Holmes County Tops Northview 3-2 In 1A Regional Semi (With Gallery)
May 11, 2023
Top ranked Northview fell to Holmes County 3-2 in eight innings Wednesday night’s 1A regional semifinal in Bratt.
The game remained scoreless through six innings before both teams scored two each to make it 2-2 headed into extra innings.
Jamarkus Jefferson went seven innings for the Chiefs, giving up four hits and two runs while striking out eight. Cason Burkett closed with the extra inning on the hill, surrendering one hit and one run with two strikeouts.
Burkett, Luke Bridges and Kaden Odom had two hits each to lead Northview at bat. Jefferson and Trent Knighten both added a run.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Northview ended their season at 17-7.
Holmes County advances to take on Jay Saturday; the Royals beat Paxton 9-6 Wednesday night.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Falls To Leon 6-5 In Regional Quarterfinal
May 11, 2023
The Tate Aggies lost the lead late as they fell 6-5 to Leon Wednesday night in Tallahassee in the opening game of regionals.
Leon broke a 3-3 tie when they scored on an error in the bottom of the fifth
James Davis and Caden Kelly both had homers for the Aggies — Davis in the third and a long ball for Kelly in the seventh.
Drew Reaves went one and two-thirds inning for the Aggies, giving up three hits and two runs while striking out one. Rilee Lowery was on the mound for four innings, giving up one run and one hit with four strikeouts. Gabriel Patterson pitched for a third of an inning, surrendering one hit and three runs and striking out one.
Clifton Quiggins and Kelly had two hits each for Tate to lead at bat.
The Aggies ended their season at 18-8.
Also Wednesday night , No. 1 Pace lost to Winter Springs 10-4.
NorthEscambia.com file photos by William Reynolds, click to enlarge.
Fourth Straight Win As Wahoos Beat The Barons
May 11, 2023
Nasim Nuñez had an outstanding day at the plate and Patrick Monteverde turned in another stellar start as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Birmingham Barons 7-5 on Wednesdady for their fourth win in a row.
Nuñez was 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBI, while Monteverde (W, 4-0) earned his league-leading fourth win with 5.1 innings of two-hit, one-run ball.
The Blue Wahoos took a 3-0 lead against Barons starter Cristian Mena (L, 3-2) in the third as Nuñez smoked a two-run triple into the right field corner. He scored one batter later on a Joe Rizzo sacrifice fly.
In the sixth, J.D. Orr added to the lead with a bases-loaded walk before Nuñez chopped a two-run single through the hole to left to extend the Pensacola advantage to 6-0. Monteverde wobbled in the sixth, leaving with the bases loaded, but Josan Méndez allowed only one inherited runner to score as he worked out of the jam.
Méndez wasn’t so lucky in the seventh, as the Barons loaded the bases once more before Ben Norman launched an opposite-field grand slam into the Pensacola bullpen to draw the score to 6-5. Birmingham twice got the tying run in scoring position, but came up empty in their bid to complete the comeback.
Troy Johnston doubled home Nuñez for an insurance run in the ninth, and Jefry Yan (S, 3) earned the six-out save.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Thursday evening at Regions Field.
written by Erik Bremer
Fitterer Fantastic Again As Blue Wahoos Beat Barons
May 10, 2023
Evan Fitterer turned in yet another dominant start as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos opened up their road series in Birmingham with a 4-2 win over the Barons on Tuesday night.
Fitterer (W, 3-0), who began his Double-A career with 11.0 scoreless innings, saw his streak come to a close but still allowed only two runs over 6.0 innings as the Blue Wahoos won their third in a row and 11th in their past 12 games.
The Blue Wahoos jumped out to an early lead against Garrett Davila (L, 0-3) in the first inning on a Dane Myers RBI single. The Barons briefly reclaimed the lead at 2-1 on a two-run homer from Alsander Womack in the third, but Pensacola charged back in the fourth to take the edge for good.
Cody Morissette started the rally with a one-out single before Victor Mesa Jr. was hit by a pitch. Will Banfield tied the game with an RBI double before Griffin Conine laced a two-run single to right that put Pensacola ahead 4-2.
Fitterer worked out of jams in the fifth and sixth, departing with his second quality start in a Blue Wahoos uniform. Brady Puckett and Zack Leban wriggled out of similar trouble in the seventh and eighth before handing the ball to Sean Reynolds (S, 5) for a scoreless ninth.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Wednesday morning at Regions Field.
by Erik Bremer
Northview’s Rustin Pope Signs To Play Baseball At Coastal Alabama East
May 9, 2023
Northview High School senior Rustin Pope signed Monday to play baseball for the Coastal Alabama East.
For more photos, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Regional Playoff Games Set For Northview And Tate Baseball, Northview Softball
May 9, 2023
The 2023 Florida high school tournament brackets have been released, and all opening round matchups are set for North Escambia teams beginning Wednesday for baseball and Thursday for softball.
1A Baseball
On Wednesday, No. 1 Northview (17-6) will host No. 4 Holmes County (9-18) at 7 p.m. Chiefs fans are encouraged to wear black and and “black out the blue devils”. Also Wednesday, No. 3 Jay (16-11) will travel to No. 2 Paxton (12-8). The winners will meet for the regional championship Saturday night at 7:00.
6A Baseball
On Wednesday, No.4 Tate (18-7) will travel to Tallahassee to face No. 5 Leon (20-7) at 7 p.m. And. No. 1 Pace (24-2) will host. No. 8 Winter Springs (16-9-1) at 7 p.m. (EDT).
1A Softball
On Thursday, No. 1 Jay (14-11) will host No. 4 Freeport (15-10) at 7 p.m. And, the No. 3 Northview Chiefs will travel to No. 2 Holmes County (16-7) at 7 p.m.
Pérez Dominates As Blue Wahoos Finish Series With Win Over M-Braves
May 8, 2023
Eury Pérez may have just left a lasting impression with the Blue Wahoos.
If so, it became a memorable one.
Pérez, ranked as the top prospect in the Miami Marlins minor league system, overcame a first-pitch home run to start the game then matched his best start of the season as the Blue Wahoos hung on in the ninth inning Sunday for a 5-4 victory against the Mississippi Braves.
A crowd of 4,567 at Blue Wahoos Stadium watched the home team win for the fifth time this week and 10th win in the past 11 games, enabling the Blue Wahoos (16-11) to finish the first month of the season with the best record in Southern League.
This was the third consecutive strong outing by Pérez, rated the No. 11 overall prospect in Minor League Baseball by MLB Pipeline. He dazzled Sunday by retiring the next 12 batters in order following the leadoff home run. He threw just 39 pitches through four innings, then pitched out of a bases-loaded jam get out of the fifth inning when Cal Conley was called for runner’s interference on a slow roller that Pérez fielded.
That became the game’s pivotal moment.
Pérez (3-1, 2.32 ERA) finished the sixth inning throwing 79 pitches in the game, 51 for strikes with nine strikeouts and two walks. In the sixth inning he threw a 100 mph fastball, followed by a 99-mph fastball, to coax a flyout from M-Braves slugger Drew Lugbauer, the club’s all-time home run leader, for the final out and final batter Perez faced.
The Blue Wahoos offense backed Pérez with a four-run third inning, highlighted by Griffin Conine’s solo homer, followed by Nasim Nuñez hitting a two-run blast. The other run scored on an infield throwing error.
The Blue Wahoos made it 5-1 in the fourth inning when Will Banfield walked, moved over to third on a pair of hits, and scored on a bases-loaded balk.
Conine completed a big weekend at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a run scored and his second homer in two days. He now has three for the season. Nuñez also went 2-for-3.
The first two relievers to follow Pérez, Patrick Murphy and Jefry Yan, pitched scoreless innings.
But the game got suspenseful in the ninth inning after the M-Braves hit a pair of home runs against Austin Roberts to trim a 5-1 lead into having the tying run at the plate with none out.
After Blue Wahoos pitching coach Dave Eiland visited the mound to calm Roberts, the righthander retired the last three batters in order to end the game.
It led to the large crowd being able to enter the outfield to toss baseballs and have kids 12-under run the bases in what has become a popular Sunday event.
The Blue Wahoos will have Monday off before traveling to Birmingham, Ala. to begin a six-game series against the Birmingham Barons, the Chicago White Sox affiliate, beginning on Tuesday at Regions Field. The Barons took four of six games from the Blue Wahoos in their only Pensacola meeting two weeks ago.
written by Bill Vilona, photos Blue Wahoos
Conine Goes Deep, Reynolds Saves In Magical Night For Blue Wahoos
May 7, 2023
Sean Reynolds turned toward teammates and pounded his chest with exhilaration.
It became the perfect ending for the Blue Wahoos’ 3-2 victory against the Mississippi Braves on a Fireworks Saturday night, featuring one of the team’s all-time crowd experiences in Blue Wahoos Stadium history.
An overflow crowd of 5,000-plus, which completely filled the outfield berm and all of the party decks, watched Reynolds close out the final two innings with flawless relief. He struck out the side in the ninth with the final batter Drew Lugbauer – the most prolific home-run hitter in M-Braves history – whiffing on a 99-mile fastball for the final strike.
Reynolds earned his fourth save this season, second of the week, as he’s moved into the top closer role.
The traditional fireworks show then lit the sky with many of the Blue Wahoos players, attired in specialty Marvel “Defenders of the Diamond” uniforms worn this night, staying on the field with families and friends to take it in.
This all capped a game that began one hour and 14 minutes late due to weather concerns.
Blue Wahoos starter Dax Fulton made the most from the wait, producing his best outing of the season. He allowed just one hit, struck out six and yielded four walks in a five-inning performance.
The pivotal inning was his final one when the first two M-Braves batters reached on a single and walk, but Fulton then made huge pitches to strike out the next two batters and coaxed a groundout to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Will Banfield hit a pop fly double that fell between the shortstop and left fielder. Griffin Conine followed by rifling a pitch into the right-field berm for a two-run homer.
The M-Braves Jesse Franklin led off the sixth with a homer off Cristian Charle. The Blue Wahoos answered with Banfield’s RBI single that produced the eventual winning run. Banfield and Conine both collected two hits in the game.
Prior to the game, the Blue Wahoos honored Pensacola native and former M-Braves pitching coach Dennis Lewallyn, whose Escambia High class was celebrating its 50-year reunion at the ballpark.
The group was among more than two dozen big groups in attendance that enveloped all of the party decks.
After the fifth inning, Pensacola High head football coach Cantrell Tyson, who suffered a stroke in a mid-September 2022 game while on the sidelines, was provided a “Home Run For Life” celebration by Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital. Tyson circled the bases, high-fiving members of each team before hugging his doctors in an emotional scene at home plate.
The Blue Wahoos win was their fourth this week, sealing a series win. It was the team’s ninth win in the last 10 games.
The teams will close out their week-long series on Sunday. Top organization prospect Eury Pérez (2-1, 2.52) will make his second start this week for the Blue Wahoos.
written by Bill Vilona, photo Blue Wahoos
Blue Wahoos Blanked In Soggy 8-0 Defeat
May 6, 2023
A first-time game with Pensacola’s participation in Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversion initiative became memorable, but didn’t include a franchise win feat.
Two weather delays, one of those lasting nearly two hours, put a damper on crowd involvement, then had the Mississippi Braves expand a pair of sixth-inning runs into a blowout, 8-0 victory Friday night that ended Pensacola’s record-tying eight-game win streak.
The game did not end until 10:56 p.m., 4 hours, 18 minutes after it began.
Transforming into the Pensacola Pok-ta-Pok for the first of three times this season – part of MILB’s Copa series to honor centuries of Hispanic/Latino heritage nationwide – the home team was shut out for the first time this season.
Pensacola’s team wore reddish-orange uniforms with gray-teal caps as the Pok-ta-Pok — a nod to a game with a heavy ball played in 1650 BC.
When Friday’s game began at 6:38 p.m., before a crowd of 4,333, the skies had begun to turn ominous. A light rain had already started. Two innings were played before conditions worsened.
The game resumed in the top of the third inning at 9:01 p.m. following a 1-hour, 52 minute rain delay. The Blue Wahoos front office staff, including team president Jonathan Griffith and general manager Steve Brice, along with part-time staff, worked en masse to remove the tarp in heavy wind, then helped get the infield playable again.
The game was first halted for four minutes in the second inning when lightning flashed in the sky beyond the left field area. Six minutes of play followed before the much-longer delay ensued.
The forced both teams to rely on relievers to finish the game. Pensacola’s Josan Méndez worked three scoreless innings before trouble ensued in the sixth inning.
The M-Braves Cal Conley led off with a double. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. He scored on Cade Bunnell’s two-out double. After a walk to Drew Lugbauer, Méndez was lifted for Zack Leban, who gave up an RBI single.
The ninth inning became disastrous for Pensacola. Reliever Jefry Yan struggled with his command the entire way. He gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases, then walked in four runs on five consecutive walks.
M-Braves reliever Domingo Robles shined with seven scoreless innings. He got Pensacola to hit into inning-ending double plays in the third and sixth inning and allowed just three hits, a walk, six strikeouts.
It was the third time in franchise history the Blue Wahoos produced eight consecutive wins before a loss.
The series continues Saturday with the Blue Wahoos’ Dax Fulton (0-4, 6.45) on the mound against the M-Braves’ Alan Rangel (0-2, 5.40).
by Bill Vilona/Blue Wahoos
Burkett Throws Complete Game Shutout As Northview Shuts Out Jay For District Title (Gallery)
May 5, 2023
Cason Burkett threw a complete game shutout as the Northview Chiefs claimed the 1A District 1 title 2-0 over Jay Thursday night in Jay.
Burkett went seven innings, allowing no runs and seven hits while walking one and striking out nine.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Justin Smarr went four and two-thirds innings for Jay, giving up two runs and four hits while recording five strikeouts.
Rustin Pope went 2-2 to lead Northview at bat. Kaden Odom, Josh Landis, and Ethan Collier add one hit each.
Freddy Carnley was 2-2 for the Royals, and Ayden Sowers went 2-3.
Both teams head into the regionals next week.
Photos Andrew Garner/Atmore Advance, Ashley Rhodes and others for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
