District Runner-up Tate High Girls Tennis Headed To Regionals This Week
April 22, 2019
The Tate High School girls tennis team is headed to regionals on Tuesday.
Last week, Tate won the District 1-3A runner-up title 4-3 over Pace High. Tuesday, they will travel to Tallahassee to face Tallahassee Chiles.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Get 8-5 Easter Sunday Win
April 22, 2019
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos used a pair of home runs from Jaylin Davis and Ernie De La Trinidad and a clutch, late heads up defensive play to beat the Mobile BayBears 8-5 on Easter Sunday, improving their record to a league-best 12-5 on the season.
RHP Jorge Alcala took the ball for the Blue Wahoos for the fourth time this season and delivered his fourth win. The righty was excellent early, allowing just one hit through the first four innings. In the fifth, he finally ran into problems, allowing five runs on two home runs (Brendon Sanger and Brandon Marsh), a double, two singles, and a walk. The crooked inning was the first blemish for a Blue Wahoos starting staff that entered the evening with a 1.39 ERA.
The Blue Wahoos offense had Alcala’s back. Jordan Gore led off the bottom of the first with a double and game in to score on a single by Taylor Grzelakowski. The Wahoos added five runs in the third, stringing together a single by De La Trinidad, double by Caleb Hamilton, and home run by Davis to go up 4-0. Grzelakowski followed with a walk, and Luis Arraez doubled him to third. Jimmy Kerrigan singled home Grzelakowski and a Joe Cronin sacrifice fly plated Arraez and made it 6-0.
Two more runs crossed the plate for Pensacola in the fourth. De La Trinidad led off the inning with a no doubt homer to right. Hamilton followed with a single, and Davis doubled him to third. Grzelakowski lofted a sac fly to center to make it 8-0.
After Mobile put the five-spot on Alcala in the fifth, LHP Tyler Jay tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief for the Blue Wahoos, striking out four. Rehabbing LHP Gabriel Moya entered in the eighth and opened the inning with a pair of strikeouts, but then allowed a single and two walks to load the bases.
Dusten Knight entered with the bases full and two outs. He uncorked a wild pitch, but the ball took a friendly hop off the backstop to catcher Brian Navarreto. The Blue Wahoos defense caught the BayBears in a rundown, completing an unusual 2-4-3-5 putout, ending the inning with Hamilton chasing down the runner from third and making a sprawling tag at the plate for the final out.
There was less drama in the ninth, as Knight set down the side in order, striking out the final two hitters to earn his fourth save of the season. He capped off the Blue Wahoos win with a signature backflip.
Hamilton was 3-5 with a pair of doubles, an RBI, and two runs. Arraez was 2-2 with a triple, a double, a walk, and a run scored. De La Trinidad and Davis each had two hits, including their homers.
Pensacola and Mobile will continue their five-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium tomorrow evening at 6:35 PM with Twins top pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol on the mound.
Wahoos Shut Out The BayBears
April 21, 2019
Pensacola’s lauded starting pitching rotation got a new cast member on Saturday evening at Blue Wahoos Stadium as Sean Poppen made his first start in a Blue Wahoos uniform. True to the part, the Harvard grad delivered 5.0 shutout innings and struck out 11 BayBears batters in a 5-0 win for Pensacola. With tonight’s outing by Poppen, Blue Wahoos starting pitchers now have a 1.39 ERA this season, having allowed just 13 earned runs in 84.1 innings.
Poppen, who made his first appearance of the year on the mound for AAA-Rochester, recovered from some first inning hiccups before cruising to the win. The game’s leadoff batter Jahmai Jones singled and one batter later Jack Kruger was hit by a pitch, but Poppen quickly worked out of the jam, striking out a pair in the inning.
After walking the first batter in the second, he struck out two more. In the home half of the inning, Tanner English was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on an Ernie De La Trinidad single, the first of three for De La Trinidad.
Poppen was back at it in the third, striking out a pair for the third straight inning. In the fourth, he one-upped himself, striking out the side. Two more strikeouts followed in the fifth, giving him 11 in the game, the most by a Blue Wahoos pitcher this season.
Pensacola scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, using a walk to Brian Schales and singles by Luis Arraez, Jaylin Davis, and English to go up 3-0.
Following the fifth inning, both teams welcomed John Matthew Peacock, an inspirational local 4-year-old who has battled medical problems throughout his life after being born prematurely, for 2019’s first Home Run For Life. John Matthew circled the bases, high fiving the players on both teams, before leaping on home and hugging Kazoo while a sold-out crowd gave him a standing ovation.
LHP Jovani Moran took over on the mound for Pensacola and picked up where Poppen left off, striking out five over 2.0 scoreless, hitless innings. RHP Cody Stashak followed in the eighth, and struck out a pair over over 2.0 scoreless to finish out the shutout for the Blue Wahoos and give Pensacola pitchers 18 strikeouts in the game.
Offensively, Pensacola had nine hits in the game, including a 3-4 night by De La Trinidad. English was 2-2 with a walk, two RBI, three runs scored, and two stolen bases. Davis was 2-3 with a run and a steal.
The win improves Pensacola’s record to a league-best 11-5 while Mobile falls to 6-9.
Two Jay Royals Place At State Weight Meet
April 21, 2019
Two Jay High School lifters places in the recent state 1A weightlifting meet.
Senior James Eddings tied for third in the 183 pound weight class with a total of 595 pounds at the state meet. The tiebreaker was a weigh off and resulted in a fourth place medal.
Junior Dylan Phillips had the winning total in the 119 pound weight class. There was a tie for the state championship in that weight class and Phillips finished as runner up in the tie breaker.
Blue Wahoos Split Doubleheader In Biloxi
April 20, 2019
The Pensacola Blue Wahoo split a doubleheader in Biloxi Friday. Pensacola took game one 9-1, and fell in game two 4-3.
Game One
The Blue Wahoos came out swinging in game one of their Friday night double header in Biloxi, using a pair of home runs and another brilliant outing from Griffin Jax on their way to a 9-1 victory.
Pensacola scored four times in the third inning. Brian Navarreto led off the inning with a double and Mark Contreras followed by reaching on a walk. A fielding error by Biloxi pitcher Alec Bettinger on a Jordan Gorec comebacker allowed Navarreto to score. Brian Schales followed with a three-run home run to make it 4-0.
With the lead, Jax was brilliant. The Air Force grad entered the game with the best ERA in the league and delivered 6.0 stellar innings, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out five. Major League rehabber Gabriel Moya added a scoreless inning of relief after Jax’s strong outing.
Navarreto was 3-4 in the game with 3 RBI, including a three-run home run in seventh and a double. Mark Conteras was 2-3 with an RBI.
Game Two
For the fifth time this season, the Blue Wahoos played in a game that ended with a 4-3 final score, this time ending on the losing end in game two.
Biloxi took an early 2-0 lead, scoring twice in the home half of the first on a throwing error, stolen base, and three consecutive singles.
Pensacola answered with two of their own in the top of the second. Mitchell Kranson opened the inning with a solo home run. Caleb Hamilton followed with a triple and scored on an RBI ground out by Taylor Grzelakowski.
A single, balk, and subsequent RBI single by C.J. Hinojosa gave Biloxi the lead back in the third inning against Blue Wahoos starter Andro Cutura, but the Blue Wahoos again answered the following inning, using a double by Brian Schales, a ground out to move him over, and a wild pitch to tie the game.
Jeff Ames entered in relief of Cutura (3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) in the bottom of the fourth. A pair of walks and an RBI single by Michael O’Neill gave the Shuckers the lead back at 4-3.
The score held there as Biloxi relievers Angel Perdomo (W, 2.1 IP, 0 H, 5 K) and Nate Griep (S, 1.0 IP, 0 R) combined to close out the game and preserve the win for the Shuckers.
Tate Softball Blanks Washington 16-0; Northview Shuts Out Baker 12-0
April 19, 2019
Tate 16, Washington 0
The Tate Lady Aggies shut out Washington 16-0 Friday.
Amber Decoux led the Aggies with a grand slam in the first.
Abbie Burks pitched a complete game win, going three innings, allowing no runs on only one hit, striking out four and walking none.
Northview 12 Baker 0
The Northview Lady Chiefs beat Baker 12-0 in six innings Friday.
Tori Herrington pitched the win with eight strikeouts. She was 2-3 at bat with one RBI. Also for Northview: Ashley Ragsdale 1-3; Aubree Love 2-4; Kailyn Watson 2-4, 2RBI; Makayla Jeneske 1-4, 2RBI; Nevaeh Brown 2-4; 3RBI; Heather Knowles 1-3.
Wahoos Win 5-2 Over Biloxi
April 18, 2019
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos bounced back from Tuesday’s heartbreaking loss with a hard-fought 5-2 win over the Shuckers Wednesday night at MGM Park.
Pensacola, after not scoring a run until the tenth inning of last night’s loss, wasted no time getting on the board in Wednesday’s middle game. With two on and one out in the first, Braden Webb (L, 0-3) issued back-to-back walks to bring home Jordan Gore. Webb was removed in the first inning after throwing 37 pitches.
The Wahoos were right back at it in the second, plating home two more thanks to RBI singles from Gore and Brian Schales to put the Wahoos up 3-0. Biloxi had a response of their own in the bottom of the second inning plating home a pair of runs.
For the reigning Southern League Pitcher of Week, Devin Smeltzer, the two runs allowed in the second inning were his first two all season. However, he responded in the third and fourth, retiring six of the next seven Shuckers in order.
The game took a turn for the worst in the bottom of the fifth inning when Smeltzer was struck in the back of the head from a line drive off the bat of Max McDowell. Smeltzer lay on the ground motionless for several moments while he was tended to by the medical staffs from both clubs. Fortunately, he was able to rise to his feet and walk off the field on his own power.
Adam Bray (W, 1-1) was called into the game and was brilliant for the Blue Wahoos as the right-hander hurled three shutout innings en route to his first win of the season. Ramon Borrego turned the ball over to Sam Clay in the eighth inning, and the former Georgia Tech product pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth inning to earn his first save of the year.
This was an unorthodox game compared to Tuesday’s pitching duel. The Wahoo batters were hit five different times, including Joe Cronin who was hit three times including once in the head by Aaron Kurcz. Cronin would however remain in the game uninjured. Pensacola also drew seven walks and stranded 16 men on base by the game’s conclusion.
The Wahoos have two chances to pick up their third series win of the season beginning tomorrow night when RHP Griffin Jax (0-0, 0.00) takes the hill for Pensacola. He will be opposed by RHP Thomas Jankins (1-0, 2.25)
Lady Chiefs Beat T.R. Miller; Tate Freshmen Top Navarre
April 16, 2019
SOFTBALL
Northview 14, T.R. Miller 1
Northview 8, T.R. Miller 6 (JV)
The Northview Chiefs defeated T.R. Miller 14-1 Monday night in Brewton.
Tori Herrington earned the win with 11 strikeouts while going 2-4 with one RBI at the plate
Also for Northview: Kaitlin Gafford 3-6, 2 RBI; Ashley Ragsdale 2-4, 1 RBI; Aubree Love 5-5, 4 RBI; Mikayla Jeneske 2-5, 2 RBI; Nevaeh Brown 1-1, 1 RBI; Heather Knowles 2-5, 2 RBI; Rylee Huskey 1-1, 1 RBI.
BASEBALL
Tate 7, Navarre 3
The Tate Freshmen Aggies beat Navarre Monday 7-3. The freshmen are now 10-0-1 on the year and will have a home game against West Florida on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Blue Wahoos Top The Biloxi Shuckers
April 16, 2019
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos once again rode dominant starting pitching and timely offense to another one-run victory as they defeated the Biloxi Shuckers 4-3 at MGM Park.
Pensacola’s offense supplied the talented right-hander with three runs in the top of the first inning, capped off by Brian Schales’s two-run home run off Marcos Diplan (L, 0-1) to put the visitors up 3-0. At one point the Wahoos led 4-0 after Mark Contreras’s RBI sac fly that scored Jimmy Kerrigan.
Alcala’s only hiccup came in the sixth inning when he surrendered a two-run double to Biloxi’s Patrick Leonard. Manager Ramon Borrego went to the bullpen immediately after and brought in Jovani Moran, who recorded the final out of the inning.
Biloxi added a third when C.J. Hinojosa belted a solo home run to open up the eighth inning. Moran tried to finish out the frame, but after issuing a four-pitch walk to Leonard, Borrego again went to his bullpen and asked Dusten Knight to record the final four outs of the game.
After a sensational catch on a line drive from Luis Aviles Jr to end the eighth, Knight retired the Shuckers in order, including striking out the final two batters. After striking out Trent Grisham, Knight performed his signature backflip before celebrating with his teammates.
The Wahoos improved their Southern League-best record to 8-3 while Biloxi fell to 5-6. Game two of the series continues Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. Top pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol will start for the Wahoos and will be opposed by Trey Supak.
Blue Wahoos Top Shrimp
April 15, 2019
- On a picture-perfect sunny Sunday afternoon at Blue Wahoos Stadium, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos completed their first comeback win of the season, beating the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 4-3 thanks to a late two-run double by Jimmy Kerrigan and strong relief outings from Sean Poppen (W, 1-0) and Ryan Mason (S, 2).
Jacksonville took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-run home run by John Silviano, just the second time this season the Blue Wahoos have allowed their opponent to score first.
Tanner English responded immediately in the home half of the first inning, leading off and hitting the first pitch thrown to him over the fence in left to cut Jacksonville’s lead in half.
After allowing two in the first, Blue Wahoos starter Andro Cutura settled in and put zeroes on the board the next three innings. Jacksonville added an additional run in the fifth, stringing together three straight singles with two outs to increase their lead to 3-1.
Jumbo Shrimp starting pitcher Cody Poteet was excellent early, allowing just the first pitch homer. But, the Wahoos caught up to him in the sixth inning.
Four straight Blue Wahoos batters singled to lead off the sixth inning with Jordan Gore, Luis Arraez, Brian Schales, and Mitchell Kranson each consecutively knocking base hits. With the bases loaded and no outs, Jimmy Kerrigan dropped a double down the right field line, scoring two and giving Pensacola a 4-3 lead.
Cuture finished with a line of 5.0 innings pitched, eight hits and three runs allowed, no walks, and two strikeouts. Poppen entered in the sixth, throwing two one-hit innings of scoreless relief and striking out four to earn his first victory of the season. Mason didn’t allow a hit in 2.0 scoreless, striking out three on his way to his second save.
Today’s win improves the Blue Wahoos record to a Southern League best 7-3 while Jacksonville falls to 4-6. Pensacola heads on the road to Biloxi tomorrow for a five-game series against the Shuckers.