Northview Chiefs Win Back To Back District Championships With 2-1 Defeat of Jay (With Gallery)
May 6, 2022
The Northview Chiefs are back to back District 1-1A champions, taking the crown with a 2-1 win over Jay Thursday night in Bratt.
Kaden Odom earned the win for the Northview Chiefs, allowing one run on three hits in a complete game.
Kaden Strength went five innings for Jay, giving up two runs on five hits and striking out one. Justin Smarr tossed one inning in relief, allowing one hit and striking out two.
Josh Landis led the Chiefs at the plate, going 2-2. Luke Bridges, Rustin Pope, Ethan Collier and Aron Chavira each had one hit.
Justin Smarr was 2-3 to lead Jay at bat. Andrew Diamond had one hit for the Royals.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here. (Action shots are at end of the gallery.)
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pace Takes District 1-6A District Title 5-4 Over Tate (With Gallery)
May 6, 2022
The Pace Patriots won the District 1-6A championship Thursday night 5-4 over the Tate Aggies.
Rilee Lowery went three and a third innings for the Aggies, giving up three runs on two hits while striking out three.
Bray Touchstone had two-run homer for the Aggies in the seventh inning.
Ethan McAnally pitched two and a third innings with one hit, one run and one strikeout. Drew Reaves threw 11 pitches in one-third of an inning, allowing one run.
Jackson Penton was 2-3 to lead the Aggies at the plate. Touchstone, Kirk Mosley, Drew Reaves and Cade Kelly each added one hit.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Laura Glodfelter, click to enlarge.
Jay Takes District 1-1A Softball Crown With 5-4 Win Over Northview (With Gallery)
May 6, 2022
The Jay Lady Royals claimed the District 1-1A softball championship Thursday night 5-4 over the Northview Chiefs in Jay.
With the bases loaded for Northview and down a run, Payton Gilchrist knocked the ball to the fence. But Jay center fielder Audrey Watson made the grab at the fence for the game-ending out.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Jamison Gilman opened for the Northview Chiefs, going four and a third innings, giving up four runs on four hits and striking out three. Emma Gilmore threw one and two-thirds innings in relief.
Cochran went five and a third innings for Jay, giving up four runs and five hits while recording seven strikeouts. Alayna Lowrey pitched one and two-thirds innings, striking out one with no hits and no runs.
Kayla Dixon had a homerun in the fifth inning for the Chiefs, and Gilmore had a homer in the sixth.
Gilmore led the Chiefs at bat, going 2-3. Gilman, Dixon and Kailyn Watson added one hit each.
Brooklyn Sorrells had a homer for the Lady Royals.
For Jay, Ella Nelson and Lowery were both 2-3 to lead at the plate. Sorrells contributed one hit with her homer.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Grayson James, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Fall Short In Rainy 2-1 Loss To Mississippi
May 6, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos played through a pair of rain delays on Thursday night but couldn’t prevail, falling 2-1 to the Mississippi Braves.
After a 45-minute pregame rain delay, the two teams played quickly and cleanly before more rain halted play in the top of the sixth inning with the M-Braves leading 1-0. The Blue Wahoos immediately tied the game up after a 1:03 delay on an RBI single from Troy Johnston, but an RBI single from Mississippi’s Trey Harris in the bottom of the seventh put the M-Braves back in front for a 2-1 final.
Mississippi starter Jared Shuster carried a perfect game into the fifth inning, and allowed only three hits over 5.1 innings before his start was halted by the weather. Cobie Fletcher-Vance hit a double in the sixth just as the rain started, and Johnston’s RBI single against Hayden Deal (W, 1-0) out of the delay knotted the game up 1-1. The Blue Wahoos then loaded the bases with an infield single and a walk, but Deal coaxed an inning-ending double play to preserve the tie.
Blue Wahoos starter Will Stewart struck out a season-high seven batters over 5.0 innings, allowing an early run on Yariel Gonzalez’s first inning RBI double but recovering nicely to keep his team in the game. Out of the delay, Josh Roberson pitched a scoreless inning of relief before Andrew Nardi (L, 1-2) allowed Harris’s go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning.
With more rain bearing down on the area, Justin Maese (S, 4) worked around an infield single in the ninth inning to earn the save.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Mississippi Braves on Friday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Wahoos Coast To 8-3 Win Over M-Braves
May 5, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos scored eight early runs to coast to victory on Wednesday night, defeating the Mississippi Braves 8-3 to even up their road series one game apiece.
A five-run first saw the Blue Wahoos string together a season-high six hits, and was highlighted by back-to-back home runs from Paul McIntosh and Griffin Conine. McIntosh’s 454-foot blast off the batter’s eye in center field was a three-run homer, and began a 2-for-3 night with 4 RBI for the Pensacola catcher.
In the second, debuting Mississippi starter Tanner Gordon (L, 0-1) was unable to put his rough first frame behind him. The Blue Wahoos turned four walks and a pair of sacrifice flies from McIntosh and Victor Victor Mesa into three more runs, extending their lead to 8-0.
Blue Wahoos starter Cody Mincey (W, 1-1) earned his first Double-A win, completing 5.0 solid innings while allowing three runs. RBI singles from Logan Brown and Luke Waddell threatened to give the M-Braves some momentum, but Mincey retired the final five men he faced to prevent a significant threat.
Neither team collected a hit after the fifth inning. Eli Villalobos, Dylan Bice and Colton Hock combined to give the Blue Wahoos 4.0 scoreless innings of relief and seal the win.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Mississippi Braves on Thursday.
Tate Beats Crestview To Head To District Championship Game
May 4, 2022
The Tate Aggies advanced to the 1-6A championship game on Thursday with a big 12-2 semifinal win over Crestview Tuesday night.
Josiah Glodfelter pitched a complete game for Tate, allowing five hits and two runs in five innings while striking out three.
Cady Kelly led the Aggies at the plate with two hits. Clif Quiggins, Drew Reaves, Bray Touchstone, Jackson Penton and Jay Davis had one hit apiece.
No 2. Tate will face No. 1 Pace Thursday for the district championship.
For more photos, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Laura Glodfelter, click to enlarge.
Northview Shuts Out Baker, Advances To District Championship Against Jay
May 4, 2022
Jamarkus Jefferson threw a complete game shutout Tuesday night as Northview beat No. 4 Baker 10-0 in Bratt.
No. 1 Northview advances to the District 1-1A championship against No. 2 Jay at 7 p.m. Thursday at Northview. Jay beat No. 3 Central 9-2 Tuesday afternoon.
Jefferson gave up just one hit in five innings while striking out eight for Northview.
Josh Landis went 3-3 to lead the Chiefs at the plate. Jefferson and Rustin Pope had two hits each. The remainder of Northview’s starting lineup had one hit each — Kaden Odom, Luke Bridges, Ethan Collier, Wyatt Scruggs, Trent Knighten and Cason Burkett.
For more photos, click or tap here.
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Northview Softball Beats Paxton, Will Face Jay For District Championship
May 4, 2022
The No. 3 Northview Lady Chiefs beat No. 2 Paxton 4-3 Tuesday night in the district semifinals in Paxton.
They will advance to the district championship in Jay at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Jay Royals. No. 1 Jay beat No 4. Baker 12-0 Tuesday.
Northview’s Jamison Gilman allowed five hits and three runs while striking out five over six innings. Emma Gilmore pitched one inning in relief, allowing one hit and striking out two.
Kaitlin Gafford and Kayla Dixon had two hits each for the Lady Chiefs. Gilman, Gilmore, and Kailyn Watson each had one hit.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Lady Aggies Fall Short in District Semifinals
May 4, 2022
The No. 4 Tate Lady Aggies fell short in the 1-6A district semifinals Tuesday as they lost to No. 1 Pace 4-0.
Tate’s Courtney Lundquist gave up three runs on five hits in five innings while striking out four. Jordan Smith pitched one inning, surrendering one run.
Kara Wine went 2-3 with a double to lead the Lady Aggies at the plate. Lacy Wilson and Aaliyah Jordan added one hit each.
File photos.
M-Braves Top Wahoos 3-2 Despite Didder’s Dinger
May 4, 2022
Ray-Patrick Didder had three hits against his former team, including his third home run of the season, but the Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell short in their series opener against the Mississippi Braves by a score of 3-2 on Tuesday night.
George Soriano (L, 0-1) had his longest start of the season, allowing three runs on six hits over 5.0 innings, but was outdueled by Mississippi’s Darius Vines (W, 2-1), who held Pensacola to two runs, one earned, over 5.0 frames.
The Braves struck first in the second inning on C.J. Alexander’s first home run of the season. Didder evened the score with a solo blast of his own in the third, but Mississippi scored two more in the fourth to take the lead for good. Drew Lugbauer blasted a solo homer off of Soriano to start the inning, and a Justin Dean sacrifice fly followed to make the score 3-1.
Didder led off the fifth inning with a single, stole second and took third on a throwing error before scoring on a Jerar Encarnacion groundout. That cut the deficit to 3-2, but the Blue Wahoos couldn’t put anything together on offense for the rest of the night. Victor Vodnik (S, 1) worked a quick ninth to earn his first save.
Anthony Maldonado, Jefry Yan and Josh Simpson each contributed a scoreless inning of relief for Pensacola. Simpson has now started his season with 12.1 scoreless innings of three-hit baseball with 25 strikeouts.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Mississippi Braves on Wednesday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos