NWE Wins 10U Cal Ripken Championship
June 4, 2024
The Northwest Escambia 10U won the Cal Ripken District 7 championship Monday night at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill. Flomaton was runner-up. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos, Shuckers Canceled In Biloxi
June 3, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
Furious Comeback Helps Wahoos Beat Shuckers 8-7
June 2, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos overcame an early five-run deficit to beat the Biloxi Shuckers 8-7 on Saturday night.
Buoyed by a season-high three home runs and a strong performance from the bullpen, Pensacola got back in the win column and secured a series victory with one game to go in their weeklong set against the Shuckers.
Despite the win, the Blue Wahoos fell to 2.0 games back of first-place Montgomery with 19 games to play in the first half. The Biscuits swept a doubleheader over the Braves in Mississippi, gaining a half-game on Pensacola.
Leadoff batter Jakob Marsee started the game with a bang, hitting a solo home run off starter Bradley Blalock for an immediate 1-0 lead. It was Pensacola’s first leadoff home run since Kameron Misner in September 2021, ending an unusual drought for the franchise and beginning a 3-for-4 night for Marsee with three runs scored.
Pensacola starter Paul Campbell, who had completed at least 5.0 innings in each of his first seven starts, struggled mightily. The Shuckers put up six runs on three hits and three walks, bouncing Campbell after just 0.2 innings. The big blow came from catcher Andy Yerzy, who turned around the first pitch he saw for a three-run homer and a 6-1 Biloxi lead.
The Blue Wahoos chipped away with solo homers from Sean Roby in the second and Nathan Martorella in the third. In the fourth, Blalock was removed from the game after back-to-back walks. Will Childers (L, 0-2) fared little better, allowing a bunt single to Marsee before Paul McIntosh hit a two-run double to draw the Wahoos to within a run at 6-5. Marsee scored on a wild pitch to tie the game before McIntosh came home on a fielding error from shortstop Eric Brown Jr. to put the Blue Wahoos ahead 7-6.
Marsee singled, took second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on an error and scored on a McIntosh sacrifice fly in the sixth inning for an insurance run that would prove to be the game-winner.
Adam Laskey (W, 2-0) led a dominant relief effort for Pensacola, working 3.1 scoreless innings. Matt Pushard, Dale Stanavich and Raffi Vizcaíno (S, 3) held the lead for an 8-7 final.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their road trip in Biloxi on Sunday. First pitch from Shuckers Ballpark is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
Five-run Sixth Sinks Wahoos In Loss To Shuckers
June 1, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos saw their three-game winning streak come to an end with an 8-5 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday night.
Despite a pair of two-run homers from Zach Zubia and Joe Mack, the Blue Wahoos couldn’t overcome a five-run sixth inning for Biloxi that proved to be the difference in the game.
With the loss, the Blue Wahoos fell to 1.5 games back of first-place Montgomery with 20 games to play in the first half. The Biscuits were rained out in Mississippi, and will play a doubleheader on Saturday.
Jakob Marsee began the game by drawing a walk against Brett Wichrowski, and stole two bases before coming in on a Mack RBI groundout for a 1-0 Pensacola lead. Zubia’s two-run homer in the third put the Blue Wahoos up 3-1.
Pensacola starter M.D. Johnson worked 5.0 innings, surrendering an RBI double to Noah Campbell in the second and RBI singles to Mike Boeve and Carlos Rodriguez in the third to depart the game tied 3-3.
Chandler Jozwiak (L, 1-3) entered in the bottom of the sixth, and recorded only one out while allowing five runs on four hits. Campbell’s second double of the night gave Biloxi a 5-3 lead, and an Ethan Murray RBI single plus a pair of sacrifice flies put the Shuckers ahead for good.
Mack hit a two-run homer in the eighth against T.J. Shook (W, 3-6), but that was all the Pensacola offense could muster. Blake Holub (S, 1) recorded the final four outs for the Shuckers to nail down the win, snapping a franchise-record 10-game losing streak in the process.
For the second straight night, the umpire crew kept their pen and paper handy. Biloxi first baseman Ernesto Martinez Jr. and manager Joe Ayrault were tossed arguing an out call in the bottom of the first, and Pensacola reliever Austin Roberts was ejected arguing balls and strikes in the bottom of the eighth.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series in Biloxi on Saturday. First pitch from Shuckers Ballpark is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
Marsee Mashes Wahoos To Wild Win Over Shuckers
May 31, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
Amid flaring tempers and rewritten record books, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Biloxi Shuckers 7-3 on Thursday night for their third straight win.
Jakob Marsee was 2-for-5 with a go-ahead solo homer in the fifth and a two-run triple in the sixth to help the Wahoos clinch a winning month of May and send the Shuckers to a franchise-record 10th straight loss.
The victory helped the Blue Wahoos climb to within 1.0 game of first-place Montgomery with 21 games to play in the first half. The Biscuits split a doubleheader against the Braves in Mississippi, losing game one but winning game two.
Evan Fitterer (W, 4-3) turned in a quality start, allowing three runs over 6.0 innings. In working scoreless baseball until the fourth, he helped the Pensacola pitching staff set a team record with 23.0 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to Sunday’s homestand finale against Tennessee.
The Wahoos jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Brewers top prospect Jacob Misiorowski, bringing home the game’s first run on a wild pitch in the second inning and adding to their lead with a Harrison Spohn RBI single in the fourth.
Fitterer ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases on two walks and a hit batsman before Eric Brown Jr. tied the game 2-2 with a two-out, two-run double. A dispute over balls and strikes in the inning also led to Pensacola manager Kevin Randel’s ejection, the first in his four-season career at the helm of the Blue Wahoos.
Marsee quickly put Pensacola back in front in the fifth, homering on the first pitch he saw from reliever Kaleb Bowman (L, 2-1). A Bowman throwing error in the sixth inning opened the door for Marsee’s two-run triple, highlighting a four-run frame that gave the Blue Wahoos added insurance.
After 2.0 hitless innings of relief from Patrick Murphy, Zach McCambley loaded the bases with walks in the ninth before snaring a Carlos Rodriguez comebacker to lock down the win.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series in Biloxi on Friday. First pitch from Shuckers Ballpark is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Hostetler’s Heroics Help Wahoos To Second Straight Shutout Win
May 30, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos locked down their second consecutive shutout win over the Biloxi Shuckers on Wednesday night, riding a ninth-inning RBI single from Bennett Hostetler to a 1-0 victory.
Luis Palacios, Dale Stanavich and Matt Pushard (W, 2-1) held the Shuckers to five hits, one night after a six-hit shutout win in the series opener. The Pensacola pitching staff hasn’t allowed a run in 20.0 innings dating back to the seventh inning of their Sunday game against Tennessee.
The victory helped the Blue Wahoos climb to within 1.5 games of first-place Montgomery with 22 games to play in the first half. The Biscuits were idle in Mississippi due to rain, and will play a doubleheader on Thursday. It marked Biloxi’s ninth consecutive loss, tying a franchise record.
Palacios worked 6.0 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and striking out two. Dale Stanavich was impressive in his Double-A debut, striking out three batters in 1.1 innings. Pushard entered with two on and one out in the eighth, working out of the jam to keep the game scoreless to the ninth.
Paul McIntosh led off the ninth inning with a double against Adam Seminaris (L, 0-2), who to that point had turned in 3.0 hitless frames in relief of starter Shane Smith. Two batter later, Hostetler grounded a single to left field that scored McIntosh for a 1-0 Blue Wahoos lead.
Pushard retired the Shuckers in order in the ninth to complete Pensacola’s second shutout win in a row.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series in Biloxi on Thursday. First pitch from Shuckers Ballpark is scheduled for 6:35 p.m
Free Sports Physicals For Tate, Northview Athletes June 8 At Andrews
May 29, 2024
Free pre-participation physical exams will be provided for Tate and Northview high school students by Baptist Health Care and the Andrews Institute.
The exams will be conducted at the Andrews Institute, 1040 Gulf Breeze Parkway only for students participating in FHSAA sanctioned sports.
For Tate athletes, the physicals will be held on Saturday, June 8 at 8:30 a.m.
For Northview athletes, the physicals will be held Saturday, June 8 at 1:30 p.m.
Important information is in the graphic below.
Wahoos Start Road Series With 4-0 Shutout Over Shuckers
May 29, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
Four Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitchers combined for a four-hit, 4-0 shutout win over the Biloxi Shuckers on Tuesday night
Jonathan Bermúdez (W, 2-3) overcame shaky control to register 5.0 scoreless innings, setting a trend for the Pensacola pitching staff. Despite seven walks, including three from closer Austin Roberts in the ninth, the Blue Wahoos kept the Shuckers off the scoreboard for an important tone-setting win.
The victory helped the Blue Wahoos climb back to within 2.0 games of first-place Montgomery with 23 games to play in the first half. It marked Biloxi’s eighth consecutive loss, one shy of tying a franchise record.
The game was scoreless until the fourth, when Jakob Marsee led off with a double against Shuckers starer Nate Peterson (L, 1-4) and scored on a Zach Zubia RBI single. Joe Mack made it 2-0 in the sixth with a solo home run, his third at the Double-A level.
Cody Morissette added a sacrifice fly in the eighth and Paul McIntosh finished the scoring with an RBI single in the ninth.
After Bermúdez departed, Adam Laskey and Raffi Vizcaíno combined for 3.0 scoreless innings of relief. Roberts walked the bases full in the ninth, but struck out hot-hitting Mike Boeve as the potential tying run to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series in Biloxi on Wednesday. First pitch from Shuckers Ballpark is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Blue Wahoos Fall In Another One-Run Series Finale Loss To Smokies
May 27, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
Bennett Hostetler tossed his bat aside in frustration as the game’s final out became a pop out.
It was that kind of day, this kind of week, as the Blue Wahoos fell 3-2 Sunday against the Tennessee Smokies, ending their homestand in a glum way and extending a difficult trend.
A capacity crowd (5,038) on Memorial Day weekend at Blue Wahoos Stadium watched the Smokies complete their fifth win of the six-game series. It was also the fifth consecutive one-run difference in the low-scoring games between these teams.
With their bats in continued slumber, the Blue Wahoos missed on rally chances in the seventh inning with bases loaded. And then in the eighth with two runners on base and one out.
The Blue Wahoos (23-22) will have the Monday holiday off, then a short road trip Tuesday to Biloxi in hopes of getting some offensive spark and stringing some wins. They are 3-9 in the past two series.
But away from the scoreboard, it was a weekend full of wins.
The Blue Wahoos filled the ballpark Sunday for the third consecutive day. It was the 13th capacity crowd at Blue Wahoos Stadium in 27 home games this season.
The pregame featured a parade of school children who completed the popular Kazoo’s Reading Program. There was also a re-enlistment ceremony for a local resident joining the U.S. Air Force.
And, the Blue Angels again elicited a thunderous cheer when the famed jets buzzed over the stadium early in the game, after returning from a weekend show.
The sixth inning “roach run” had massive participation and a large portion of the crowd stayed to the end. Children ran the bases and families tossed soft baseballs in the outfield.
The Blue Wahoos again received quality pitching, this time from five different relievers on a pitching-by-bullpen-committee outing. Chandler Jozwiak, normally a middle reliever, absorbed a hard luck loss after working the first two innings and allowing a run on a sacrifice fly.
The Smokies (27-18) got their second run in the third inning on a leadoff triple by No. 9 hitter Josh Rivera, who then scored on Christian Franklin’s sacrifice fly.
The Blue Wahoos halved the deficit without getting a ball in play. Jorge Caballero was hit by a pitch, Jakob Marsee walked, Paul McIntosh was hit by a pitch, then Caballero scored on a two-out balk.
In the seventh inning, Harrison Spohn walked, then Tanner Allen and Caballero singled to load the bases. But Smokies reliever Alex Troop struck out Marsee swinging on a slider and got McIntosh to strike out on a changeup.
Joe Mack then lined a shot off Troop’s leg and the ball caromed into foul territory to score Spohn and force Troop to leave the game. Michael Arias entered and got Hostetler to end the inning on a flyout.
In the eighth, with two on, one out, Allen lined a pitch hard, but right at Rivera at shortstop. Caballero struck out to end the inning.
McIntosh was then stranded in the ninth after a one-out single.
Both teams went with relievers starting the game. The Blue Wahoos used Jozwiak and Tennessee countered with righthander Trey Supak, who worked four innings.
GAME NOTABLES
— Students, teachers and parents from area schools were able to take a lap around the field during the pregame ceremony that highlighted the reading program.
— The Milton High baseball team had its fundraiser day at the ballpark.
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WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Blue Wahoos vs. Biloxi Shuckers
WHEN: Tuesday (May 28) thru Sunday (June 2).
WHERE: Shuckers Ballpark, Biloxi, Mississippi.
Blue Wahoos’ Bats Come Alive, But Smokies Win
May 26, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
Kevin Alcantara appears well on a path for an eventual opportunity with the Chicago Cubs.
He’s certainly blazed a trail this week in Pensacola.
Alcantara, 21, a 6-foot-6 rising star outfielder, who is the No. 3-ranked Cubs prospect, did damage again to Blue Wahoos pitching, blasting a 3-run, go-ahead homer in the seventh, then doubling and scoring the winning run in the ninth as the Tennessee Smokies took a 5-4 win Saturday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
A sellout crowd of 5,038 continued the Blue Wahoos season trend of large weekend crowds. This one watched the teams combine on 21 hits and back-and-forth big moments.
Most of the crowd stayed for the post-game fireworks show, which completed an event-filled game.
The Blue Wahoos wore colorful specialty uniforms as part of Marvel ’s Defenders of the Diamond program. The fifth inning was paused to feature a powerful Home Run For Life, saluting a 5-year-old girl who overcame a massive surgical procedure and long odds. And there was the overall festive scene a filled stadium brings.
The Smokies (26-18), who boast 12 of the Cubs’ top 30 prospects, have now won four of the five games this week heading to Sunday’s finale.
The Blue Wahoos (23-21) received another gritty outing from starter M.D. Johnson. Though he walked four and allowed six hits, Johnson worked six innings, had a 3-1 lead and was in line for the win. In each of the first four innings, the Smokies had two runners on base, but Johnson made big pitches to end threats.
But in the seventh, Alcantara, who went 4-for-4 in Tennessee’s win Friday, came up with one out and two runners on base against Blue Wahoos reliever Zach McCambley. On a 2-0 pitch, McCambley’s fastball was met with a loud connection, resulting in a 441-foot, 3-run homer for the lead.
The Blue Wahoos had built their lead on a sacrifice fly RBI from Nathan Martorella in the fourth inning, then loaded the bases in the fifth and got a sacrifice fly from Harrison Spohn. A throwing error on a fielder’s choice grounder by Joe Mack scored Jacob Marsee with the inning’s second run.
Paul McIntosh tied the game again in the eighth inning on his leadoff home run. Martorella then hit a two-out triple, but a strikeout against Sean Roby ended the inning.
Alcantara led off the ninth with a double against Blue Wahoos reliever Patrick Murphy. He moved to third on a single. Murphy, a lefthander, then was on his way to working out of the jam. He struck on the next two batters. But he was called for a balk, allowing Alcantara to score and raising the ire of the crowd and Blue Wahoos manager Kevin Randel.
After the umpires consulted, the call stood. In the bottom of the ninth, the Blue Wahoos were retired in order.
The team will close out the well-contested series – matching the two Southern League championship series opponents the past two seasons — in Sunday’s final game of the homestand.
Pregame activities and ceremonial first pitches will begin at 3:40 p.m. with the actual first pitch of the game set for 4:05 p.m..
GAME NOTABLES
— When their daughter, Hannah, was only 3-weeks old in 2018, Layne and Ryan Lillie of Santa Rosa Beach had their daughter rushed from a local care center in Walton County to emergency room at The Studer Family Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart.
Doctors conducted multiple surgeries, discovering that Hannah’s small intestines were twisted, a condition called volvulus, and she was in septic shock as a result. Over 99% of Hannah’s intestines had to be removed. Hannah spent five months in the hospital. But she is now fully recovered and active.
She easily circled the bases Saturday in a poignant moment as both teams lined each baseline and greeted her.
— Among those throwing out a first pitch prior to Saturday’s game was Robert Roberts, father of Blue Wahoos reliever Austin Roberts, who happened to be his catcher on the ceremonial first pitch. The family is from Sacramento, California.
— The Marvel-themed game jerseys worn by the players were auctioned during a live auction at the top of the sixth inning. Four other players’ Marvel jerseys are being auctioned online.
— There were five youth teams gathering on the field during pregame and having team members join Blue Wahoos players on the field for the National Anthem. Teams were Coastal 28, Bill Bond Rookie Warriors, Crestview Marlins, USA Prime Panhandle and the Gulf Shores (Ala). 12-under All-Stars.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Tennessee Smokies vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium