Blue Wahoos Take Series Finale 4-2 Over Mobile
May 21, 2019
Two days ago, the Blue Wahoos were at their lowest point of the season, having dropped three straight games and lost their first series of 2019.
By the end of tonight’s game, they had their swagger back, having taken their series finale against Mobile by a 4-2 score, giving them back-to-back wins to salvage the series before a long road trip to Tennessee.
Powered by Joe Cronin and Ernie De La Trinidad, the No. 7 and No. 8 hitters in the batting order, along with four innings of flawless relief pitching, the Blue Wahoos were winners again on Monday night.
“Yeah, like back to normal,” said Blue Wahoos manager Ramon Borrego with a wide smile after the game. “Our routine…winning and winning. That feels good.”
A crowd of 4,285, which pushed the team’s season attendance after 20 home games to just under 90,000, saw a return of the style of play that led the Blue Wahoos (28-17) to their franchise-best start and Southern League South Division lead.
Mixing timely hits with solid pitching, Pensacola took an early lead in what proved to be a back-and-forth affair, then regained it in the sixth inning before their reliable bullpen took over to seal the win.
Coupled with the Biloxi Shuckers’ loss Monday, the Blue Wahoos extended their division lead to four games heading into their longest road trip geographically of the season, which begins Wednesday against the Tennessee Smokies, the Chicago Cubs affiliate, who play just outside of Knoxville, Tenn. in Kodak.
“I know it was first series we lost all year,” said De La Trinidad, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. “But we were able to bounce back these last two games and be able to feel good. It’s big to go on the road with some momentum.”
Like so many wins this season, the Blue Wahoos jumped to a lead in the first two innings. Travis Blankenhorn led off the first by drawing a walk, then later scored on Mitchell Kranson’s two-out single.
Mobile’s Erick Salcedo knocked a solo home run in the top of the second to tie the score, but De La Trinidad answered with a homer of his own in the home half of the inning to put the Wahoos back on top by a run.
After Mobile tied the game in the fourth on Brandon Saeger’s homer, the Blue Wahoos regained the lead in the sixth inning.
In the sixth, after Caleb Hamilton and Ben Rortvedt drew back-to-back walks with two outs, Cronin and De La Trinidad delivered clutch RBI singles for the 4-2 lead. The two hitters in lower half of the order finished with four hits and three RBI.
“One through nine can definitely hit in this lineup,” said De La Trinidad. “Not every day that everybody is going to be on. But the guys ahead picked us up in the past, and the bottom half was able to do so tonight. Team game right there, just picking up your teammates.”
On the mound, starter Randy Dobnak provided a solid start for Pensacola, allowing two runs on five hits over 5.0 innings while striking out seven.
From that point, the bullpen dominated. Tyler Jay threw 1.1 scoreless. Williams Ramirez, in his first appearance of the season after being activated from the injured list yesterday, recorded three strikeouts while yielding no hits to the five batters he faced.
Cody Stashak then followed with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth to record his fourth save.
“The pitchers did a great job. We finally were able to add runs late in the game,” Borrego said. “Basically, offensively, we have struggled to execute. To see Ernie and Cronny get those hits, that’s exciting. I hope we can continue to swing the bat like that.”
Record Setting Wahoos Series Win Streak Ends With 3-0 Loss To Mobile
May 19, 2019
The season staple of early-inning leads and clutch hitting for decisive runs has suddenly ended right now with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
It led to another trend-breaking experience Saturday night, after the Mobile BayBears again silenced the Blue Wahoos bats in a 3-0 victory, amid a sellout crowd of 5,038, for their third straight win in this weekend series at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“A tough night offensively,” said Blue Wahoos manager Ramon Borrego. “It’s been tough last three days. That’s the problem right now.”
And for the first time all season, the Blue Wahoos (26-17) have lost a series, following eight consecutive series wins. Pensacola was the first team in Southern League history to win the first eight series of the season since the league switched to a five-game series format. They will try and salvage wins in the final two games, beginning Sunday with ace starter Brusdar Graterol on the mound.
It hasn’t been pitching that currently ails the Blue Wahoos. Three pitchers combined Saturday to record 15 strikeouts against Mobile.
But the Blue Wahoos batters managed only two hits Saturday and got only one base runner to second base. This followed a four-hit game Friday in an 8-2 loss.
“We could not put anything together,” Borrego said. “We are trying to find a way right now. Guys need to adjust a little bit.”
The game featured one of the more spectacular settings for a Saturday sellout. Crystal blue sky and a brilliant sunset gave way to a full moon rising above Pensacola Bay.
The crowd pushed the Blue Wahoos season attendance to just under 80,000 for 18 home home games and their season average is the third-best behind much larger cities Birmingham and Jacksonville in the Southern League.
Saturday’s crowd, which included PGA Tour star and team co-owner Bubba Watson and his family, was treated to the antics of the Fur Circus from Atlanta, an emotional moment with a Home Run For Life Event, and then the always-popular post-game fireworks.
The fan experience the Blue Wahoos always seek to enhance was on full display.
Borrego is hoping his team can quickly return to the steady performance that pushed the Blue Wahoos to a fast start.
“We have to do damage early. We haven’t been able to do it,” Borrego said. “We’ve hit a lot of ground balls these past two games. We’ve got to get balls to the gaps.”
Travis Blankenhorn had one of the Blue Wahoos two hits and also reached base on a walk. Mitchell Kranson had the other.
The lack of offense spoiled strong pitching. Adam Bray, who was acquired in a trade to the Minnesota Twins organization last year, was tried as a spot starter for two innings. He gave up a run on back-to-back doubles but avoided more damage by striking out the next two batters.
Jorge Alcala followed with five solid innings, highlighted by nine strikeouts. Jeff Ames finished with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. A walk, a passed ball and a wild pitch led to a pair of BayBear runs in the sixth.
“We’ve had great pitching,” Borrego said. “We just need to get our offense back.”
Northview Takes On Escambia County In Spring Football (With Gallery)
May 18, 2019
The Northview Chiefs traveled north to take on the Escambia County Blue Devils in Atmore Friday night.
In the first three quarters, the Escambia County varsity team topped Northview 21-12 in the spring game. In the final quarter, the Northview JV beat the ECHS junior varsity 14-0.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Looking ahead to the fall, the Chiefs will travel to Baker for a kickoff classic on August 16 before opening their regular season at home against Lighthouse Christian.
Escambia County will host Wilcox Central on August 30.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
BayBears Beat The Wahoos
May 18, 2019
The Blue Wahoos threw out two runners at the plate, another trying to stretch a double into a triple, then had their pitchers combine for 11 strikeouts with only one walk issued.
Usually, it’s a summation for a win.
But just the opposite unfolded Friday night in an 8-2 loss against the Mobile BayBears that became the worst home defeat of the early season at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
A sellout crowd of 5,038 had only a few moments for cheer.
“Really rough,” said Blue Wahoos manager Ramon Borrego, whose team managed only four hits. “Nothing together. A lot of misplays and offensively we really lacked a lot of quality at-bats.”
The BayBears (17-24), who entered the weekend series with the second-fewest wins in the Southern League, won for a second consecutive night by unleashing seven doubles among their 12 hits.
The loss trimmed the Blue Wahoos (26-16) first-place lead in the South Division to four games after Biloxi’s win Friday night. The Blue Wahoos had won seven of 10 previous games against Mobile before these two losses.
“We just came out flat. Just really flat,” Borrego said. “But baseball is just like that. You can lose one, two, three in a row, then you can come back. That is the good thing about baseball.”
In fact, the Blue Wahoos lost their first two games against Biloxi in the previous homestand, then won the final three games of the series by scoring a combined 30 runs.
“We just need to start playing better. I mean we have been playing well all season, but we just need to leave this behind and play better baseball.”
Blue Wahoos starter Sean Poppen absorbed the loss, working into the sixth inning and allowing six hits while striking out six and not walking a batter.
Poppen had two clean innings to start the game. But with one out in the third inning, the BayBears’ Zane Gortwitz reached on an infield error. The next two batters, Branden Marsh and Brandon Sandovel doubled to score a pair of runs.
Joahn Urena hit a grounder that was misplayed into a hit, scoring the third run. During this sequence, however, the Blue Wahoos prevented worse damage by throwing out two runners trying to score on strong relays to the plate.
Poppen then retired the next eight batters in order.
“Poppen gave us a quality outing,” Borrego said. “If we are able to make at least one of those plays, we get out of the inning or maybe give up one run. He battled to get to six innings. He pitched really well.”
The Blue Wahoos had their only chance for a big inning when loading the bases with none out in the fifth. Travis Blankenhorn drove in a run, but while hitting into a double play. Alex Kirilloff walked, one of three times he reached base, and Caleb Hamilton singled to reload the bases.
Taylor Grzelakowski walked to force in a run before Jaylin Davis’ grounded out to end the inning.
“We have a big inning possibly going there with the bases loaded, but we couldn’t put anything together,” Borrego said. “Obviously tomorrow is another day. We just need to regroup and come back and get the series.”
The Blue Wahoos have won all eight series this season.
Wahoos Rally, Win Eighth Straight Series
May 16, 2019
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos resiliency shined again Wednesday, thus continuing their series unbeaten streak in a significant way.
Trailing 3-0 early in a matinee, road finale against the Chattanooga Lookouts, turned the game with a big inning, then got a clutch closer performance from Sam Clay to hold on for a wild, 7-6 victory in the series deciding game at AT&T Field in Chattanooga, Tenn.
In winning a pair of back-to-back road series’ against Mississippi and Chattanooga, the Blue Wahoos (26-14) headed home following the early game with a 6.5-game lead in first place of the Southern League’s South Division. There are 30 games left in the first half, divisional playoff chase.
What’s more, the Blue Wahoos won the final two games of the series after their top hitter, second baseman Luis Arraerz, whose .342 average was third best in all Double-A, was elevated Tuesday to Triple-A Rochester.
New faces, new game stars keep emerging with the Blue Wahoos.
Wednesday, Caleb Hamilton bashed a 2-run homer to highlight a 5-run rally in the fourth inning, which changed the game. The Lookouts (21-17) had taken a 3-0 lead off Rodney Dobnak, who grinded into the sixth to earn his second win in three Double-A starts for the former Independent League pitcher.
Hamilton, who played third base Wednesday, but also has shared a catcher’s role, went 2-for-4 in the game. Alex Kirilloff went 1-for-5, but his one hit was the eventual game-winner, a two-run single in the eighth inning to provide a 7-4 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Lookouts got a pair of runs off Blue Wahoos top closer Ryan Mason. The Lookouts had the tying run on second, following Chris Okey’s, two-out, RBI double to cut the lead to 7-6.
Mason got Alfredro Rodriguez to fly out to Kirilloff in right field to end the threat.
In the ninth inning, Clay earned his third save by retiring the first two hitters, former Blue Wahoos’ T.J. Friedl and Jose Siri, then giving up a single before getting Brantley Bell to ground out and end the game.
The series matched two Southern League teams that switched affiliations after last season. It also included former Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly, who took Pensacola to three consecutive post-season appearances as a Cincinnati Reds affiliate and the 2017 SL co-championship shared with the Lookouts, then the Minnesota Twins affiliate.
Earlier in the game, the Lookouts were in solid position to get the series win. They got a two-run homer in the second from Mitch Nay, then another run in the third off a fielding error.
But the Blue Wahoos erupted in the fourth. Taylor Grzelakowski coaxed a one-out walk. Hamilton followed with his homer over the center field wall. Catcher Ben Rortvedt, the Blue Wahoos newest player, elevated from Advanced-A Fort Myers, singled and then scored on Mark Contreras’ two-out double.
Joe Cronin followed with an RBI double. Travis Blankenhorn then singled home Cronin to make it a 5-3 lead. It was 5-4 in the eighth when Kirilloff’s two-run single became decisive.
The Blue Wahoos then took a near 400-mile bus ride back to Pensacola and will begin a five-game homestand Thursday against the Mobile BayBears.
Playoffs: Losses For Tate And Northview Softball; Northview Baseball Falls, Jay Advances
May 15, 2019
Niceville 6, Tate 4
The Tate Lady Aggies fell to the Niceville Lady Eagles on the final play of 7a regional semifinal action Tuesday night.
In the top of the fifth inning, Tate scored three runs to make it a 4-3 ballgame.
With two out in the top of the seventh, Tate tied it up at 4-4. In the bottom seventh of the Michaela Brocato hit a walk-off home run to give Niceville the win.
Avery Beauchanie went six and two-thirds innings, allowing six runs on six hits while striking out two.
At the plate for the Aggies, Hannah Halfacre, Gabby Locke and Shelby McClean had one hit each.
Wewahitchka 9, Northview 1
The Northview Lady Chiefs were eliminated 9-1 in the 1A regional final at Wewahitchka Tuesday night.
The Lady Chiefs finished their season at 20-5 with a district championship, their first since 2011.
Bozeman 7, Northview 1
The Bozeman Bucks beat the Northview Chiefs 7-1 in regional semifinal action Tuesday night at Bozeman.
Tanner Levins pitched six innings for the Chiefs, allowing seven runs on nine hits.
Jackson Moore led Northview at the plate, going 2-3 while Bryson Love and Jacob Bryant added one hit each.
The Chiefs finished their season at 17-6.
Jay 9, Port St. Joe 6
The Jay Royals beat Port St. Joe 9-6 in 1A regional play Tuesday.
Jay will travel to Panama City Bozeman on Friday.
Pictured top: This season, the Northview Lady Chiefs won their first district title since 2011. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Senior Scholar Athletes Honored
May 13, 2019
The top senior student-athletes in each sport from Escambia and Santa Rosa County were honored recently during the 2019 Annual Senior Scholar Athlete Banquet. There were 214 senior nominees.
Cali Wilson, Gulf Breeze High School and Walker Parra from Washington High School, won the overall female and male scholarships, respectively. The Pensacola Sports Foundation awarded these two individuals each with a $4,000 scholarship.
Individual sport winners were:
Baseball – Mason Land – Tate
Girls Basketball – Breanna Garrett – Pensacola Catholic
Boys Basketball – David Melega – Navarre
Cheerleading – Krysanne Hagen – Tate
Boys Cross County – Rory Carmody – West Florida
Girls Cross – Erica Fisher – Pace
Football – Hunter Rayburn – Pensacola High School
Girls Golf – Mary Elise Shultz – Pace
Boys Golf – Chase O’Connor – West Florida
Girls Lacrosse – Vanessa Welch – Gulf Breeze
Boys Lacrosse – William Butler – Pensacola Catholic
Girls Soccer – Makenna Stafford – Tate
Boys Soccer – Quinten Endacott – Pensacola Catholic
Softball – Madelyn Vasquez – Gulf Breeze
Girls Swimming – Georgia Smith – Pensacola Catholic
Boys Swimming – Cason Forst – Tate
Girls Tennis – Callie Mitchell – Gulf Breeze
Boys Tennis – Michael Eddins – Pensacola Catholic
Girls Track – Taylor Hill – West Florida
Boys Track – Spencer St. – West Florida
Volleyball – Autumn Carter – West Florida
Girls Weightlifting – Julia McMaster – Navarre
Boys Weightlifting – Joshua Carter – Navarre
Wrestling – Tyler Tran – Pace
Northview’s Kline Signs To Cheer With Northwest Florida State College
May 12, 2019
Northview High School senior Gabrielle Kline has signed to cheer at the collegiate level with Northwest Florida State College. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Lady Chiefs Beat Franklin County In Regional 1A Semifinal
May 11, 2019
The Northview Lady Chiefs beat Franklin County 5-1 in the regional 1A semifinals Friday evening in Bratt.
Senior Kendall Enfinger allowed no hits in six innings. She entered the game after the first inning when started Tori Herrington came out with a pulled muscle.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“Tonight was a big win for us here at Northview. We played a really good team,” Northview Head Coach Amy Holland said. “We knew they were going to be a tough team to beat. We’ve looked at their stats. They’re no sloppy team; they’ve had a good season.”
“Our girls were ready tonight,” Holland added. “Tori got hurt there early in the game, and that’s something our out team hadn’t had to rely on somebody else. But they relied on Kendall. Kendall Enfinger came in as a senior; she got the job done tonight. I think she pitched an awesome game. Her team said ‘hey, you pitche, we’ve got your back’ and that’s what our team did tonight.
“We Tori got hurt and I had to come in, honestly I got a little nervous at first,” Enfinger said. “But then I realized, hey I can do this and do this for her. She’s always had my back through all the years. We’ve played on the same team since we were seven years old.”
“We played more as a complete team tonight than we’ve played all year,” Holland said.
Northview, currently ranked No. 2 in the state, will travel to Wewahitchka Tuesday night in the regional final. The winner will advance to the state semifinal May 21 against either Trenton or Frostproof.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Kendall Enfinger tossed six innings for Northview’s regional win Friday night over Franklin County. Pictured below: Kaitlin Gafford slides in for a score, Ashley Ragsdale swings, and the Northview Lady Chiefs celebrate. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Jay Tops Northview For District Baseball Championship
May 11, 2019
The Jay Royals claimed the District 3-1A baseball championship Friday night with a 3-2 win in Bratt over the Northview Chiefs.
After the Chiefs took a 1-up lead in the bottom the second on an error, Jay answered with one in the top of the fifth as Carson Walters scored on a sacrifice by Dutch Burkhead for a 2-1 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Nick Venable doubled on a 2-2 count to score Bryson Love.
Josh Majors got the start for Jay, going four innings, allowing one run on one hit and striking out two.
Seth Killam led for the Chiefs, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out four in six innings. Venable tossed one inning in relief out of the bullpen, allowing one run and one hit.
Venable lead at the plate for Northview, going 2-4 with one RBI. Brycen Loven went 1-2 with a run.
For Jay, Walters, Trace Seib and Trevor Flowers had one hit each.
Jay will host Port St. Joe Tuesday at 7 p.m., while the Northview Chiefs will travel to Panama City Bozeman at 7 p.m. in the regional semifinals. The winners will face off Friday night at 7 p.m. in the regional finals.
For a photo gallery, click to enlarge.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
