UWF Campus To Host First Argos Football Game In September
May 26, 2021
The University of West Florida Argonauts will play their first-ever regular season football game on the UWF Pensacola Campus, hosting Southwest Baptist at Pen Air Field on Sept. 11, 2021.
The Argos will host the Bearcats for a special, one-time only, on-campus game. The UWF campus will be buzzing with activity leading up to the 6 p.m. kickoff.
“I’m looking forward to hosting Argo fans on our beautiful campus,” said UWF President Martha D. Saunders. “It will be a grand event and, as always, the best party in town.”
The Argos play their home games at Blue Wahoos Stadium. But this first home game for 2021 will be moved to the UWF Pensacola Campus due a conflict with the Blue Wahoos’ schedule.
“This is a great opportunity to create a college game day atmosphere on our beautiful campus,” explained UWF Athletic Director Dave Scott. “We have accomplished several firsts with football, but this will be the first-ever Argonaut Football Game on campus, at Pen Air Field, and the ticket will be something Argo fans will want to hang on to.”
The game will be a campus-wide event with involvement from a variety of organizations.
The first-ever, on-campus game will be another opportunity to celebrate the Argos’ 2019 NCAA Division II National Championship with the greater Pensacola community. The event will also showcase the UWF Football facilities in the Darrell Gooden Center and on Pen Air Field.
“We are looking forward to sharing this historic day on Pen Air Field with our great fans,” said UWF Head Coach Pete Shinnick.
The Argos are 35-17 in four seasons under Coach Shinnick. UWF is 13-7 at home during those first four seasons.
Season tickets for the UWF Football 2021 schedule are on sale now. Season ticket holders who renew their tickets by July 16, 2021 will have this game included in their season ticket price.
Those with UWF Football parking passes will be able to use their pass for this on-campus game as well.
Single game tickets will go on sale August 1.
Three Blue Wahoos Homer In 4-1 Series Opening Win Over Shuckers
May 26, 2021
Max Meyer (W, 2-1) twirled five shutout innings against the Shuckers and three different Wahoos homered en route to a 4-1 series opening win at MGM Park on Tuesday.
Meyer, who dazzled in his previous outing against Rocket City, continued his dominant pitching against a veteran Biloxi team. Meyer scattered two hits across his five scoreless innings, and walked only one while striking out three. Over Meyer’s last two outings, the Marlins #3 prospect has not given up a run over 10.2 innings of work.
Offensively, the team with the fewest home runs in the Double-A South slugged their way to win.
Lazaro Alonso doubled his home run tally in the second when he led off the inning with an opposite-field homer off Bowden Francis (L, 3-1) to put the Wahoos up 1-0. After Bleday doubled the Wahoos lead in the third with an RBI groundout, Nick Fortes launched his first home run of the season to make it 3-0.
The reigning Double-A South hitter of the week, Peyton Burdick, continued his hot streak when he belted his fifth home run of the season in the fifth inning to make it 4-0.
It was a true boom-or-bust night for the Wahoos, who set a new season high for home runs in a game, but also struck out 16 times.
The bullpen was excellent again for the Blue Wahoos. Despite the fact that Zack Leban was touched up for one run in two innings of work, Sean Guenther delivered a scoreless eighth inning and Colton Hock worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to capture his fourth save of the season. Over the bullpen’s last 31.1 innings of work, the pitchers have only allowed seven earned runs (2.01 ERA) and have issued four walks compared to 44 strikeouts.
The series continues tomorrow evening at 6:35 PM CT in Biloxi. LHP Jake Eder (1-1, 0.60) will face LHP Ethan Small (1-1, 5.25).
File photo.
Burdick Stays Hot In Wahoos Series Finale Win Over The Trash Pandas
May 24, 2021
This season had gotten off to rough start at the plate for Peyton Burdick, so the Blue Wahoos outfielder returned to a past approach.
“Just getting back to doing what I normally do as a hitter and staying the other way with it,” he said. “Seeing the ball and reacting to it.
“And there is no better feeling than putting the ball on the barrel. I think once you start feeling that more often, then your body naturally syncs up with your swing.”
Burdick was back in harmony Sunday, capping a big week and helping the Blue Wahoos to a 7-4 victory against the Rocket City Trash Pandas in a series finale that put the exclamation on Pensacola’s six-game performance at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
A capacity crowd (5,038) was entertained with another fast start, then stellar relief pitching in the final innings.
“Our bullpen, are starters have been absolutely shoving,” said Burdick, the Miami Marlins’ No. 12-rated prospect by MLB Pipeline.com, who went 2-for-5 with a triple, double and RBI. “They always give us a good start and give us a good chance to win. It was nice to see the bats come through.
“We have been sort of spotty in the lineup, and today we started syncing up one hit at a time and taking what the game was giving up.”
The Blue Wahoos (11-7) took five of the six games against Rocket City (8-10) putting a gap in a first-place, divisional lead among a twin set of four teams in the Double-A South.
Burdick was one of three players with multiple hits. Right fielder Lorenzo Hampton, the son of the former Florida Gators and Miami Dolphins running back, went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Devin Hairston went 2-for-4.
Connor Justus drove in three runs with a home run and a sacrifice.
The Blue Wahoos followed Saturday’s early-inning production with an even better offense Sunday.
They loaded the bases in the first inning on a leadoff triple by Burdick, followed by a walk to JJ Bleday and Nick Fortes reaching when hit by a pitch.
With one out, Tristan Pompey coaxed a bases-loaded walk for the first run.
Hampton followed by lacing a two-run single to right. Justus’ sacrifice fly scored Pompey and gave the Blue Wahoos a 4-0 lead.
In the second inning, after Hairston led off with a single, he scored on a Burdick’s double into the left field corner. In the series, Burdick also hit three home runs.
“I think what started clicking for me was our last game of our series at home,” he said. “I think I had a couple lineouts the other way and that’s when I felt my body and my swing started to sync up a little bit and just being able to drive the ball the other way. It just opens everything.”
The bats were matched by a solid start from Jose Mesa Jr., who worked the first three innings, struck out three, walked none and the only run was a home run.
Brian McKenna earned his second win by pitching scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh. Colton Hock earned his third save in the ninth.
The game ended a two-week, 12-game homestand for the Blue Wahoos. They went 2-4 against the Birmingham Barons a week ago.
The Blue Wahoos have Monday off, then will travel to Biloxi, Miss. for a six-game series starting Tuesday against the Biloxi Shuckers, the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate.
Just like Friday and Saturday, the Sunday crowd created a special atmosphere. And the fifth-inning “Roach Run” that Burdick gets to witness as a left fielder was filled with hundreds of kids.
“It just reminded me of when I was a little kid,” Burdick said. “You just want to get out there and see what the other guys see. All those little kids, you see their smiles when they are running. It’s just great seeing the energy from the fans. They create a lot of energy in the game. It’s a great environment to play in.”
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos senior writer
Blue Wahoos Strike Out 19 In Win Over Rocket City
May 23, 2021
On this Saturday, the Blue Wahoos started the show well before the fireworks.
Playing before an overflow, energized sellout crowd of 5,038, the Blue Wahoos lit up the scoreboard with runs in each of the first four innings, then had a trio of pitchers pop a combined 19 strikeouts in a 6-2 victory against the Rocket City Trash Pandas to clinch their weekend series.
It provided plenty of entertainment in a setting featuring the concourses crowded with fans and the outfield berm filled with families on every square foot of grass.
“I think anyone would tell you, when you are playing on that field, you feed off the crowd,” said Blue Wahoos hitting coach Scott Seabol. “The crowd was awesome.”
Eight of the nine hitters in the Blue Wahoos lineup factoring into the scoring.
One of those was cleanup batter Lazaro Alonso, who blasted an opposite field homer over the left field wall in the fourth for the Blue Wahoos final run and his first homer in this ballpark.
Like so often this season, there was scoring efficiency. The Blue Wahoos had six runs on six hits, including RBI from the bottom third of the lineup. Five of the runs were produced on two-out hits.
“I feel like to this point in the season, we have been taking great at-bats and hitting the ball hard, but we were just missing that big two out, two-run single.”
That changed in the first inning when Tristan Pompey smashed a two-out, two-run single.
After Rocket City scored a pair of runs in the third, the Blue Wahoos answered in the bottom of that inning with RBI hits from Connor Justus and Devin Hairston.
Those clutch hits neutralized the 15 strikeouts recorded by Trash Pandas’ pitchers. The teams totaled a combined 34 strikeouts, but Pensacola held a 6-2 lead through the final five innings.
“I felt like our pitching staff has been doing a great job keeping us in games and then allowing to come back late,” Seabol said. “So it was nice to help them out early and take the pressure off a little bit.”
The Blue Wahoos end a two-week, 12-game homestand with Sunday’s series finale against the Trash Pandas. They have taken four of the first five games in a first-ever series between the teams and return of Pensacola’s Jay Bell as Rocket City manager.
Northview Chiefs Take On Flomaton In Spring Game (With Photo Gallery)
May 22, 2021
The Northview Chiefs and Flomaton Hurricanes met in a spring game Friday night in Bratt.
In the first half varsity scrimmage, Flomaton defeated Northview 28-6. In the second half scrimmage, Northview beat Flomaton 7-0.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies, Escambia Gators Meet In Spring Game (With Gallery)
May 22, 2021
The Tate Aggie and Escambia Gators met in a spring game Friday night at Escambia.
In the first half scrimmage, Escambia defeated Tate 7-3. In the second half varsity scrimmage, Escambia topped Tate 27-7.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
Pitching, Defense Lead Blue Wahoos To 2-1 Win Over The Trash Pandas
May 22, 2021
The Blue Wahoos already won a couple games this week on walk-off hits.
Friday night, they got an edge-of-seat win with their pitchers thriving on a tight rope of pressure.
Despite yielding 11 hits, including a home run, the Blue Wahoos beat the Rocket City Trash Pandas 2-1, amid an energized, sellout crowd at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
They did it with continued clutch pitches at critical times. And fittingly, closer Colton Hock’s glove made a big save on a bullet up the middle that Hock snared and threw for the final out, generating a loud roar of happiness.
“Usually (game like Friday), there are some double plays involved, some big plays, scattering hits, and that’s what we did,” said Blue Wahoos pitching coach Tim Norton.
They did all of that, plus more, in a win unlike any other, so far this first season as a Miami Marlins affiliate. The series continues Saturday and Sunday before a 12-game homestand ends.
The Blue Wahoos (9-7) turned four double-plays – three of those to end innings with multiple baserunners. A trio of pitchers combined to strand seven Rocket City (8-8) runners in scoring position. They also got some terrific defense, led by left fielder Tristan Pompey’s running, sliding backhand catch in foul territory to end the third inning.
Meanwhile, the Blue Wahoos got just enough offense on five hits. One of those was a no-doubt, blast over left field by Peyton Burdick to lead off the eighth-inning. It was third home run this week.
And it became the decisive run. The Wahoos go their other run in the fifth when Chris Chinea was hit by a pitch, moved into scoring position on Pompey’s single and scored on Lorenzo Hampton’s single.
Less than three weeks into the season, the Blue Wahoos pitching staff has collectively been a clear strength, save for a couple rough nights against Birmingham last week.
“We have some elite stuff on this staff in our rotation and in the bullpen,” Norton said. “We have some pretty good octane out there in the bullpen, so it’s a combination of good stuff, throwing strikes, catchers understanding what (pitchers) are trying to do.
“A lot goes into each day preparing for nine innings.”
It showed again with starter Jeff Lindgren battling his way into another quality start.
He went six innings without a walk, striking out three and overcoming eight hits by continuing to get game-changing outs to end threats.
“He’s got a good 2-seamer (fastball),” Norton said. “He is willing and able to pitch in. Obviously, his pitch is his slider. Guys can’t seem to pick it up real good.
“He sprinkles enough change-ups to keep guys honest, but it’s his slider that has taken him over. No panic, he is really composed. He understands he’s one pitch away.
“He feels like he can punch anyone out with that slider, so there’s no panic. He’s been doing a great job. He has probably been in four tough innings in the last 13 innings and he has escaped all of them.”
All of his attributes occurred Friday, followed by stellar relief.
After Zach Leban got his second hold with 1.2 scoreless innings, Hock followed in the eighth inning with two out, two on, and delivered a strikeout pitch.
In the ninth, he gave up a one-out home run to Torii Hunter Jr., son of the former Minnesota Twins star, struck out the next batter and ended the game with his fielding play on the mound.
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos senior writer
Blue Wahoos Get Walk-Off Win Over Trash Pandas
May 21, 2021
His last time with walk-off heroics was Nick Lovullo’s freshman year in high school.
So you can imagine how good he felt Thursday night, after the Blue Wahoos second baseman hit a two-strike pitch in the right center gap, scoring Devin Hairston all the way from first base in the Wahoos’ entralling 4-3 comeback win against the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
It was Pensacola’s second walk-off win in three nights. Wow, indeed.
“It has been 12 years,” said Lovullo, remembering his prior walk-off thrill. “And it definitely felt great. Anytime we win it’s awesome, but especially when you come from behind like we did (Thursday) night.
Most of the crowd of 4,114 had stayed around when the Blue Wahoos entered the bottom of the ninth, trailing 3-1, and with only five hits to that point.
And then, drama happened.
Lazaro Alonso led off with a walk. Lorenzo Hampton followed with a single. Connor Justus, who nearly had a game-tying home run in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss, smashed the first pitch he saw down the third base line to tie the game with a double.
Hairston followed with a sacrifice bunt, which led to an errant throw that deflected off first baseman Ibandel Isabel’s glove.
In the split-second Justus had to make a decision, as he rounded third, he made a dash for the plate, but the Isabel recovered fast enough and his throw home was perfect to get Justus out
Up stepped Lovullo.
“Great at-bats by Alonzo, Hamps and Justus and good job by Dev. Everybody up front executed,” Lovullo said. “And for me, I was seeing the ball pretty well. He threw an 0-1 fastball, I put a good swing on it and I just missed it.
“And then he threw pretty much the same pitch and I was able to get a barrel on it and put it in the right spot and it was a pretty fun celebration afterwards.”
The win put the Blue Wahoos back above .500 at 8-7. The Trash Pandas have the same record. The teams will complete the full week series with games Friday through Sunday.
The game began with the Tate High baseball team part of the groups attending and Tate High grad Jay Bell, now Trash Pandas manager, greeting friends prior to the first pitch.
The Trash Pandas scored all their runs in the second inning. It was the only rough patch for Blue Wahoos starter Brandon Leibrandt, who had his best outing.
Leibrandt finished with four hits allowed, just one walk and four strikeouts in five inning. The Blue Wahoos bullpen trio of Jose Mesa Jr., Zach Wolf and newcomer Dylan Brice combined on shutout innings.
That set the stage for the Blue Wahoos ninth.
“It was a crazy ninth inning. Last couple nights has been a crazy end to our games. Great at-bats by Alonzo, Hamps and Justus and good job by Des. Everybody up front executed.
“There is so much talent in our lineup and so much talent on the pitching mound. Everyone believes in one another. Just because the results aren’t what we wanted early in the game, doesn’t mean that we are not going to get it later in the game.}
They did just that Thursday.
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos Senior Writer
Jay Lady Royals Fall Short Of Class 1A Championship
May 20, 2021
The Jay Lady Royals fell short of the FHSAA Class 1A State Championship Wednesday with a 5-4 loss to the Trenton Tigers.
Mattie Cochran went four and a third innings for Jay, allowing eight hits and four runs while walking one and striking out five. Alayna Lowery threw one and two thirds innings in relief, allowing one hit and one run while walking three and striking out two.
Caitlyn Gavin and Ella Nelson both had home runs for Jay in the sixth inning. Nelson led Jay at the plate, going 3-3. Gavin, Brett Watson, Christa Sanders and Madison Mathis had one hit each.
The Lady Royals finished at 24-6 on the season and is expected to return at least 10 top players next year.
Pictured: The Jay Lady Royals after their regional win. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Fall 2-1 To Rocket City
May 20, 2021
A
fter 14 games, the Blue Wahoos are even with their record and it has been reflective of how the season has started.
“I think we are still trying to find our identity a little bit, especially offensively,” said Blue Wahoos manager Kevin Randel following Wednesday’s 2-1 loss against the Rocket City Trash Pandas at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“Our starting pitching is holding up pretty good. We got (Brandon) Leibrandt going tomorrow and hopefully he can rebound from a couple bad losses.
“The bullpen is coming together, trying to find guys for the back end and how we are going to bridge it there. But guys are stepping up there are finding their roles and hopefully in another week or two, we get rolling and find out where we are.”
The loss dropped the Blue Wahoos to 7-7. The Trash Pandas (8-6) won their sixth game in the past seven. The teams will continue their six-game series Thursday with the Blue Wahoos transforming into the Pensacola Mullets, complete with uniforms and logo hats.
Making his third-start, Blue Wahoos pitcher Jake Eder gave up his first runs of the season, both in the fifth inning. Only one was earned.
A leadoff walk, then a throwing error on a slow chop was followed another walk to load the bases. Rocket City’s Michael Stefani hit a two-run single as part of his three-hit night with two doubles.
But after that struggle, Eder struck out the next three batters.
“He is a monster on the mound,” Randel said. “It wasn’t one of his cleanest outings. He threw a lot of pitches early. Got a few walks, four walks, so about 25 extra pitches. But he responded.”
Finishing with seven strikeouts, Eder, a former Vanderbilt star reliever, moved into lead among Double-A South Division pitchers with 26. The total is second-best in the 30-team Double-A level.
The Blue Wahoos could not catch a break at the plate.
The Trash Pandas made a pair of diving catches to thwart possible extra base hits. The Blue Wahoos only steal attempt was thwarted. There were also several hard-hit line drives right at fielders.
And in the eighth inning, Connor Justus hit a bomb was shifted by the wind just outside the left field foul pole.
That kind of night.
But in the ninth, the Blue Wahoos made it suspenseful. Peyton Burdick followed his three-hit night Tuesday with a blast into the wind that carried over the left-center wall to begin the inning.
With one out, Nick Fortes singled. But Trash Pandas closer Conner Higgins made a pair of big pitches on 3-2 counts to strike out Riley Mahan and Lazaro Alonso swinging to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos had just three hits against Rocket City starter Kyle Tyler, who had his best outing this season. He worked seven innings, struck out five with three walks.
In previous starts, he did not finish the fifth inning in either game. He gave up a combined 13 hits and six earned runs. Wednesday he dealt quality pitches the entire way.
“I thought we swung the bats all right,” Randel said. “Just missed a couple.”
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos Senior Writer