Lightning Forces Shortened Game; Wahoos Lose 5-2 To M-Braves
July 29, 2021
Pensacola’s bullpen woes continued as the M-Braves scored three runs late to win Wednesday’s rain-shortened affair 5-2 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Tied at 2-2, Josh Roberson (L, 1-1) surrendered a pair of home runs in the top of the seventh to Drew Lugbauer and Jalen Miller that ultimately sealed Pensacola’s fate. In the top of the eighth, Braden Shewmake also hit a solo home run to give Mississippi the winning 5-2 score.
Offensively, it was a déjà vu performance where Pensacola took the lead early and couldn’t score fir the rest of the night. After a double by Griffin Conine, Chris Chinea launched a two-run homer off Bryce Elder (4-1) to put Pensacola up 2-0. After that, Elder did not allow another run and finished his outing with nine strikeouts and three walks across seven innings.
In the top of the second, Pensacola starter Max Meyer had a momentary lapse in his command that led to a pair of runs. After a pair of singles, Meyer threw three wild pitches that allowed Shea Langeliers and Wendell Rijo both to score, which tied the game at 2-2. After that, Meyer was terrific and finished the night with five innings pitched, five hits allowed, one walk surrendered while striking out seven.
In the last two games, Pensacola’s relievers have yielded 10 home runs in seven innings. Over the past four games, Pensacola’s bullpen has allowed 26 runs (22 ER) over 15 innings, which is an ERA of 13.20 during that stretch. The Wahoos have now lost six consecutive games and 11 of their past 13.
With Seven Homers, M-Braves Beat The Wahoos 9-3
July 28, 2021
After being no-hit for five innings, the M-Braves clubbed seven homers en route to a convincing 9-3 win on Tuesday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The end of the game distracts from its start, which featured a brilliant pitching performance from Kyle Nicolas in his Double-A debut.
The right-hander consistently flashed a fastball in the upper 90s while striking out a bevy of M-Brave batters. He struck out one in the first, then another two in the second, before striking out the side in the third. Despite four walks on the night, Nicolas finished his outing with no hits allowed and eight strikeouts across five shutout innings.
There was a brief injury scare when Nicolas was struck by a line drive from the last batter he faced in his outing (Trey Harris). Fortunately, the ball hit off his back and popped up to the second baseman Demetrius Sims, who made the catch to end the inning.
The game also started positively for the Wahoos in the first inning when they took a 1-0 lead. After JJ Bleday doubled, he scored on a two-out RBI base hit from Lazaro Alonso in his first game back in over a month with the Wahoos.
Once Nicolas left the game, things turned south for the Wahoos very quickly. The bullpen surrendered seven homers in the final four innings, including four solo homers in the top of the seventh. Six different M-Braves hit home runs, and top Atlanta’s top catching prospect, Shea Langeliers turned in a multi-homer performance.
The Wahoos scored two runs late, but never seriously mounted a comeback challenge as Pensacola dropped its fifth game in a row, and its ninth in 10 tries.
The series continues tomorrow evening as the Wahoos try to tie up the series on Wednesday night. RHP Max Meyer (4-1, 1.80) takes the hill for Pensacola against RHP Bryce Elder (3-1, 3.60
Homers From Bleday, Conine Not Enough As Wahoos Lose 6-5 To Biscuits
July 25, 2021
Down by two in the bottom of the ninth, Chris Betts smacked a three-run, walk-off home run against Andrew McInvale (L, 1-2) to give the Biscuits an unexpected 6-5 win Saturday night at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium.
Leading 5-3, McInvale was brought into the ninth to try and secure his first save of the year. Instead, it was evident the right-hander was struggling to find command of his fastball. After back-to-back walks, he fell behind Betts 3-0 before eventually surrendering an opposite field homer, giving the Biscuits their ninth win in 10 games.
For Pensacola, it was arguably their best performance of the series. Jeff Lindgren was excellent in his five innings of work. He allowed just one run on three hits while walking only two. He also snapped a streak of eight consecutive starts in which he allowed at least one home run.
Offensively, after a dormant showing in the series, the Wahoos managed to attack Biscuit starter Peyton Battenfield and take the lead early. After Nick Fortes laced a two-out double in the bottom of the fourth, Griffin Conine belted an opposite field homer—his 24th on the season—for his first career Double-A home run.
After Montgomery scored in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead down to 2-1, Pensacola tacked on two more runs in the sixth. With the bases loaded and newly acquired reliever Calvin Faucher on the mound for Montgomery, J.D. Osborne blooped a two-run single to left to score Peyton Burdick and JJ Bleday. Faucher was part of the Nelson Cruz trade earlier in the week.
The Biscuits rallied in the bottom of the seventh for a pair of runs against Dylan Bice. With runners on first and second and two outs, Ford Proctor singled sharply to right. Niko Hulsizer blew past the stop sign from his manager, but still scored because Conine’s throw from right sailed over Fortes and Bice backing up the play. Cal Stevenson also tried to score on the play and was initially ruled out; however, but later called safe due to interference from third baseman Connor Justus. Once the dust settled, Montgomery trailed 4-3.
The Wahoos got one run back thanks to Bleday’s solo blast off Ivan Pelaez (W, 6-5) in the top of the eighth. For Bleday it was his eighth homer of the season and his second in four days. Unfortunately for the Wahoos, the two-run lead was not enough as the Biscuits collected their sixth walk-off win of the season.
The series concludes afternoon.
Pensacola’s Late Push Not Enough, Biscuits Down Wahoos 4-3
July 24, 2021
The Blue Wahoos fell behind 4-0 early and watched their comeback bid come up short against the Biscuits, losing 4-3 on Friday night at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium.
Zach McCambley’s (L, 0-2) start tonight was more similar to his Double-A debut, and not his most recent start. Pensacola’s starter gave up runs in each of the first four innings and was pulled after 3.1 innings for the second time this season.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, Chriss Betts homered of the right-field foul pole to put the Biscuits up 2-0. In the third inning with the bases loaded and nobody out, Jonathan Aranda grounded a single to left field that scored two, doubling Montgomery’s lead.
The Wahoos had an immediate response in the fourth inning when the scored twice against Adrian De Horta. After a leadoff single, Demetrius Sims advanced from first-to-third on a soft grounder to third due to some savvy baserunning. He scored one batter later on a fielder’s choice, in which the third basebase tried to nab Sims at the plate. With everybody safe on the play, Griffin Conine tallied his first Double-A hit with an RBI double to the left-center gap.
Pensacola missed a golden opportunity to score in the top of the fifth with the bases loaded and only one out. However, Nick Fortes struck out and Conine flew out to end the threat.
Fortes redeemed himself in the eighth when he smashed a no-doubt homer to left to make it a 4-3 game. However, the Biscuits retired the next six batters in order, with Montgomery closer Chris Muller (S, 7) striking out the side in the ninth to close out the game.
Pensacola’s bullpen was the bright spot in the game, as three different relievers combined to throw 4.2 innings of one-hit, shutout baseball. Pensacola’s offense stalled once again, as they were held to just three hits while striking out 15 times. The Wahoos have recorded 14 hits through the first four games of this series while striking out 56 times.
The penultimate game of the series is tomorrow at 6:05 PM CT in Montgomery. RHP Jeff Lindgren (3-6, 4.98) gets the green light for the Wahoos while he will be opposed by RHP Peyton Battenfield (3-0, 2.33).
Biscuits Power Past Blue Wahoos 5-3 Thursday
July 23, 2021
Despite a late push from the Wahoos, Pensacola couldn’t surmount a four-run deficit and lost to the Biscuits 5-3 on Wednesday night at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium.
Jake Eder (L, 3-4) tied his career high with four runs allowed in 4.1 innings of work. The left hander breezed through the first couple of innings but ran into trouble in the third.
After a pair of walks in the third, Xavier Edwards grounded a double inside the third-base line for a two-run double to put Montgomery ahead 2-0. After the Biscuits tacked on another run in the fourth, Eder gave up a double to Edwards prior to being lifted from the game in favor of Andrew McInvale. Unfortunately for the Wahoos, McInvale surrended a two-run homer on an 0-2 pitch to Jonathan Aranda, which gave the Biscuits a 5-0 lead.
Pensacola chipped away against the Biscuits in the second half of the contest. Nick Fortes lined an RBI double to left to put Pensacola on the board in the sixth.
In the seventh, after a J.D. Osborne single, Riley Mahan hit his second of two doubles to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Pensacola used a couple of productive RBI outs to bring home both runners and cut the deficit to 5-3.
In the eighth, JJ Bleday led off the inning with a double to deep right; however, the offense came to a stop shortly after as the Wahoos could not bring him home in the frame. Joel Peguero (S, 1) then retired the Wahoos in order in the ninth to close out the game.
The fourth game of the series begins on Friday at 6:35 PM CT. RHP Zach McCambley (0-1, 5.79) will make his third career Double-A start for the Wahoos. He will be opposed by the combination of LHP Kenny Rosenberg and RHP Adrian De Horta.
Tate Holds Annual Youth Football Camp
July 22, 2021
The 2021 Tate Youth Football Camp was held this week.
The camp was directed by the Tate coaching staff, assisted by Tate football players. It was an opportunity for attendees to work on fundamentals, practice agility, run through drills and learn about being part of a team.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola’s Ninth-Inning Surge Sees Wahoos Ease Past Biscuits, Win 7-3
July 22, 2021
Tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth, Pensacola scored four times to defeat the Biscuits 7-3 at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium on Wednesday.
With Alex Valverde (L, 2-2) pitching in his third inning of relief, J.D. Osborne crushed a no-doubter to left center to break the 3-3 deadlock. It was Pensacola’s third homer of the night after the team had been homer-less since July 10th.
Already leading 5-3, Montgomery’s defense gifted the Blue Wahoos an additional two runs. After a two-out double from Devin Hairston, Demetrius Sims hit a routine ground ball to first that should’ve ended the inning. However, Jim Haley’s toss to the pitcher, Joel Peguero, was low and Peguero missed the ball entirely. Rather than run the ball down, Peguero simply stood in frustration, which allowed Sims to run all the way to third base.
The next batter, JJ Bleday, hit a flyball to left field that also should have ended the inning. This time, Niko Hulsizer missed the ball as it hit off his glove and landed safely, which allowed Sims to score. After all of the errors, the Wahoos exited the ninth with a 7-3 lead.
The Wahoos led briefly early, when Bleday homered off Biscuit starter Jayden Murray to make it 1-0. Montgomery took the lead in the bottom of the first, and it was not until Peyton Burdick launched a solo homer off Murray that the Wahoos were able to tie the game again at 2-2.
The late game craziness distracts somewhat from Max Meyer’s 13th start for the Wahoos. The former first-round pick pitched five innings and allowed six hits, three runs (two earned), and one walk while tying his career high with nine strikeouts. Tyler Stevens, Alberto Guerrero (W, 2-1), and Guillen combined to pitch four shutout innings while striking out eight.
The series rolls on tomorrow night when Jake Eder (3-3, 1.49) takes the hill for the Blue Wahoos. He will be opposed by RHP Easton McGee (0-0, 5.53).
Blue Wahoos Drop Series Opener 4-1 To Montgomery Biscuits
July 21, 2021
While the Blue Wahoos were able to avoid being no-hit for the second time in eight games, they were unable to escape defeat as the dropped the series opener to the Biscuits 3-1 at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium.
Tobias Myers turned in a career-best outing in which the right-hander pitched six perfect innings and struck out a career-high 12 batters.
Montgomery took the perfect game into the seventh, and it was until Peyton Burdick walked with one out before the Blue Wahoos had their first baserunner of the night.
Down 1-0, Pensacola still had to find a base0hit to avoid another no-hitter. Jordan Brink (W, 2-0) replaced Myers in the seventh and ran into trouble in the eighth inning. After striking out Demetrius Sims and Riley Mahan, Connor Justus battled a drew a two-out walk. The next batter, Galli Cribbs Jr., broke up the no-no with an RBI double to left to tie the game at 1-1.
However, Pensacola’s elation was short lived. Dylan Bice (L, 4-3) surrendered a two-run homer to Niko Hulsizer on an 0-2 pitch to give Montgomery a 3-1 lead. Chris Muller turned in a scoreless ninth inning for his 6th save of the year.
Griffin Conine—the son of Jeff Conine—made his Double-A debut for the Wahoos on Tuesday and finished the night 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. Matt Pobereyko also made his Blue Wahoos debut with a perfect sixth inning in which he struck out two.
Will Stewart made his 13th start of the year for the Blue Wahoos and churned out a solid performance. He allowed one run in five innings while scattering two hits and three walks. Stewart finished his night with five strikeouts and didn’t allow a base hit until the fifth inning.
The Wahoos and Biscuits will continue this series tomorrow night at 6:35 PM CT. RHP Max Meyer (4-1, 1.65) will take the hill for Pensacola and he will be opposed by RHP Jaden Murray.
FWC Hunter Safety Course Offered In Cantonment
July 19, 2021
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a free hunter safety internet-completion course in Escambia County.
Students who have taken the online course and wish to complete the classroom portion must bring the online-completion report with them.
All firearms, ammunition and materials are provided free of charge. Students should bring a pen or pencil and paper. An adult must accompany children younger than 16 at all times.
Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised). The FWC course satisfies hunter-safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.
The course will be offered as follows:
Langley Bell 4-H Center (Cantonment)
- July 28 (6 to 10 p.m.) and July 31 (7 to 10 a.m)
A course had also been planned for Molino but was canceled due to low enrollment. Those students have been transferred to the clinic in Cantonment.
Those interested in attending a course can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s regional office in Panama City at (850) 265-3676.
Blue Wahoos Shine On Defense, But Fall Short Offensively In Loss To Chattanooga
July 19, 2021
Infielders Devin Hairston and Connor Justus wowed the Pensacola crowd on Sunday afternoon, each making a trio of stellar defensive plays in the early innings of Sunday’s game against Chattanooga, but Pensacola’s offense fell short again in a 3-1 loss to the Lookouts.
While the team turned in a collection of tremendous defensive plays behind a strong start from Jeff Lindgren (L, 3-6, 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 K), the story remained Pensacola’s lack of offense. The Lookouts pitching staff, fronted by starter Graham Ashcraft (W, 4-1, 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 5 K), held Pensacola scoreless until the ninth inning.
Over the past two weeks, a period during which the Blue Wahoos have fallen from first to third place in the Double-A South, the Blue Wahoos have hit a league-low .197. Those struggles continued Sunday, as the Blue Wahoos were out-hit by Chattanooga for the third consecutive game and left nine runners on-base.
Pensacola’s lone run came in the ninth inning thanks to outfielder J.D. Orr, who doubled home Hairston, who had reached on a fielder’s choice. Orr joined Pensacola on Tuesday from A-Jupiter and continued to be a bright spot offensively for the Blue Wahoos, going 2-4 on Sunday and raising his batting average in his first week at the Double-A level to .350.
On the mound for Pensacola, Lindgren provided 5.0 strong innings, allowing a pair of runs on five hits. A bullpen combination of Andrew McInvale (1.0 IP, 2 K), Josh Roberson (1.0 IP), Andrew Nardi (1.0 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, K), and Alberto Guerrero (1.0 IP, K) combined to throw four innings of relief without allowing an earned run to keep the score close.
After a day off on Monday, the Blue Wahoos will head on the road to Montgomery to play the Biscuits (33-29). LHP Will Stewart (3-5, 4.52 ERA) projects to start the series opener for Pensacola on Tuesday.
