Blue Wahoos Get Behind Early, Struggle At Plate As Biscuits Tie Series
July 3, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
M.D. Johnson has been the Blue Wahoos’ consistent staple on the mound this season at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
That connection slipped on this night, setting a tone for an overall tough night in the Blue Wahoos’ 6-1 loss against the Montgomery Biscuits on a “Doggone Tuesday” at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Johnson (3-5), who had allowed just three runs in his last four home starts, sustained his shortest home start, lasting only three innings and giving up four runs from five walks, as the Biscuits jumped to a big lead. All three of his wins this year have been at home.
A crowd of 4,244, which included a big turnout of youth baseball players, who are in town participating in the United States Specialty Sports (USSSA) tournament at two local baseball field complexes, watched the Biscuits even the series on their pitching strength.
The Blue Wahoos did not have multiple baserunners until the ninth inning.
And even that part ended quietly.
After Jakob Marsee, Paul McIntosh and Joe Mack all reached on walks to load the bases with none out, Biscuits reliever Alfredo Zarraga struck out the next three batters in succession. He ended the game by getting Nathan Martorella to swing and miss on a high 3-2 fastball.
The Blue Wahoos got their only run in the fourth inning when Mack hit a one-out double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Diego Infante’s RBI ground out.
The next Blue Wahoos hit was Harrison Spohn’s lead off double in the sixth inning. That was also the Blue Wahoos’ last of four hits in the game.
Montgomery made ballpark history in the top of the ninth when Matthew Dyer stole home – the first time in this ballpark’s 12-year history that any player had achieved a straight steal of home. It was followed by teammate Chandler Simpson scoring on a throwing error by reliever Tyler Eckberg.
The Blue Wahoos have a second chance to win the series in Wednesday’s deciding game of the three-game set at 6:05 p.m. Jeff Lindgren (0-0, 5.79), who first pitched for the Blue Wahoos in 2021 and rejoined the team last week from Triple-A Jacksonville, will be on the mound against Montgomery’s Trevor Martin (0-0, 3.60).
Lindgren began the season with the Blue Wahoos and pitched in five games.
This will be the Blue Wahoos’ Fourth of July themed game with a variety of activities planned, followed by the fireworks display to patriotic music. The two teams will then bus to Montgomery following the game to prepare to Thursday’s July 4 game at Riverwalk Stadium, which starts a three-game series there.
GAME NOTABLES
— More than 600 youth players, their parents and family attended Tuesday’s game on the first day of the USSSA Pensacola Beach Global World Series being held at the Santa Rosa Sportsplex in Pace and the NEP Sports Complex off Nine Mile Round.
The age division categories in the tournament which runs through Sunday are 13-under, 12-under and 10-under and the teams are from eight states – Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Indiana. The teams participated in an opening ceremony style parade before the game.
— Earlier Tuesday, the Blue Wahoos players met with Naval Air Station-Pensacola base commander Capt. Terrence Shashaty, who returned this year to present Navy “call signs” to the players – the military version of nicknames. The group met in the season-ticket lounge in early afternoon to have a fun moment selecting names.
— The Pensacola Roller Gurlz, a roller derby team, greeted fans on the concourse and had table display at the game.
— Even with the hot, humid conditions, many fans took advantage of the opportunity to bring their dogs to the game and there were water bowls placed throughout the concourse for the pups.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Montgomery Biscuits vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Wednesday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Purr In The Park: Cat Night As The Wahoos Open Series With Win Over Biscuits
July 2, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
Six innings into the night, the Blue Wahoos were heading down a familiar path of frustration against the Montgomery Biscuits.
This was the first “Purr In The Park” night in team history with fans allowed to bring their cats. But heat and humidity limited the number of pets.
Paul McIntosh changed that fate with one big swing.
His two-run, game-tying homer in the seventh inning became a much-needed emotional lift, followed by another break that led to a 3-2 win against the Biscuits in the only Monday game of the season for the Blue Wahoos. It made for a desired start to the Fourth of July week for the Blue Wahoos against their league divisional rivals.
“Yeah, it was awesome,” McIntosh said. “We hung around and we capitalized on it.”
McIntosh pounced on a first-pitch fastball from Biscuits reliever Patrick Wicklander and sent the ball over the left-center wall to ignite a crowd of 3,535, as well as the home team dugout.
Joe Mack led off the seventh inning by working a walk from Wicklander. Up stepped McIntosh with a clear mindset.
“I was just waiting for a fastball over the plate and I made sure not to miss it.” McIntosh said. “Going into that [at-bat], I had seen [Wicklander] a bunch, and he’s had success against me and I just wanted to make sure I got up there and saw a good pitch and made a good swing on it.”
He did. And it connected.
The Biscuits had won nine of these previous 12 meetings, all in Montgomery. It was the difference in the Biscuits edging out the Blue Wahoos for the South Division first half win and post-season playoff berth.
But in their stadium Monday, the Blue Wahoos received the usual array of strong pitching to stay within striking distance.
After McIntosh tied the game, the Blue Wahoos got the go-ahead run in the eighth without putting the ball in play.
Jakob Marsee reached on a one-out walk against reliever Keyshawn Askew. He then scored on three wild pitches with the Blue Wahoos’ Jacob Berry at the plate.
The third wild pitch came on a three-ball count, causing Marsee to race home while Berry went to first.
Blue Wahoos reliever Raffi Vizcaíno then closed out the game by retiring the Biscuits in order to get his eighth save. He was preceded by Dale Stanavich, who entered in the seven when Zach McCambley suffered an injury.
With rapid warmup and a 3-2 count, Stanavich struck out the Biscuits’ Matthew Dyer, who drove in the game’s first run in the third inning. Stanavich (2-0) then retired four of the next five batters he faced to earn his second win.
Blue Wahoos starter Adam Laskey worked five innings, allowing just four hits and striking out five.
The Blue Wahoos had just two hits until McIntosh’s blast, but the game stayed close.
“This is a special pitching staff,” McIntosh said. “I’ve had the liberty of having really special pitching staff last couple years in Pensacola, but man these guys keep us in games.”
The three-game home series will continue Tuesday and Wednesday before the Blue Wahoos then head to Montgomery for games Thursday through Saturday.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Montgomery Biscuits vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Tuesday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Blue Wahoos Split Road Series With Biloxi
July 1, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (41-33) closed out a week on the road on a positive note with a 5-1 victory at Biloxi on Sunday night.
After a rain delay pushed the game’s start back by over two hours, the Wahoos and Shuckers (33-40) played a seven-inning series finale. Despite the dreary conditions, Pensacola’s bats thundered out of the gate versus Biloxi starter Jacob Misiorowski (L, 2-3).
With one out in the top of the first inning, third baseman Jacob Berry smacked his second home run in as many swings – including Saturday’s go-ahead blast in the ninth inning – with a solo shot put the Wahoos in front 1-0. In the second inning, left fielder Tanner Allen provided power of his own with a two-run homer to extend the lead to 3-0. The blast was Allen’s first since April 18. Biloxi answered with a run in the home second, but Wahoos catcher Joe Mack got Pensacola back on the board in the following half-inning with the Blue Wahoos’ third home run in as many innings. Mack’s solo homer was his 14th on the year, tying him for the Southern League lead.
The early power surge was more than enough for Wahoos lefthander Jonathan Bermúdez (W, 3-3), who turned in his third quality start of the year in a Pensacola uniform (6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 K). Righthander Matt Pushard closed out a scoreless seventh to lock down the 5-1 win and send the Wahoos back home with a road series split.
The Blue Wahoos return home on Monday, July 1 to face the Montgomery Biscuits. First pitch from Blue Wahoos Stadium is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
Tate Aggies Host Baseball Camp
June 30, 2024
The Tate High School Aggies held their baseball camp last week with over 70 participants.
The camp for ages 7-14 was held at the Tate Baseball Complex.
The camp covered the fundamentals of baseball including throwing, hitting, fielding and base running. Team fundamentals were also covered, including bunt defenses, pop up priority, cuts and relays.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Berry’s Dramatic Homer Lifts Wahoos to 4-2 Win Over Biloxi
June 30, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
Jacob Berry hit a go-ahead three run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, sending the Pensacola Blue Wahoos to a 4-2 win over the Biloxi Shuckers on Saturday night.
Berry’s third homer of the year, and first since late April, turned a 2-1 deficit into one of the most memorable wins of the season for the Blue Wahoos. It caps a resurgent month for the club’s top prospect, who is now batting .299 in June with eight extra-base hits and 13 RBI.
The Blue Wahoos jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning with an opposite-field home run from Joe Mack against Shuckers starter Shane Smith. It was Mack’s 13th Double-A homer, putting him just one shy of a tie for the Southern League lead.
In his Blue Wahoos debut, Pensacola starter Tristan Stevens turned in a quality start. The righty went 6.0 solid innings, allowing two runs in the fourth on an RBI triple to Carlos Rodriguez and RBI single to Ernesto Martinez as the Shuckers took a 2-1 lead.
The Pensacola bullpen kept the game within reach, holding Biloxi hitless after the fifth inning. Raffi Vizcaíno (W, 3-1) worked a spotless eighth, and the Blue Wahoos turned a Bennett Hostetler walk and Dalvy Rosario single into a last-gasp threat against Shuckers closer Justin Yeager (L, 2-5).
The Blue Wahoos had gone 0-for-9 with men in scoring position on the night, but Berry lifted a Yeager offering over the left-center wall for the biggest hit of his season. It was the second two-out, three-run homer Yeager had allowed to Pensacola in the series after Harrison Spohn took him deep on Tuesday.
Austin Roberts (S, 13) breezed through the ninth to earn his league-leading 13th save.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Shuckers on Sunday. First pitch from Keesler Federal Park is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
Wahoos Stymied By Henderson, Shuckers in 7-2 Loss
June 29, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos couldn’t solve Logan Henderson in a 7-2 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday night.
Henderson (W, 4-0) continued his impressive first impression at Double-A with 5.2 innings of three-hit ball. The righty tied a career high with 10 strikeouts, and improved to 4-0 in his first four Southern League starts after a June 1 promotion from the Midwest League.
The Blue Wahoos managed only four hits, highlighted by a two-run homer from Jakob Marsee on his 23rd birthday. Harrison Spohn and Joe Mack added doubles in the losing effort that saw Pensacola strike out a season-high 15 times.
Biloxi jumped ahead 4-0 in the second inning with a two-out rally against Luis Palacios (L, 5-5). Zavier Warren, who had driven in all three runs in Thursday’s 3-2 Shuckers win, kept up his hot hitting with a two-run homer before Carlos Rodriguez followed with a two-run double.
Darrien Miller added insurance with an RBI double in the fifth before capping the night with a two-run homer off Jeff Lindgren in the seventh. Nate Peterson (S, 1) earned a rare three-inning save by getting the final nine outs of the night for the Shuckers.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Saturday. First pitch from Keesler Federal Park is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
Chosen 12u Wins Brewton YMCA All-Star Tournament
June 28, 2024
The Chosen 12u softball team recently went undefeated to claim the Brewton Area YMCA All-Star Tournament. The victories included an eight inning 9-8 victory in the championship game against Monroeville’s all-stars.
The Chosen 12U softball team is home-based in Century with players from Century, Northwest Escambia and the surrounding area.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Warren’s One-Man Show Sends Wahoos To 3-2 Defeat
June 28, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell 3-2 to the Biloxi Shuckers on Thursday night in a game dominated by Shuckers first baseman Zavier Warren.
Warren, who had just been activated off Biloxi’s development list earlier in the day, hit an RBI single in the second inning and the eventual game-winning two-run triple in the fourth off Cade Gibson (L, 0-1) to account for all three Shuckers runs.
The Blue Wahoos went 1-for-11 with men in scoring position on the night, squandering an early opportunity with the bases loaded and nobody out in the second inning and finding little success later in the game. Biloxi starter Brett Wichrowski danced around trouble for 3.0 scoreless innings before a 29-minute rain delay in the bottom of the third hastened his departure.
Paul McIntosh got Pensacola on the board with a solo homer, his sixth of the year, in the fourth. TJ Shook (W, 4-7) also allowed an RBI triple in the seventh to Jacob Berry as the Wahoos drew to within a run, but Craig Yoho escaped the jam with the potential tying run in scoring position to end Pensacola’s final threat of the night.
Both teams’ bullpens performed well in the late innings, as Pensacola’s Zach McCambley and Patrick Murphy combined for 4.0 scoreless frames and Blake Holub (S, 6) sealed the one-run Biloxi victory.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Friday. First pitch from Keesler Federal Park is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Molino 12U All-Star Softball Wins State Championship
June 27, 2024
Molino 12U All-Star softball are state champions . Up next, they are headed to the World Series in Gardendale, Alabama, July 10-14. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Show Stoppers Stop The Show With Undefeated USSSA Summer Classic Win
June 26, 2024
The Show Stoppers 2030 ladies stole the show recently in Tiger Point as they went a perfect 6-0 in the USSSA Summer Classic for the championship.
They are now preparing for the national championships in Gulf Shores in a few weeks.
The Show Stoppers finished the season ranked No. 4 in Florida and No. 18 in the country in USSSA amongst 12uB class teams.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.