Blue Wahoos Fall to Shuckers In Road Trip Finale
June 5, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos came up just shy in the final game of their 12-game road trip on Sunday evening, falling 6-5 to the Biloxi Shuckers.
A five-run seventh, capped by a Jackson Chourio three-run homer, proved to be the difference for the Shuckers as the Blue Wahoos were forced to settle for a series split and a 6-6 record in their two weeks away from Pensacola.
After a pregame rain delay of an hour and 16 minutes, the first five innings moved quickly. Pensacola managed only an infield single from J.D. Orr against Justin Jarvis (W, 6-2), and Jonathan Bermudez held the Shuckers hitless thanks to a pair of leaping catches from Griffin Conine – including a home run robbery of Jeferson Quero in the fourth inning.
Pensacola scratched a run across in the sixth thanks to a Nasim Nuñez walk and stolen base, followed by a Dane Myers RBI single, but the Shuckers answered back in their half of the inning. Wes Clarke ended the no-hit bid with a leadoff single and scored on a bases-loaded walk to tie the game 1-1.
Austin Roberts (L, 2-1), who coaxed an inning-ending double play to leave the bases full in the sixth, ran into trouble in the seventh. Felix Valerio hit a go-ahead two-run double before Chourio launched his three-run homer against Cristian Charle to give the Shuckers a 6-1 lead.
The Blue Wahoos chipped away with three runs in the eighth and another in the ninth against Abner Uribe (S, 5), but saw their comeback bid fall just short.
The Blue Wahoos lost a game in the South Division standings, and are now 5.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi and Montgomery with 18 games to play in the first half.
After an off day on Monday, the Blue Wahoos welcome the Montgomery Biscuits to Pensacola for a six-game series on Tuesday.
Homer-Happy Wahoos Rout Shuckers 11-2
June 4, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos hit a season-high four homers in a blowout 11-2 win over the Biloxi Shuckers on Saturday night.
Patrick Monteverde (W, 6-1) allowed just an unearned run over 5.0 innings to earn his league-leading sixth win, lowering his season ERA to a league-best 2.16 in the process.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, the Blue Wahoos manufactured the game-tying run against Shuckers starter Nick Bennett (L, 2-2) with a José Devers double and a Griffin Conine RBI infield single. An inning later, Victor Mesa Jr. brought home the go-ahead run with an RBI single to give the Blue Wahoos a 2-1 lead.
Will Banfield greeted Biloxi reliever James Meeker with a solo homer to lead off the fourth, and Devers launched a three-run blast in the fifth for his first homer of the season. Conine capped the five-run fifth with a solo blast of his own, extending the lead to 8-1.
Dane Myers added an RBI single in the sixth, and Mesa highlighted a four-hit, four-RBI night with a two-run shot to right field one batter later.
A.J. Puk made his third rehab appearance for the Blue Wahoos in the eighth, retiring the first two batters he faced before Tristen Lutz hit a drive to the right-center gap. Mesa was injured in a collision with the wall, allowing Lutz to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Sean Reynolds came in to get the final four outs of the game for Pensacola.
The Blue Wahoos gained a game in the South Division standings, and are now 6.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi and Montgomery with 19 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Shuckers on Sunday
Myers Homers Twice, But Blue Wahoos Fall 10-7 To Biloxi
June 3, 2023
Dane Myers continued his hot hitting, homering twice and driving in five in a 3-for-5 night, but the Pensacola Blue Wahoos squandered an early lead in a 10-7 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday.
The game turned in the bottom of the fifth, as Biloxi scored five runs against starter M.D. Johnson and reliever Will Stewart (L, 2-1). The Shuckers needed only one hit, a Zavier Warren two-run double, thanks to four walks, a hit batsman, and a throwing error.
Pensacola jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first against Shuckers starter Carlos Rodriguez as Myers sent a three-run homer out to left-center. They added another run in the third on a Cody Morissette RBI single and two more in the fourth on Myers’ second homer of the night, a two-run blast.
Biloxi chipped away in the fourth, drawing a pair of walks against Johnson before Wes Clarke hit a three-run homer to draw the score to 6-4. Morissette hit another RBI single in the fifth to give Pensacola a seven-run lead, but Biloxi’s big inning followed.
Johnson walked the first two Biloxi batters in the fifth before departing. Stewart, who had not allowed a run in 11.1 Double-A innings, allowed Warren’s double before loading the bases with a hit batsman and a walk. Clarke then drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game before Felix Valerio hit a potential double-play grounder that instead allowed the Shuckers to take a 9-7 lead. Nasim Nuñez’s low throw to first skipped out of play, scoring two runs and capping the five-run frame.
A.J. Puk allowed a pair of singles in his second rehab appearance, but wriggled out of the jam thanks to a strikeout, pickoff and popout to throw a scoreless eighth.
The Shuckers got effective long relief from T.J. Shook (W, 2-1) before Abner Uribe (S, 4) worked a spotless ninth.
The Blue Wahoos lost a game in the South Division standings, and are now 5.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi with 20 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Saturday.
written by Erik Bremer
Register Now For Tate Cheerleaders’ Lil Aggies Summer Camp
June 2, 2023
Registration is continuing for the Lil Aggies Summer Cheer Camp.
The camp will be held 8 a.m. until noon on June 26-28 in Tate High School’s Fryman Gym. The cost is $80 per athlete.
For a registration form and more information, click or tap here.
The Lil Aggies Summer Cheer Clinic will teach athletes proper stretch techniques, sideline cheers and chants, proper jump techniques, motion placements, as well as stunting and tumbling skill building. There will also be fun, games and engaging activities. A snack and drink will be provided each day.
The registration deadline is Thursday, June 23 and available spaces are filling fast.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Reel In Florida Fun On License-Free Fishing Weekends In June
June 2, 2023
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites Florida residents and visitors to go fishing during two license-free weekends: June 3-4 for saltwater and June 10-11 for freshwater.
License-free fishing weekends offer a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and experience the many fishing opportunities the Fishing Capital of the World has to offer. The FWC encourages everyone to take advantage of these weekends to spend time enjoying the beautiful Florida waters.
“Fishing is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and experience Florida’s abundant fishing opportunities,” said Roger Young, FWC’s executive director. “License-free fishing weekends allow Floridians and visitors to get outdoors, connect with nature and create lasting memories with family and friends.”
During the license-free weekends, all bag limits, size limits and fishing regulations still apply. Anglers must also follow all other fishing rules, such as gear restrictions, seasons and closures. To help ensure a fun and safe fishing experience, the FWC encourages all anglers to review the regulations before heading out on the water.
Blue Wahoos Rally Late For Win Over Shuckers
June 2, 2023
For the second night in a row, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos overcame a late deficit to beat the Biloxi Shuckers on Thursday. Trailing three different times, the Blue Wahoos scored eight runs in the final four innings on their way to a thrilling 8-6 win.
After tying the game twice on home runs from Dane Myers and Norel González in the sixth and seventh innings, the Blue Wahoos took the lead for good with a three-run eighth. Will Banfield delivered the eventual game-winning hit, a go-ahead two-run single with two outs in the inning.
Pensacola starter Evan Fitterer labored through 4.0 innings, allowing nine hits and a walk, but only allowed three runs. Tristen Lutz and Ethan Murray went deep in the second inning to give the Shuckers an early 3-0 lead.
The Blue Wahoos managed just a single over their first five innings against Biloxi starter Christian Mejias, but broke through in the sixth when Myers launched a game-tying three-run homer off the batter’s eye in center field.
Biloxi quickly responded to claim the lead back in the bottom of the sixth, as Carlos Rodriguez scored on an Isaac Collins double play grounder. Norel González tied the game back up in the seventh at 4-4 with a solo homer, his second in as many nights, but once again Biloxi pushed a run across in the bottom of the seventh on a Lutz RBI single against Cristian Charle (W, 2-1) to claim a 5-4 edge.
The Blue Wahoos got a pair of baserunners in the eighth as Zach Vennaro (L, 1-2) issued walks to Nasim Nuñez and Victor Mesa Jr. José Devers tied the game with a two-out RBI double, and Banfield delivered the big blow with his two-run single.
Troy Johnston added some insurance with an RBI single in the ninth, and Zack Leban (S, 1) struck out the side in order in the ninth to lock down the save.
The Blue Wahoos increased their lead in the South Division to 6.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi and Montgomery with 21 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Friday.
written by Erik Bremer
Rosters Announced For All-Star Softball, Baseball Games. See Who Made The Teams.
June 1, 2023
The Pensacola Sports High School All-Star Series baseball and softball team rosters have been announced.
West teams are comprised of just-graduated seniors from Escambia County. West teams are players from Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
Softball begins at 6 p.m. and baseball at 6:30 p.m. on June 8 at Pensacola State College. For each game, tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students from GoFan.
West Baseball
Head Coach: Justin O’Quinn, Washington High
Zachary Beaver — Pine Forest — SS/P
Allen Beasley — Pine Forest — 1B
Tate Sanders — Escambia — 1B/3B
Tait Anderson — Escambia — C/OF
Jacob Smith — Escambia — RHP
Chandler Gither — Escambia — RHP/C
Blake Clonts — Escambia — 2B/3B/OF
Drew Reaves — Tate — SS/RHP
Frankie Randall — Tate — 2B
Rilee Lowery — Tate — RHP
Ethan McAnally — Tate — 1B/RHP
Jay Davis — Tate — OF/RHP
Tyler Pinney — West Florida — 1B/P
Gavin King — West Florida — 3B/2B
Jay Henderson — West Florida — CF
Anthony Longo — Washington — C
Avanti Anderson, Jr. — Washington — 3B/2B
Mike Smith Jr. — Catholic — CF/OF
Will Barter — Catholic — C
Zack DeJesus — Catholic — LF/OF
Will Krehely — Catholic — P/OF
Jonah Cook — Catholic — P/1B
Rustin Pope — Northview — C
Kaden Odom — Northview — SS
Jamarkus Jefferson — Northview — 3B/1B
East Baseball
Head Coach: George Sands, Rocky Bayou High
Brock Marello — Niceville — SS/OF
Kai Bailey — Niceville — 1B
Jackson McKenzie — Pace — 1B
Alex McCranie — Pace — SS/2B/P
Ty Humphreys — Pace — RF/1B
Matthew Musgrove — Pace — C
Josh Senterfitt — Laurel Hill — 1B
Javin Shoemaker — Crestview — C/SS
Bryson Martin — Crestview — OF/RHP
Robby Kopp — Crestview — OF
Aiden Justice — Crestview — CF
Eli Lowry — Jay — P/OF
Kade Gilbreath — Jay — 2B/SS
Brayden Dykes — Milton — RHP
Deyton Powell — Milton — OF
Hudson Bartolomei — Rocky Bayou — OF/P
Ben Cline — Rocky Bayou — CF/OF
Donovan Monsees — Choctaw — RHP/1B
Ashton Wasielewski — Choctaw — C/RHP
Alex Kruse — Fort Walton Beach — P/CF/1B
Josh Noll — Fort Walton Beach — P
Troy Coughlin — Gulf Breeze — 1B/2B
Seth Frantz — Gulf Breeze — RF/CF
Jacob Pinardo — Gulf Breeze — C/2B
Quinton Renfroe — Gulf Breeze — 1B/P
West Softball
Head Coach: Holly Brown, Catholic High
Alissa White — Pine Forest — OF/INF
Patrice Rudolph — Pine Forest — SS/3B
Rheanna Bourgeois — Escambia — SS
Abbie McNair — Escambia — 2B/OF
Trinity Brown — Escambia — OF
Belle Clark — Escambia — OF/1B
Leah Smith — Escambia — OF
Aubrey Stuckey — Northview — P/1B
Emma Gilmore — Northview — P
Mariah Golson — West Florida — OF
Karah Barajas — West Florida — Utility
Amissa McDaniel — West Florida — 3B
Charli Vinson — Tate — 1B/3B
Mackenzie Cook — Tate — 3B/2B
Caitlyn Cameron — Washington — P/1B
Kelly Cameron — Washington — 1B/P
Rachael Ludwig — Catholic — P/1B
Victoria Bruder — Catholic — 3B/1B
Kimsey Lawrence — Pensacola — 2B/SS
East Softball
Head Coach: Chelsea McGehee, Gulf Breeze High
Morgan Kronlage — Gulf Breeze — 1B/OF
Kaylee King — Gulf Breeze — SS/3B
Erika Earl — Gulf Breeze — CF/OF
Kamille Lucas — Milton — OF/P
Audrey Luedtke — Milton — C/1B
Ashley Leach — Laurel Hill — SS
Riley Forbes — Pace — OF/CF/LF
Bethany Dean — Pace — 2B/OF
Mary Owens — Niceville — 3B/C
Grace Langston — Niceville — CF/SS
Halaigh Sallee — Niceville — 3B/P
Alaynah Smith — Baker — P/RF
Jolee Sloan — Baker — SS
Caitlyn Gavin — Jay — 2B/SS
Kassidy Nevels — Jay — RF/OF
Jenna Toups — Jay — P/1B
Cailyn Cooke — Navarre — C/OF
Harmony Stafford — Navarre — SS/OF
Jessi Farrer — Navarre — OF/P
Alyanni Enriquez — FWB — SS/2B/OF
Tess Tolliver — FWB — 1B/3B
Alex Carrol — Crestview — C
Riley Bowles — Crestview — CF
Late Homers Lift Blue Wahoos To 4-3 Win Over Shuckers
June 1, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos got back in the win column on Wednesday night, beating the Biloxi Shuckers 4-3 thanks to some late heroics.
Trailing 4-3 in the eighth, Will Banfield led off the inning with a game-tying homer against Robbie Baker (L, 2-1) and Norel González followed with a go-ahead blast to put Pensacola ahead for good.
The home runs made a winner out of Luis Palacios (W, 3-1), who set new personal Double-A highs with 7.0 innings and eight strikeouts. The lefty allowed three runs, two earned, to tie Pensacola’s longest start of the season.
Biloxi took a 1-0 lead in the second as Lamar Sparks doubled and scored on a Nasim Nuñez fielding error. Pensacola answered back in the top of the third, as Dane Myers walked, stole second base, and scored on a Victor Mesa Jr. double. Mesa’s liner deflected off the head of Shuckers starter Tobias Myers, who finished the inning but made an early departure from the game.
Troy Johnston led off the fifth with a solo homer, his team-leading ninth of the year, but the Shuckers responded in the bottom of the fifth on an Isaac Collins RBI single.
Felix Valerio gave the Shuckers a brief 3-2 lead with a two-out RBI single in the seventh, but Palacios wriggled out of any further trouble by stranding two runners in scoring position with a strikeout of Biloxi outfielder Jackson Chourio.
After Pensacola’s two homers in the eighth, Sean Reynolds (S, 
got the final six outs to earn his league-leading eighth save.
The Blue Wahoos increased their lead in the South Division to 5.0 games ahead of second-place Biloxi with 22 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers in Biloxi.
written by Erik Bremer, photo/Blue Wahoos
Blue Wahoos Fall 3-2 To Shuckers
May 31, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped their series opener against the Biloxi Shuckers on Tuesday night by a score of 3-2.
Biloxi was held scoreless and hitless from the third inning on, but their early run support for Justin Jarvis (W, 5-2) held up. For the second straight game, the Blue Wahoos left the tying run at third base in the top of the ninth.
Jonathan Bermudez (L, 0-2) allowed an unearned run in the first, as Jackson Chourio reached on an error and scored on a Wes Clarke double. Tyler Black capped a two-out rally in the second inning with a two-run triple to put the Shuckers ahead 3-0.
The Blue Wahoos finally broke through in the fifth when Troy Johnston laced his third hit, an RBI single, to right field. José Devers led off the sixth by reaching on an error, and scored on a Griffin Conine RBI single to bring the score to 3-2.
A trio of Pensacola relievers worked 4.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Brady Puckett and Zach Willeman were followed by rehabbing Marlins closer A.J. Puk, who struck out all three batters he faced in the bottom of the eighth.
Conine led off the ninth with a walk against Abner Uribe (S, 3), but pinch runner J.D. Orr was left at third base as the Blue Wahoos dropped their third in a row.
The Blue Wahoos’ lead in the South Division decreased to 4.0 games ahead of second place Biloxi and Montgomery in the South Division with 23 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series at the Shuckers on Wednesday.
by Erik Bremer
Thrilling Comeback Falls Short As Blue Wahoos Drop Braves Finale
May 29, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos came agonizingly close to completing a dramatic comeback on Sunday night, but fell 6-5 to the Mississippi Braves in their series finale.
Trailing 6-3 going into the ninth, the Blue Wahoos rallied back as Nasim Nuñez narrowly missed a game-tying three-run homer, instead settling for an RBI single off the right field wall. Nuñez was stranded as the tying run at third as Victor Mesa Jr. lined out to right field to end the game.
In an uncharacteristically shaky outing, Patrick Monteverde (L, 5-1) allowed six runs over 3.0 innings to take his first loss of the season.
The Blue Wahoos took two early leads against Luis De Avila (W, 2-4), as Cody Morissette and José Devers hit RBI singles in the second and third innings, but the Braves answered back against Monteverde each time. Mississippi took the lead for good with a four-run third, capped by an RBI single from Beau Philip.
In a rarity, each team finessed a steal of home on a double steal attempt. Pensacola brought home Mesa from third on a Devers steal in the third inning, marking their second steal of home in a week but just their sixth in team history. The Braves returned the favor in the bottom of the third as Justin Dean came home on a Luke Waddell steal.
With two on and two out in the ninth in a one-run game, the Braves called upon Trey Riley (S, 1) to go after Mesa. The Pensacola center fielder blistered a liner to right-center, where it was caught by Jesse Franklin V to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos remain 5.0 games ahead of second place Biloxi and Montgomery in the South Division with 24 games to play in the first half.
After an off day Monday, the Blue Wahoos continue their road trip on Tuesday as they travel to Biloxi to take on the Shuckers.
written by Erik Bremer, photo/Blue Wahoos