Wahoos Rally Falls Short In 5-4 Loss To Shuckers
June 26, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped their second half opener on Tuesday night, falling 5-4 to the Biloxi Shuckers despite a spirited ninth-inning rally.
Down to their final strike in the ninth, Harrison Spohn hit a three-run homer to draw the Blue Wahoos to within a run before Jakob Marsee struck out on a 3-2 pitch to end the game.
The Shuckers manufactured an early run against Pensacola starter Adam Laskey (L, 3-2), turning a hit-by-pitch of Darrien Miller in the second inning into a 1-0 lead thanks to an Adam Hall sacrifice fly. That would be the only blemish for Laskey, who completed a season-high 5.0 innings and struck out six.
Biloxi starter Jacob Misiorowski (W, 2-2) was even better, turning in 5.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in an encore performance after earning Southern League Pitcher of the Week honors on Monday.
The Shuckers extended their lead to 2-0 without a hit in the sixth, as Carlos Rodriguez drew a walk against Chandler Jozwiak and stole two bases before scoring on a throwing error from catcher Joe Mack. Three more unearned runs scored in the seventh, as a Jacob Berry throwing error at third base opened the door for RBI singles from Dylan O’Rae and Rodriguez.
The Blue Wahoos got on the board in the seventh with an RBI double from Cody Morissette, but even the Spohn homer in the ninth was not enough as Pensacola dropped just their third game out of 12 against the Shuckers this season.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Wednesday. First pitch from Keesler Federal Field is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Molino 9U Wins Escambia Annual All-Star Tournament Championship
June 24, 2024
The Molino 9U All-star team won the championship in the Escambia County Parks and Recreation 3rd Annual All-Star Tournament held at the NEP Bark.
The undefeated Molino 9U team defeated NEP Gold for the title.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Drop Series Finale To Chattanooga As Montgomery Clinches Division
June 24, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
Sometime in the top of the sixth inning Sunday, it became official from afar that the Montgomery Biscuits had clinched the Southern League’s first half South Division crown.
Coincidentally, the Blue Wahoos had their game lead evaporate and never reclaimed as the Chattanooga Lookouts took a 6-4 win in the series finale that left a quiet mood among a crowd of 4,488 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Pensacola’s bid for a third straight First Half divisional win in the league, and accompanying playoff qualifying spot, came up 1.5 games behind Montgomery in the standings as the season now resets for the second half.
But the week still ended full of impact.
The Blue Wahoos twice wore jerseys this week, including Sunday, to honor the Pensacola Seagulls and their impact during a segregated era. Sunday’s game was part of Minor League Baseball’s “The Nine” to recognize the number Jackie Robinson wore during his Minor League career before breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947.
The Blue Wahoos’ (38-30) second-place finish came with a seventh winning record in the past eight half-seasons with three different affiliations.
And this year’s edition stayed in contention until the Biscuits scored an eighth-inning run and held off the Birmingham Barons 5-4 in their final first half game.
Sunday started just fine for the Blue Wahoos.
They took a 4-0 lead after two innings. Three of the first four batters in the first inning reached base. Zach Zubia hit a two-run double and Nathan Martorella followed with a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
Cody Morissette blasted a solo homer in the second inning on a ball that traveled 455 feet and hit the top of a table umbrella on the Coors Light Cold Zone in right field.
Paul Mcintosh led off the third inning with a double, but was stranded. It became one of the Blue Wahoos’ last scoring opportunities.
The Lookouts (20-49), the Cincinnati Reds’ affiliate, who struggled to finish with the worst record in all minor league levels, concluded their final first half with a series split in Pensacola.
They got a two-run homer from Ivan Johnson off Blue Wahoos starter Jonathan Bermúdez in the third inning, then a solo blast from No. 9 hitter Jose Torres in the fifth inning.
In the eventful sixth, the Lookouts loaded the bases, got an RBI groundout by Torres, then a two-run double by Johnson off reliever Dale Stanavich that became the game-winner.
Two Chattanooga relievers to shut out the Blue Wahoos in the final four innings.
The Blue Wahoos will now take Monday off, recharge, then begin the second half of the schedule on Tuesday in Biloxi against the Biloxi Shuckers.
WHAT’s NEXT?
WHO: Blue Wahoos vs. Biloxi Shuckers
WHEN: Tuesday through Sunday (June 30).
WHERE: Keesler Federal Park, Biloxi, Miss.
Undefeated Century 10U Lady Legends Win rewton YMCA All-Star Tourney
June 23, 2024
The Century Baseball Association 10U Lady Legends went undefeated in the Brewton YMCA All-Star tournament to claim the championship Saturday. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Hold Off Lookouts To Provide Chance At First Half Division Crown
June 23, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
The Blue Wahoos will now play the final game of their first half schedule on Sunday with another playoff berth at stake.
They can thank Diego Infante’s slide and Jakob Marsee’s triple for helping make it happen.
Infante avoided being tagged on an sixth-inning steal attempt, then scored on a Marsee triple in Pensacola’s 5-4 victory Saturday night on a Copa initiative game against the Chattanooga Lookouts.
Taking on their alternate identity Saturday as the Pensacola Pok Ta Pok, honoring the first ballgame of the Americas centuries ago as part of the Minor League Baseball Copa de la Diversión series, the Blue Wahoos got the win and got some help to make Sunday a dramatic finale to the first half schedule.
That’s because the Birmingham Barons knocked off the Montgomery Biscuits 4-1 in 10 innings, enabling the Blue Wahoos to move to within a half-game of the Biscuits in the league’s South Division.
The Biscuits at home have a half-hour head start Sunday before Pensacola’s 4:05 p.m. weekend finale against Chattanooga.
Half of the Southern League will end the first half in playoff contention Sunday. The Tennessee Smokies had a walk-off win Saturday against the Mississippi Braves to pull within a half-game of Birmingham, so it’s the same scenario in the North Division.
After the Lookouts (19-49), who wore their own Copa de la Diversión uniforms, rallied in the middle innings from a 4-0 deficit to tie Saturday’s game, the Blue Wahoos (38-28) answered with a decisive run.
Infante led off the sixth inning by reaching base on a wild pitch from a swinging strikeout. With two out and Marsee at the plate, Infante took off on a steal attempt. The throw beat him to the bag, but his deft move on the slide avoided the tag and he was ruled safe.
Two pitches later, Marsee connected to send a ball into the left-center gap, easily scoring Infante for the go-ahead run on an eventual triple.
That became the game-winning run.
Relievers Anderson Pilar (4th hold), Matt Pushard (7th hold) and closer Austin Roberts with his league-best 11th save, combined to shut down the Barons lineup to seal the win. The trio allowed just two hits, one walk and five strikeouts.
Roberts struck out the side in the ninth and reacted with natural emotion as the Blue Wahoos knew they will now play a potential decisive game Sunday to determine the South Division first half winner. The Blue Wahoos have won the first half the past two seasons and reached the league championship series both times – winning the title in 2022.
Blue Wahoos starter Luis Palacios, who struggled in both starts last year against Chattanooga, allowing eight earned runs in 11 innings, fared much better Saturday.
He carried a shutout into the fifth when the Lookouts scored two runs off fielding errors. But Palacios made a big pitch to end a bases-loaded situation in that inning.
In the top of the sixth, Austin Hendrick tied the game with a one out homer run that just cleared a leaping attempt by Infante in right field.
Seven different Blue Wahoos players each had one hit.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Blue Wahoos’ Morissette Excites Family, Sellout Crowd In Win Over Lookouts
June 22, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
His grandparents and other relatives were waiting near home plate to embrace Cody Morissette following the Blue Wahoos’ 6-4 win Friday against the Chattanooga Lookouts.
The reunion was part of what had Morissette sporting a big grin.
The Blue Wahoos’ second baseman homered and tripled in his first two at-bats, a breakout kind of game that helped build a 6-0 lead in the third inning. The pitching staff did the rest to finish the game, even the series, and delight a sellout crowd (5,038) at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“It’s always nice having (relatives in town). And to be able to perform like that, it’s always fun,” said Morissette, who drove in a pair of runs with his two big hits. “We had a lot of good at bats up and down the lineup and we’ve got to keep doing that moving forward.”
The Blue Wahoos’ lead happened quickly, nearly as fast as replica home jerseys were distributed on a Giveaway Friday, sponsored by Pepsi. Fans began waiting more than three hours before the game to receive one of the most-coveted giveaway items in recent team history.
The win pushed the Blue Wahoos (37-29) to eight games above .500 with the season’s first half ending on Sunday, but it failed to narrow the playoff-qualifying chase.
The Montgomery Biscuits pulled away from the Birmingham Barons in their game Friday, enabling the Biscuits to have two chances now at clinching the Southern League South Division first half race with a 1.5 game lead on Pensacola.
The Blue Wahoos won first half divisional races the past two seasons en route to reaching the championship series. No matter how the weekend ends, the Blue Wahoos have produced winning records in four of the five half-seasons in the past three years – not an easy feat with all the constant roster changes each time.
“I think (this first half) could have been better,” Morissette said. “But we are a scrappy group of guys and put ourselves in a position to have a chance at this.
“Our pitching staff has been lights out all year. You know, the bats have been unlucky at times, and we’re figuring it out as a lineup and that’s all we can do. To be one and a half games out with two games to go is the kind of baseball you want to play.
“So whether we win it or not, we’ve put ourselves in a position to play at a high level and try to win this first half.”
Facing Chattanooga starter Rhett Lowder – the Cincinnati Reds’ No. 1 rated prospect – the Blue Wahoos immediately jumped to a lead.
Paul McIntosh singled and Joe Mack walked with one out in the first inning. Nathan Martorella then laced a two-run double.
Morissette led off the second inning with a home run just over the wall into the right field berm. In the third inning, Mack led off with a homer against Lowder, then Jacob Berry followed with an RBI single and scored on Morissette’s triple.
“I’ve been just kind of working on my swing as of late,” Morissette said. “Baseball is a lot of ups and downs and just trying to stay loose, free and easy up there. (Friday) I felt that for the first time and was able to put the bat on the ball in some big situations.”
Blue Wahoos lefthander Cade Gibson, making his second start since joining the Blue Wahoos, worked into the fifth inning in a solid outing, allowing five hits, no walks and seven strikeouts. Chandler Jozwiak followed the next two innings to earn his third win.
Three more relievers followed. The Lookouts scored three runs in the ninth off Patrick Murphy, but he struck out Nick Northcut with two runners on base in the ninth to end the game.
Pensacola Catholic grad Donovan Benoit made his first appearance in the series for the Lookouts. He pitched a clean eighth inning with one strikeout and joined the handful of former Pensacola area players to play in Blue Wahoos Stadium for an opposing team.
The Blue Wahoos will try to take a lead in the series on Saturday with Luis Palacios on the mound in a game televised on Blab TV.
GAME NOTABLES
— Blue Wahoos players, including relievers Dale Stanovich and Kyle Crigger, who later made scoreless relief pitching appearances in Friday’s game, helped distribute the replica jerseys to the massive throng of fans entering the ballpark when gates opened in at 5 p.m.
The entire supply of 1,000 jerseys provided by sponsor Pepsi, were gone in seven minutes. That is an unofficial record for a giveaway item in Blue Wahoos franchise history. The first arriving fans were at the ballpark before 2:30, setting up folding chairs and outside of the main gate.
— Helping bolster the sellout crowd were 778 fans who were part of a wide variety of groups attending the game. There were more than a dozen groups attending the game on the party decks.
— Ryan Laskey, who worked as a Pensacola Air Traffic controller for the past 14 years, threw out a ceremonial first pitch. He is moving on to a new position out of the area.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Saturday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Molino 6U All-Stars Win Gospel Projects World Series
June 21, 2024
The Molino 6U All-Stars won the Gospel Projects World Series this week.
The Gospel Projects World Series started in 1970 and Molino has never finished better in 6Uthan second back in 2019.
These are the same boys that won 5U last year, which also was a first for Molino at the 5U at Gospel Projects.
Molino defeated NEP Gold 31-22 for the championship.
Molino 6U All-Stars head coach is Tanner Brooks. Assistant coaches are Jason Chaney, Mark Cutler, Wesley Summerford, Brad Brooks, and Blake Schnyder.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
‘Doc’ Johnson Just What Blue Wahoos Ordered in 2-0 Win
June 21, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
The Blue Wahoos resummoned their winning formula on Thursday night.
It was enough to keep them in a divisional playoff race.
As he’s so often done at home this year, righthander M.D. Johnson gave his teammates a big lift with five shutout innings prior to a brief rain delay, then the bullpen took over on Mullet Thursday for Pensacola’s 2-0 win against the Chattanooga Lookouts.
Taking on their alternate identity as the Mullets, the Blue Wahoos rebounded from two series-opening losses, including a 9-1 setback Wednesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium, to stay in contention in the Southern League South Division first half chase.
The win was vital, considering the Montgomery Biscuits won their second game this week against the Birmingham Barons – the North Division leader – to maintain a 1.5 game lead with three weekend games remaining.
“(Thursday) we played more like Blue Wahoos baseball,” said Johnson, who improved to 3-4 on the season and lowered his earned run average to 3.11. “We weren’t super tight. We weren’t trying to do everything so perfectly, because of what’s at stake. We just played the game that we’re all here trying to play.
“I think that, going forward, is what we need to carry on doing.”
All three of Johnson’s wins have come at home. He carried a mindset of blocking any thoughts of needing to carry the team in a must-win type of scenario.
“I didn’t think of it along the lines of that,” said Johnson, who allowed just three hits – matching his fewest this season – along with two walks and four strikeouts.
““Because as soon as you try to add that little bit of extra pressure, then you are going to try and nitpick things,” he said. “I went more along the lines of… we lost the first two games of the series, and it’s opening weekend. We are trying to get a win here to jump start the week, versus, ‘Oh we have to try and stay in the hunt.’ I don’t have to think about that.
“(Playoffs) will take of itself with us winning baseball games. I treated it like a normal start. We just lost two, I need to come in here and set the tone for the week. And I think I accomplished that.”
The Blue Wahoos scored both runs on home runs.
Catcher Joe Mack did it again, leading off the fourth inning with a solo shot over the right center berm. It was his team-high 11th homer of the season, his ninth in the past 20 games.
Cody Morissette followed a 21-minute rain delay in the bottom of the fifth inning by connecting on a 1-1 pitch for his fifth homer this season.
Those two swings became enough. The Blue Wahoos had just four hits. Mack had one of those with a first-inning single and Zach Zubia had the other.
That was enough offense for the Blue Wahoos bullpen to take over. Austin Roberts, the team’s saves leader, who was used Thursday as a middle reliever, worked the sixth and seventh in flawless fashion with four strikeouts to get his first hold of the season.
Raffi Vizcaíno earned his seventh save by working two scoreless innings. When he recorded his fourth strikeout to end the game, Vizcaíno leaped off the mound and showed joyous emotion after sealing a much needed win.
The Lookouts (19-47), who have the fewest wins in all levels of Minor League Baseball, have played solid baseball so far this week against the Blue Wahoos.
“The bullpen has been nails all year,” Johnson said. “They have been fantastic. If I can give us five to six innings… not just myself but the whole starting staff… if we can give them the lead after five to six innings of good quality baseball, it’s lights out.”
The series will continue on Friday with Cade Gibson making his first home start for the Blue Wahoos against Rhett Lowder, the Cincinnati Reds’ No. 1 prospect, who will entered with a 0-3 record Friday but is coming off a scoreless five innings in his last start.
GAME NOTABLES
— The rain delay began at 7:20 p.m. after the umpires called for the tarp to be put on the field. It was the first time in the Blue Wahoos’ 36 home games that weather has affected a game.
— The University of West Florida had a group outing on the Winn-Dixie party deck with 200-plus guests.
— The win pushed the team’s record to 5-2 wearing the Mullet uniforms and 27-1 when leading after seven innings.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Friday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Molino 12U All-Star Softball Wins Area Tournament
June 20, 2024
The Molino 12U softball team won the area all-star tournament recently in Semmes, Alabama. Up next, they will be playing in the state all-start tournament in Alexander City, Alabama. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Fall In Lopsided Loss To Chattanooga
June 20, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
The fireworks and capacity crowd easily won the night for the Blue Wahoos.
As for the game, well, it quickly became a forgettable experience in the home dugout.
Chattanooga pounded its way to seven runs in the first three innings en route to a 9-1 victory Wednesday on a specially-crafted Juneteenth recognition night before 5,038 fans at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The game ended with the Blue Wahoos’ Harrison Spohn being robbed of extra bases on a sensational leaping catch by Lookouts left fielder Quincy McAfee.
A variety of pregame activities outside and inside the ballpark created a festive atmosphere, presented by Escambia County commissioner Lumon May, which included 1,000 fans being provided free tickets, courtesy of various entities.
It was capped by a massive fireworks show – double the number of fireworks shells – lighting up the sky above the bay and downtown Pensacola.
The City of Pensacola, Escambia County, the Escambia-Pensacola Human Relations Commission and Community Relations Equal Employment Fair Housing all joined together for the ticket giveaway and unique event wrapped around the game.
The Blue Wahoos wore uniforms of the Pensacola Seagulls, members of the Negro Southern League, originally formed during segregated times.
It was the first time the Blue Wahoos hosted a Juneteenth celebration night event during a game.
Most of the crowd remained for the fireworks show that followed the game. The start of the display initiated the biggest cheers of the night.
There were few opportunities in the game.
The loss further hindered the Blue Wahoos’ (35-29) hopes of winning the first half South Division in the Southern League. They caught a break when the Birmingham Barons held on to beat the Montgomery Biscuits 4-3, keeping the Biscuits lead to 1.5 games with four games remaining in the first half schedule.
Blue Wahoos lefthander Adam Laskey, making only his second start, had his roughest outing of the season. He allowed seven runs on seven hits to absorb his first loss. He entered the game 3-0 with a 2.61 earned run average.
But on this night, the Lookouts were lights out with clutch hits. They scored their first eight runs with two outs.
The Lookouts (19-46), the Cincinnati Reds’ Double-A affiliate, entered this week’s series with by far the worst record across all levels of Minor League Baseball. They were 2-8 in their previous 10 games. They now have won the first two games of this final week of the first half.
Just like Tuesday’s series-opening win, Chattanooga blasted big hits. A two-run double from Francisco Urbaez was the big one in the second inning. There were two out, none on when the Lookouts rallied with three hits and a walk.
In the third, Justice Thompson, who had not homered this season, launched a three-run bomb as part of a four-run inning.
The Blue Wahoos meanwhile were issued eight walks in six innings from Lookouts starter Kevin Abel. But they were unable to score a run until pushing across an eighth inning run on an error.
GAME NOTABLES
— The game’s pregame activities began with youth football players from the Southern Youth Sports Association Tigers and the East Pensacola Tigers playing a 15-minute scrimmage in shorts out in centerfield. The idea was to help promote the Soul Bowl in October – a series of age division games between the teams at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
— The Brownsville Silver Seniors performed several songs prior to ceremonial first pitches.
— Blue Wahoos team owner Quint Studer and Escambia County commissioner Lumon May addressed the stadium crowd before the National Anthem. May led efforts to give 1,000 free tickets to fans visiting an information booth. The tickets came with a food voucher at the stadium concessions, along with a Blue Wahoos hat.
— A moment of silence was held prior to the National Anthem and tribute was read for Willie Mays, one of the game’s greatest players and a Birmingham, Alabama native, who died Tuesday at age 93. The crowd produced a loud applause in tribute.
— The National Anthem was performed by Marilyn Franklin.
— Prior to the start of the fireworks show, Pensacola mayor D.C. Reeves and May addressed the crowd, along with a video tribute to Juneteenth and various officials and community leaders gathered at home plate before the fireworks.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Thursday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium