitch in the sixth and two more in the seventh on a Bradlee Beesley RBI single and Matt Mervis fielder’s choice to take a 4-3 lead.
Griffin Conine tied the game in the eighth with a solo blast, his ninth of the year. Colton Hock (W, 5-2) pitched brilliantly, working three perfect innings and striking out four while stranding the placed runner at second base in both the 10th and 11th innings.
The Blue Wahoos couldn’t convert in the 10th, but quickly established a rally in the 11th against Nicholas Padilla (L, 1-1). Bubba Hollins reached on a fielder’s choice and Ray-Patrick Didder walked before Johnston’s walk-off hit.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Tennessee Smokies on Thursday.
by Eric Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
NWE All-Stars Win 10U District Championship
June 15, 2022
The Northwest Escambia 10U All-Stars won the Cal Ripken 10U District 7 Championship. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Extend Their South Division Lead With Shutout Of Tennessee
June 15, 2022
A.J. Ladwig continued his dominant month with 7.0 shutout innings as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos blanked the Tennessee Smokies 3-0 on Tuesday night.
At one hour and 55 minutes, the contest was the second-fastest nine-inning game in team history and the fastest at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Blue Wahoos extended their lead in the South Division to 4.0 with 11 to play in the first half, pending other results in the league.
Ladwig (W, 2-0) allowed a Chase Strumpf first-pitch double off the center field wall to begin the ballgame, but stranded him at third in a sign of things to come. The Smokies out-hit the Blue Wahoos 7 to 4, but went 0-for-6 with men in scoring position.
After two perfect innings from Smokies starter Ryan Jensen, Dalton Stambaugh (L, 3-1) took over and continued to keep the Blue Wahoos in check. Pensacola’s first hit left the yard, however, as Troy Johnston went deep off the scoreboard in right field in the fourth inning for a 1-0 lead.
Ladwig needed only 82 pitches to breeze through seven shutout innings, giving him 13.0 innings in the month of June without an earned run.
Pensacola added two more in the seventh on a two-run single from Norel González, and that was more than enough for Josh Simpson (S, 1). The lefty struck out four batters for a six-out save, his first of the season.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Tennessee Smokies on Wednesday.
by Eric Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
NEP 10U And 16U Win Their Divisions In GCGSA Softball Tournament
June 14, 2022
NEP Blue 10U and NEP Blue 16U softball teams both won their divisions at the Gulf Coast Girls Softball Association All-Star Tournament in Molino.
Complete tournament results for NEP were as follows:
- 8U — 4th
- 10U Blue — 1st
- 10U Gold — 2nd
- 12U — 4th
- 16U Blue — 1st
- 16U Gold — 2nd
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Recreational Red Snapper Season Begins June 17
June 14, 2022
The recreational red snapper season will start June 17 in Gulf state and federal waters off Florida and remain open through July 31 with 12 days in the fall.
“We are excited about Governor Ron DeSantis’ recent announcement of this year’s 57-day Gulf red snapper season, which is the longest we’ve had since the FWC began managing the season in state and federal waters,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Chairman Rodney Barreto.
For-hire operations that do not have a federal reef fish permit may also participate in the season but are limited to fishing for red snapper in Gulf state waters only.