Wahoos Series Finale Against Braves Washed Away
July 17, 2018
Mother nature simply did not want Pensacola and Mississippi to play one last time. Monday’s series finale—and final matchup between these two teams this season—was cancelled due to rain.
Heavy rain rendered the field unplayable prior to Monday’s scheduled first pitch. Pensacola won 16 of the 25 regular season matchups with the Braves this season. With the cancelled game, the Blue Wahoos have split each of the last two series, having won twice against the Mobile BayBears earlier in the week.
Pensacola hopes to return home to drier pastures when they open up a five-game set against their divisional foes from Jacksonville, beginning on Wednesday night. RHP Vladimir Gutierrez was expected to Wednesday’s opener, but due to the weather, the rotation could be altered. The Jumbo Shrimp are expected to start one of their premier pitching prospects in RHP Nick Neidert (8-5, 2.75).
Wahoos Tie Series In Wild 11th Inning Win Over M-Braves
July 16, 2018
In the third straight extra innings game between the Blue Wahoos and the Mississippi Braves, the Wahoos found a way to come out on top, 12-9, Sunday night at Trustmark Park.
Already leading 2-1, the Braves scored three runs in the third inning and chased Wahoos starter Wyatt Strahan from the game after the second consecutive bases-loaded walk. The Blue Wahoos were quick to respond and get their starter off the hook with four runs in the fourth inning. Pensacola used walks to Cassidy Brown and TJ Frield along with a Jose Siri double, and singles from Mitch Nay and Shed Long to do the damage and even the game at 5-5.
With the Wahoos trailing by a run, Nay homered in the sixth inning to even the game at 6-6. Pensacola took the lead when Luis Gonzalez dashed home on a dropped throw at second base when the Braves tried to throw out Brown advancing on a wild pitch. Mississippi quickly responded and tied the game in the seventh inning to set up extra innings.
Both teams scored their designated runners in the 10th before Pensacola opened it up with a four-run 11th inning. The Blue Wahoos chipped away with two singles, an error and a walk to saddle the Braves and reliever Kelvin Vasquez (L, 3-2) with the loss.
The night after he suffered the loss in the 10th inning, Carlos Navas (W, 4-1) by giving up just the one run to the designated runner in Sunday’s contest.
The seesaw game went back and forth all night and featured 13 different pitchers combined who walked a total of 15 batters with 16 strikeouts. There were five errors between the two teams and Braves manager Chris Maloney got ejected for the second time in the series. Both teams combined for 29 hits in a game that lasted four hours and one minute.
The Blue Wahoos got multi-hit games from Nay, Gavin LaValley, Narciso Crook and Brown. Brown and Nay each finished with three hits to pace the offense. LaValley led the charge with three RBI.
The series wraps up on Monday night with LHP Seth Varner (4-1, 2.60) starting for the Blue Wahoos against M-Braves RHP Enderson Franco (4-6, 3.61).
Century Fire Hosting Benefit Coed Charity Softball Tourney
July 15, 2018
The First Annual Century Firefighter’s Coed Charity Softball Tournament will be held Saturday, July 28 at Showalter Park in Century.
The entry fee is $200 per team. Proceeds will benefit fire victims in the Century and Byrneville areas.
Concessions will be available.
For rules and entry information, call Kevin Bullard at (850) 324-8457 or Shaun Moye at (251) 236-1182
Wahoos Drop Second Straight In Extras
July 15, 2018
For the second straight night the Mississippi Braves walked off on the Wahoos in the 10th inning. Just like Friday night, Connor Lien pinch ran at second base as the designated runner and scored the game winner giving the Braves the 2-1 win.
Tyler Neslony scored the game’s first run on a solo home run in the first inning just inside the right field foul pole. The score stayed 1-0 until Pensacola scratched across a run in the eighth. TJ Friedl led the inning off with a pinch-hit double and scored on a throwing error from the shortstop on a Jose Siri infield single.
In extra innings, Chad Sobotka (W, 2-3) struck out all three Blue Wahoos in the top of the 10th, stranding Pensacola’s automatic runner at second base. In the bottom of the inning, Brandon Downes executed a sacrifice bunt to move Lien up to third. With Ray-Patrick Didder batting, Lien drew a back-pick throw to third base that sailed into left field allowing him to dash home with the winning run.
The two starting pitchers were masterful despite neither getting a decision. Daniel Wright’s only mistake was the first inning home run. He pitched seven innings with just five hits allowed with four strikeouts and no walks. Ricardo Sanchez was just as good, if not better. He we seven shut-out innings with just four hits allowed, two walks and six strikeouts for the Braves. Sobotka got the win with two perfect innings and three strikeouts out of the Braves bullpen and Carlos Navas (L, 3-1) suffered the loss pitching the 10th inning for Pensacola.
The Blue Wahoos will try to rebound and even the series on Sunday evening with RHP Wyatt Strahan on the mound against M-Braves LHP Bruce Zimmerman.
Northview Chiefs To Hold Football Camp For Grades K-8
July 14, 2018
The Northview High School football team will be hosting their annual youth camp for players entering kindergarten through 8th grade July 23-26 from 5-7 p.m. each day.
The cost of the camp is $50 for all three days and includes a camp t-shirt.
Parents can preregister by emailing Coach Derek Marshman at dmarshman@escambia.k12.fl.us.
Click here for a registration form.
M-Braves Walk-Off Over Wahoos 3-2 In 10 Innings
July 14, 2018
The Mississippi Braves broke a 2-2 tie on a safety squeeze to best the Blue Wahoos, 3-2, Friday night in 10 innings at Trustmark Park.
The Blue Wahoos got off to a quick start with a pair of first inning runs against M-Braves starter Bryse Wilson. TJ Friedl led the game off with a walk and advanced to third on Shed Long’s one-out double. Both scored when Brian O’Grady doubled into the right-center gap. Those would prove to be the only Pensacola runs on the night.
Wilson dominated from then on. He retired 15 of the final 17 Blue Wahoos he faced before he was lifted after seven innings. The Braves starter matched a season high with nine strikeouts.
Tony Santillan was solid on the mound for the Wahoos in his second double-a start. He held the Braves scoreless through the first four innings until Daniel Lockhart tripled home Carlos Martinez to cut the lead to 2-1. Lockhart scored a batter later on Alejandro Salazar’s sac fly to tie the game. Santillan worked six innings and was charged with two runs on six hits. He struck out seven against just one walk.
That’s how it stayed until Mississippi capitalized on its automatic runner in the bottom of the 10th inning. Connor Lien pinch ran at second base and moved to third on a bunt single by Ray-Patrick Didder. Lockhart rolled a perfect bunt up the first base line on a safety squeeze allowing Lien to dash home ahead of O’Grady’s scoop to catcher Chris Okey for the game winner.
Although the run isn’t charged to Joel Bender (L, 0-1), he is saddled with the loss. He pitched an inning-plus and the game-winning run was the only one he allowed. Corbin Clouse (W, 3-1) got the win for the Braves after pitching three scoreless innings behind Wilson.
Pensacola will look to rebound Saturday night in the middle game of the five-game set. RHP Daniel Wright (4-6, 4.42) will start for the Blue Wahoos against LHP Ricardo Sanchez (1-3, 7.53).
Northview Cheerleaders Honored At Mississippi State Camp
July 13, 2018
The Northview High School cheerleaders received multiple honors during a camp at Mississippi State University.
The Chiefs received a gold ribbon and spirit stick each day of evaluations, and a first place award in for their rally routinea and a third place award for their game day routine.
Mascot Big Weave (Dalton Hamilton) was chosen as an All American Mascot and invited to perform at the Citrus Bowl. Gabrielle Kline and Ashlan Harigel made All American Cheerleader and were invited to march in the New Year’s Day parade in London. This was Kline’s six consecutive time to make All-American.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Take Series Opener Over The M-Braves
July 13, 2018
Vladimir Gutierrez got some late run support in back of another excellent start in the Blue Wahoos series-opening win, 6-1, over the Mississippi Braves Thursday night at Trustmark Park.
Gutierrez allowed just one unearned run over seven strong innings to earn his fifth win in his last six starts. He walked three M-Braves and they scattered five hits against him, but he pitched out of trouble most of the night with the help of a season-best nine strikeouts. The lone run he allowed scored on an error in the second inning, it was an answer to the unearned run the Blue Wahoos scored in the top of the inning.
With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Aristides Aquino threw out Tyler Marlette trying to score from second base on a two-out single. That seemed to wake up the Wahoos. In the top of the seventh, Taylor Sparks belted a three-run home run to put Pensacola in front 4-1. The next inning, Gavin LaValley launched a two-run home run to make it a 6-1 ballgame.
Sparks paced the offense with Pensacola’s only multi-hit game going 2-for-4 with three RBI. Luis Gonzalez quietly had a nice night at the plate. He reached base in all four plate appearances with three walks and a single.
Pensacola will look to make it two straight Friday night behind Reds #4 prospect Tony Santillan (1-0, 1.50) who makes his second double-A start facing Braves #12 prospect Bryse Wilson (2-5, 4.18).
BayBears Shut Down Wahoos Comeback To Take Series Finale, 3-2
July 12, 2018
The Wahoos were unable to tie their franchise record of seven straight series wins as they fell to the BayBears, 3-2, Wednesday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Seth Varner (L, 4-1) was charged with his first loss as a starter for the Wahoos. He started off with three shutout innings, but a Jack Kruger two-run shot to left field that scored Jahmai Jones gave the BayBears a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning. In the top of the sixth, Jose Rojas singled home Kruger to increase Mobile’s lead to 3-1. Varner pitched 6.1 innings and walked a career-high four with five strikeouts.
Joe Gatto (W, 3-3) had a strong outing for the BayBears. The Angels prospect pitched six innings and allowed two walks and struck out four. Shed Long smashed an RBI double off the wall to give the Wahoos an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. That was the only damage Pensacola did against the Mobile starter.
The Wahoos mounted a late-game comeback against Mobile closer Matt Custred (S, 5) but came up short. Pensacola loaded the bases with one out before Chris Okey singled home Narciso Crook. Taylor Sparks tried to score from second but was thrown out by left-fielder Zach Gibbons for the second out. Custred struck out TJ Friedl to end the game and secure the split in the series.
The Wahoos head to Mississippi on Thursday night where they will play the Braves on a five-game road stint. Right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez (6-8, 4.67) will get the start for the Wahoos.
Wahoos Edge Past BayBears 3-2
July 11, 2018
Pensacola halted a late-game comeback to defeat the BayBears, 3-2, Tuesday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Wahoos got off to a quick start in the game. With TJ Friedl on base, Shed Long smashed a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning that gave the Wahoos an early 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the second inning, Aristides Aquino belted his 10th home run of the season on a fly ball to left field to increase the lead to 3-1.
Wahoos starter Wyatt Strahan (W, 6-8) had a solid outing. Strahan pitched six innings and allowed one walk, seven hits, and three strikeouts. His only blemish of the game came from a Brennon Lund sac fly to center field that scored Luis Rengifo in the first inning that gave the BayBears the early lead in the game at 1-0.
The BayBears would make Alejandro Chacin (S, 5) and the Wahoos sweat as he earned the save in suspenseful fashion. With bases loaded, Rengifo grounded into a force out at second base to score Jose Rojas, cutting down the BayBears deficit to 3-2. Rengifo would then steal second base, and Chacin walked Jahmai Jones to load up the bases again. With Mobile threatening to tie or take the lead with only one out, Chacin struck out Brennon Lund, and got Jared Walsh on a groundout to third, ending the game.
Pensacola has a chance to tie a franchise record with its seventh straight series win in Wednesday night’s series finale. Southpaw Seth Varner (4-0, 2.43) will start for the Wahoos against RHP Joe Gatto (2-3, 8.13).