Berry Homers, But Wahoos Fall 4-3 Saturday
August 20, 2023
After taking an early-inning lead, the Montgomery Biscuits held on behind lefty reliever Antonio Jimenez and his dominating performance for a 4-3 victory to clinch the series against Pensacola at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Blue Wahoos had nine hits and baserunners in seven innings, including two on in the ninth, but were unable to get a big hit. In the ninth, Norel González hit a one-out double and Cobie Fletcher-Vance reached on a two-out walk.
Newcomer Tanner Allen, a Mobile native, worked a 3-2 count, but couldn’t connect on another slider from Jimenez for a game-ending strikeout. The sliders Jimenez threw in four innings of work were often swing-and-misses. He struck out five of the 14 batters he faced.
Blue Wahoos starter Evan Fitterer overcame a tough start. He gave up four runs, but only one was earned. The fielding mistakes continued Saturday and they were decisive.
A fielding error by Dalvy Rosario, playing third base Saturday, resulted in one run, then Mason Auer followed with a 2-run homer.
The Blue Wahoos got a run back on Jacob Berry’s solo blast in the first. They loaded the bases with none out in the third – a pivotal moment – when Berry grounded into a double play, scoring a second run. Rosario’s RBI single in the fifth inning trimmed the deficit to one run, but that was it for scoring.
The final game of the homestand is set on Sunday.
The Blue Wahoos will have Jonathan Bermúdez (3-4, 5.02 ERA) making his second start this week against the Biscuits’ Patrick Wicklander (3-2, 4.58).
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
The Battle Begins Now: Northview Tops Baker In Kickoff Classic (With Photo Gallery)
August 19, 2023
“The battle begins now.”
That was Northview head coach Wes Summerford’s message in the huddle following a kickoff classic against Baker on a hot, hot Friday evening in Bratt.
In a one-quarter scrimmage, Northview’s varsity beat Baker 7-0.
For a photo gallery from the Northview varsity, junior varsity and Ernest Ward Middle scrimmages, click or tap here. Look for a gallery with cheerleaders, fans and more on Sunday or Monday.
“It’s real now, and it’s here,” Summerford said of the season. “I can’t wait to see what these guys can do. I know they’re excited. Fall camp was tough; it was hot. These guys accepted the challenge they got after. I can honestly say we got after it for two weeks…got after each other really hard. And now I know they’re excited to put their eyes on a different team and start the schedule.”
“Our defense played really well. I think our offense played really well late, and that’s what I told the kids. I just didn’t think that we came out of the locker room with the firepower that we needed. That’s something that we’ll talk about this week, how to get a quick start. I think that’s pivotal to Northview football playing our style football.”
The Northview junior varsity took to the field for one scoreless quarter against Baker. It was all defense; the offense never had an opportunity to make a play.
“I thought they did a terrific job,” Summerford said about the JV defense. “It was good to see our young guys do that…to see our young guys represent our program well.”
In the first half, the Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles fell 12-0 to Baker’s middle school team.
Northview opens the regular season next Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Flomaton Hurricanes.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Kickoff Classic Bonus Photos: Tate Cheerleaders, Fans, Students And More
August 19, 2023
The Tate Aggies took on Washington Thursday night in a kickoff classic.
For a gallery with cheerleaders, fans, student life and more click or tap here.
For a game action story and photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
High-Flying Blue Wahoos End Skid With 8-6 Win
August 19, 2023
The Blue Wahoos presented their “Salute To Service Night” and then celebrated an end of two-week doldrums.
After jumping to a 7-0 lead after five innings – the kind of fast start lacking in recent games – the Blue Wahoos got a strong effort by three relievers to hold for an 8-6 win Friday against the Montgomery Biscuits and halt a nine-game losing streak before it set a team record.
After recording the final out, reliever Jefry Yan celebrated and the many teammates remained on the field with families. It was the Blue Wahoos’ first win since August 6, when they beat Biloxi 11-6 to close out their prior homestand with four wins.
Since then, the Blue Wahoos matched the club’s longest losing streak that occurred 10 years ago.
But Friday was different. Friday started in a big way.
This game began with the first 1,000 fans receiving a one-of-a-kind Ted Williams bobblehead, honoring his military legacy that included becoming a U.S. Marine Corps pilot during World War II and training at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
Williams, the last player in Major League Baseball history to bat over .400 when he hit .406 in 1941, returned to Pensacola for a second service tour, helping train and engage in U.S. combat missions during the Korean War.
In celebrating Williams’ service, the Blue Wahoos honored NAS Pensacola by wearing special jerseys with the base patch and military “call signs” – a version of nicknames – on the back of jerseys.
High-ranking leaders of the base, including Commanding Officer Capt. Terrence Shashaty, threw out ceremonial first pitches to honor all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
The game itself quickly got a near-capacity crowd excited when Norel González hit a two-run triple in the third inning that preceded a bigger rally.
A five-run fifth inning, where 10 Blue Wahoos batters took swings, became decisive.
Victor Mesa Jr. had the biggest hit in the onslaught with his 3-run homer over the center field wall. Mesa finished with three hits to match his RBI.
Two batters later González, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI, hit his second triple off the centerfield wall. Jacob Berry followed by scoring González on a single, then stole second and scored on a throwing error after a pitch and catcher Kenny Piper’s errant throw. Berry, the Miami Marlins top draft pick in 2022 from LSU, went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Through the first five innings, Blue Wahoos starter Patrick Monteverde resembled the guy who dominated the Southern League in the first half of the season. He allowed just three hits and no runs. He was making his 17th Double-A start after returning a week ago from two starts in Triple-A Jacksonville.
But in the sixth inning, the game changed. The Biscuits got their first run on a leadoff double by Dru Baker, who then scored on a one-out wild pitch. A walk, then a fielding error by Jacob Berry ensued. With two outs, Monteverde plunked the next batter to load the bases.
At that point, having thrown 100 pitches, Blue Wahoos manager Kevin Randel had a mound meeting with Monteverde. He opted to leave him to face left hander Evan Edwards in a lefty-lefty matchup. On a 1-0 pitch, Edwards barreled a fastball out of the ballpark for a grand slam that suddenly cut the lead to 7-5.
All four of those runs were unearned due to the error. Monteverde’s previous four starts against the Biscuits resulted in just one earned run allowed in 26 innings.
Monteverde got the win, upping his record to 9-3, while relievers Chandler Jozwiak, Luarbert Arias and Yan followed with three stellar innings with two hits and one run.
The fifth game of the series is Saturday.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Tate’s Got Players: Aggies Top Washington In Kickoff Classic (With Photo Gallery)
August 18, 2023
“Tate’s got players.”
That was the word from Tate Aggies head coach Rhett Summerford following a kickoff classic game on a hot Thursday night against the Washington Wildcats in Pete Gindl Stadium in Cantonment.
Officially, no score was kept for the preseason game on Tate’s new video scoreboard. But unofficially, Tate doubled up on Washington 36-18.
“You know, in normal times, Tate has not had players. We want our athletes to play, and that’s the brand we are going to play with is to get our athletes the ball and see what they do. I thought they had a great night tonight, and we’re going to continue to do that. It does not matter who we play, and our kids are excited about the change.”
“We’ve worked really hard in our weight room,” he continued. “There’s things we got to work on; it was evident really in the first drive.
“I was really proud of our defense tonight,” Summerford added. “The community coming out was awesome, just really proud of our kids.”
The Aggies will host the Pine Forest Eagles next Friday night to start the regular season.
“We’ve got a tough one next week,” the coach said. “Here comes a good team; we know that. I mean Pine Forest is a really good team, but we’re up for the challenge. You know in college football they play those big games early. I love that; I’m going to love the atmosphere.”
For a photo gallery from the varsity, junior varsity and freshman scrimmages, click or tap here.
For a gallery with cheerleaders, fans, student life and more, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ninth Straight Loss For The Blue Wahoos
August 18, 2023
The Blue Wahoos have enjoyed a 2023 season filled with a first-half division win and various franchise feats.
But a record they matched Thursday was one they hoped to avoid.
Taking on the usual Thursday identity as Pensacola Mullets, a two-week losing streak reached nine games, after the home team managed just three hits and the Montgomery Biscuits cruised to a 5-1 victory at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
This was the third loss in as many games to Montgomery. It equated into the first time the Blue Wahoos (61-49 overall, 20-22 in second half) have lost nine games in a row since May 2013, the ballclub’s second season.
Pregame Thursday had a festive vibe with the annual Mardi Gras Night and members of various local krewes tossing beads and candy.
The good times didn’t roll, however, once the game started.
The Biscuits (59-52 overall, 23-19 second half), the Tampa Bay Rays affiliate, got two runs in the first inning off Pensacola starter M.D. Johnson. He yielded an unearned run in the third inning, one of three infield errors the Mullets made in the game.
Bennett Hostetler generated some crowd energy with his solo homer in the bottom of the third, cutting the deficit to 3-1. But the Biscuits responded with consecutive doubles off Johnson in the fourth inning and pushed lead to 5-1.
He was pulled after four innings, allowing six hits and the five runners. The bullpen was solid, a bright spot of the game for the Mullets. Josan Méndez, Matt Pushard and Brady Puckett combined to deliver five scoreless innings.
But the team’s bats have been quiet in all three games this week, resulting in defeats.
Pensacola was unable to string together multiple baserunners and set up a potential rally. In the entire game, the club had two hitters reach in the same inning only once – the seventh inning – but that happened with two outs.
An infield single by Davis Bradshaw in the eighth inning and ninth inning single by Cody Morissette were Pensacola’s only other hits.
The series now shifts to the weekend with a special Giveaway Friday on Salute To Service Night presented by the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. It will feature a Ted Williams Bobblehead of his likeness in a Bronson Bombers uniform while stationed at NAS Pensacola during World War II.
Williams, the last player in Major League Baseball history to bat over .400 when he hit .406 in 1941, earned his U.S. Marine Corps Wings of Gold while training during WWII in Pensacola. He later returned during the Korean War.
This night will recognize all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and feature several ceremonial first pitches, led by NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Terrence Shashaty.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Ready For Some High School Football? Tate And Northview Hosting Kickoff Classics
August 17, 2023
The Tate Aggies will host a preseason kickoff classic Thursday night, and the Northview Chiefs kickoff classic will be Friday evening.
Tate vs. Washington – Thursday
The Tate Aggies will host Washington at 7 p.m. Thursday on Carl Madison Field in Pete Gindl Stadium. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m., and the Tate Showband of the South will march in at 6:20. Tickets available on GoFan. For the student section, the dress-up theme is “Wipe Out Washington” surfer attire.
Northview vs Baker – Friday
Baker will visit Northview High School in Bratt Friday at 6 p.m. for a kickoff classic. The Northview varsity and junior varsity teams will take to the field, along with the Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Wahoos Drop Number Eight In A Row
August 17, 2023
One of the fastest games of the season Wednesday only accelerated the Blue Wahoos’ near-record slide.
Typifying the team’s current woes, it also ended a few feet short of walk-off heroics.
With teammate José Devers on first, Paul McIntosh drove a two-out, 3-2 pitch in the ninth inning that initially teased a dramatic finish, but instead it was caught at the base of the centerfield wall to seal the Montgomery Biscuits’ 2-1 win and the Blue Wahoos’ eighth consecutive loss.
The Blue Wahoos will need a win Thursday at Blue Wahoos Stadium to avoid matching the longest losing streak (9 games) in team history. Earlier this season, back in May, this team set the longest win streak (10 games) in the midst of winning 18 of 19 games.
Right now, any win has become elusive.
Wednesday, designated hitter Will Banfield provided the lone Pensacola jolt when he blasted a fourth-inning home run in that halved the Montgomery lead. Banfield’s homer was the 127th hit this season by the Blue Wahoos, passing the 2019 team for the most in a single season.
But that became the last Blue Wahoos hit in the game. They had just three. McIntosh followed by reaching on error. From that point, however, Montgomery pitchers retired the next 15 batters in succession, before Devers coaxed a one-out walk in the ninth inning.
Biscuits reliever Antonio Menendez recorded his second save by getting Banfield to pop out, then escaping a potential game-winning homer by McIntosh.
Blue Wahoos starter Luis Palacios gave up nine hits in six innings, but pitched out of worse damage and allowed just two runs.
Miami Marlins reliever Tommy Nance, pitching on an injury rehab assignment, looked strong when following with two scoreless innings. Dylan Bice ended the top of the ninth with a strikeout to strand two Biscuits runners.
Had McIntosh’s ball carried just a few more feet, it could have been the right kind of end.
The Blue Wahoos (20-21) dropped under .500 for the second half of the season and are 61-47 overall.
The third game of the series with Montgomery is Thursday.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Wahoos Drop Seventh Straight Game
August 16, 2023
A return home, specialty uniforms and multiple leads Tuesday night failed to halt the Blue Wahoos being on the wrong side of an extended streak.
After tying the game in the seventh inning, the Montgomery Biscuits got a go-ahead home run from Heriberto Hernandez in the eighth and made it stand for a 6-5 victory that became Pensacola’s seventh consecutive loss.
The series opener at Blue Wahoos Stadium was especially frustrating for the home team with the number of wasted chances to get more runs. Seven base runners were stranded, and two others were thrown out trying to advance on hits.
It ended after Pensacola had runners on first and second on walks with one out in the ninth, but couldn’t get a big hit to follow.
Taking on their alternate identity as the Pensacola Pok-Ta-Pok, complete with Mayan-inspired uniforms, the team had everyone in the lineup get at least one hit and had 12 hits in the game.
In the midst of matching the longest losing streak in three seasons, missed opportunities Tuesday proved decisive. It was a different kind of loss after dropping all six road games against the Chattanooga Lookouts.
This game featured five lead changes.
It started well for Pensacola when Jacob Berry, the Miami Marlins’ top pick in 2022, continued his hot hitting at Blue Wahoos Stadium with a first-inning homer. Berry then doubled and scored on Will Banfield’s tying double in the third. Berry reached base three times in the game.
The Blue Wahoos took a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning on José Devers’ leadoff homer. He went 2-for-4 in the game with two runs scored.
After Montgomery led 4-3 in the sixth, the Blue Wahoos answered on Cobie Fletcher-Vance’s two-out, two-run double in the sixth. Fletcher-Vance later crossed the plate, but Tanner Allen was tagged out a split second earlier trying to take an extra base.
The Biscuits answered with a run-scoring triple from Tanner Murray in the seventh, then the go-ahead homer from Hernandez in the eighth.
Biscuits reliever Antonio Jimenez recorded his first save by retiring Pensacola in order in the eighth, then striking out Banfield and getting returning designated hitter Paul McIntosh to ground out to end the game.
The second game of the series is Wednesday. The Blue Wahoos will have lefthander Luis Palacios (7-5, 5.26 ERA) on the mound against Biscuits righthander Sean Hundley (3.13).
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Wahoos Fall In Finale, Suffer Sweep In Chattanooga
August 14, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped the finale of their series against the Chattanooga Lookouts on Sunday afternoon, falling by a score of 6-2.
The Blue Wahoos were swept in a six-game series for the first time in team history, and have lost six in a row for the first time since dropping seven straight in July of 2021.
Evan Fitterer (L, 6-5) allowed three runs over 5.0 innings, but didn’t receive enough run support as he lost for the second time in a week against the Lookouts.
Chattanooga took a 1-0 lead in the second on a Miguel Hernandez solo homer, and stretched their lead to 3-0 on a two-out, two-run single from Rece Hinds in the fourth.
The Blue Wahoos got a run back in the fifth on an RBI groundout from Tanner Allen, playing for the first time in a Pensacola uniform in his Double-A debut. Allen later added an infield single in a 1-for-4 day.
After Allen’s groundout, Vin Timpanelli (W, 2-2) relieved starter Julain Aguiar and got Nasim Nuñez to line into a double play to end the Pensacola threat. Nuñez hit into three double plays on the day, and the Blue Wahoos hit into five as a team.
The Lookouts scored three more in the eighth on a Quincy McAfee RBI single, passed ball, and throwing error. Will Banfield got a run back in the eighth with a solo homer, but the Blue Wahoos went down quietly in the ninth.
After an off day on Monday, the Blue Wahoos return home to Pensacola for a six-game series against the Montgomery Biscuits on Tuesday.
written by Erik Bremer