Blue Angels Spark Blue Wahoos 8-1 Win Over The Braves
June 13, 2017
Many of the players and coaches of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos have been long-time fans of the Blue Angels.
Monday the two teams got a chance to visit in the clubhouse, the weight room and in the batting cage on “Blue Angels in the Outfield” night at the ballpark.
More than 40 U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration team members turned out to sign autographs before the game. Fans swarmed the Blue Angels and then stuck around to watch the Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Mississippi Braves 8-1.
It was the largest Monday night crowd this season with 4,678 packing Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Alex Blandino, who tied his career-high with four RBIs, said he remembered watching the Blue Angels’ show in the San Francisco bay area as a boy.
“That was really special for them to see us out here today,” Blandino said. “It got us so fired up. It gave us an extra boost today.”
Blandino sent a double streaking through the air that flew over the left fielder’s head for a two-out double that cleared the bases in the fourth inning and put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 3-0. It was his Southern League-leading 20th double of the season. In the sixth inning, he drove in Pensacola left fielder Aristides Aquino on a ground out. The last time he had four RBIs was Sept. 1, 2014 with the Low-A Dayton Dragons.
For the last month, Blandino has batted sixth and increased his RBI total to 26, which is second on the team behind Aquino who has 32.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said it’s a key spot in the lineup to drive in runs.
“He has done a great job and really taken advantage of it the last six weeks,” Kelly said.
Meanwhile, Pensacola starting pitcher Deck McGuire had fun on Blue Angels night. He got to meet many members of the team, plus he threw a one-hitter in seven scoreless innings and tied his season-high with nine strikeouts.
He laughed as he ran out onto the field through a high-five tunnel formed by all the Blue Angels at the game. One of them cracked, “Be gentle! He’s got to pitch.”
“It was a cool thing to be a part of in this city,” McGuire said.
The 27-year-old McGuire said he had fun the rest of his start, which was his 175th appearance in his professional career.
He bounced back after giving up 11 earned runs and 12 hits in 10 innings in his last two starts.
“I beat myself up pretty bad, so I was trying to focus on going out and having fun,” said McGuire, who gave up a single to Mississippi’s leadoff hitter Luis Valenzuela. The Braves had runners on first and second with no outs, but McGuire got the No. 2, 3 and 4 hitters out in order.
Mississippi left-handed starter Max Fried had a perfect game for the first 3.1 innings. Aquino got the first hit of the game when he singled sharply to left field to load the bases. Aquino also crushed his fourth triple of the season off the wall in the right-center gap to drive in center fielder Gabriel Guerrero to give the Blue Wahoos a 4-0 lead. He was 2-4 on the night with two runs scored.
Pensacola clinched the series, 3-1, and improved to 37-27 and are now up four games with seven to go in the Southern League South Division. They have a chance to clinch the team’s fourth straight half, if they beat Mississippi Tuesday and the Biloxi Shuckers lose. The Tennessee Smokies did that last in the 2009 to 2011 seasons.
Not only did Pensacola win Monday, but they strengthened their tie with the Blue Angels, who had nine members of its crew throw out first pitches to nine Blue Wahoos players. Over the years, the Double-A affiliate has partnered with the Blue Angels, flying in Fat Albert among other things.
The Blue Wahoos have a fan in Lt. Joe Hontz, the Blues public affairs officer.
“This is great stuff,” Hontz said. “The community supports us and the Blue Wahoos so well. The Blue Wahoos are a great organization.”
Wahoos 3-1 Over Braves
June 12, 2017
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Finnegan set the tone for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitching staff, throwing three scoreless innings in his first Major League rehabilitation assignment with the Double-A club.
For the game, three Pensacola pitchers combined to allow one run on three hits in a, 3-1, victory over the Mississippi Braves in front of 4,343 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Pensacola leads the series, 2-1.
But the 24-year-old Finnegan’s best performance came before his first pitch when he autographed the jerseys of two youth baseball players, who stood by his side on the mound during the national anthem.
“The kids are what’s it for,” said the left-hander. “I was a kid once and I always wanted autographs.”
He made his autographs even more special by fighting the humidity to complete three scoreless innings, allowing a double to 19-year-old center fielder Ronald Acuna, giving up one walk and earning one K. He threw 35 pitches, 23 for strikes.
Finnegan is doing his rehab for a strained left trapezius, which he sustained April 15. Before his injury, Finnegan, a first round pick in 2014, was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and had 14 strikeouts in 10 innings.
“I definitely feel close (to returning to Cincinnati),” he said. “I was hoping they would let me go out for another one. I’ll go four innings next time, hopefully.”
His next start will come in the third game in the Blue Wahoo’s last five game series before the All-Star break. Pensacola is on the road against the Miami Marlins Double-A affiliate the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
After coming from the Reds training camp in Goodyear in the Arizona desert, Finnegan said he did have to fight the humidity in the Florida coastal town.
“I haven’t pitched in this kind of humidity for a long time,” Finnegan said. “It affected my off-speed a lot. I couldn’t get a grip and throw it.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly, who was ejected for the second time this season, said Finnegan got stronger as the game progressed. Finnegan admitted he was anxious about the start.
“He got better every inning,” Kelly said. “That first inning he felt his way through. He was more confident in the second and third. In the third inning, the ball came out really nice.”
Finnegan’s battery mate, Adrian Nieto, who played 48 games with the Chicago White Sox in 2014, not only caught the game but figured in two of the Blue Wahoos’ three runs.
Nieto, a switch hitter who got some rare at bats from the right side, singled to right field to drive in second baseman Alex Blandino in the fourth inning to put Pensacola back on top, 2-1. Blandino had doubled and now leads the Southern League with 19.
Nieto tripled to lead off the seventh inning when he smashed a grounder into the right field corner. It was the sixth triple of his career. The 27-year-old catcher crossed the plate when left fielder Tyler Goeddel hit a two out single to right field to give the Blue Wahoos a, 3-1, cushion over Mississippi.
Both Finnegan and series-opener starter Homer Bailey, who is also doing MLB rehab for elbow surgery to remove bone spurs, got the message that the Blue Wahoos are in a tight playoff race. They improved to 36-27 and are now up four games with seven to go in the Southern League South Division.
“We are all aware of what’s at stake,” Nieto said. “(Pitching coach) Danny (Darwin) said, ‘Hey, don’t mess us up. We’re in a playoff race.”
Mississippi scored in the fourth when Braves third baseman Travis Demeritte scored on a ground ball by left fielder Jared James to tie the game, 1-1.
Demeritte was caught sleeping at second base by Nieto, the catcher. Demeritte took off for third and it looked like the throw from shortstop Blake Trahan to third baseman Josh VanMeter got him out but he was called safe. Pensacola manager Pat Kelly jogged out onto the field to argue the call vigorously and ended up getting ejected.
Pensacola had taken the lead, 1-0, when VanMeter walked with two outs and then the next batter, center fielder Gabriel Guerrero, crushed a double into the left-center gap, allowing VanMeter to score from first base.
Mississippi Braves starter Kolby Allard, who Baseball America rates as the No. 3 prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization, won his first four starts but has two losses and two no decisions in his last four starts.
The 19-year-old Allard, the 14th pick overall in the 2015 draft by the Braves, pitched six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks and struck out one. He got the loss and is now 4-4 with a 2.88 ERA.
Tate, Northview Players Named To All-State Softball Teams
June 11, 2017
Miracle Sports, the official website of Florida high school softball, has named several Tate and Northview players to their 2017 all-state teams.
The Escambia County area’s only First Team players are in Class 7A with senior outfielder Hayden Lindsay and sophomore utility player Shelby Ullrich, both Tate Aggies. The Aggies also had junior pitcher Hannah Brown named to the 7A Second Team and a Honorable Mention placement by Belle Wolfenden.
In 1A, Northview pitcher Tori Herrington and senior outfielder Peighton Dortch were named 1A Second Team, while Chiefs Kendall Enfinger, Aubree Love and Jamia Newton received honorable mentions.
CLASS 7A
First Team
OF Hayden Lindsay, Tate
UTIL Shelby Ullrich, Tate
Second Team
P Hannah Brown, Tate
Honorable Mention
Belle Wolfenden, Tate
Class 1A
Second Team
P Tori Herrington, Northview
OF Peighton Dortch, Northview
Honorable Mention
Kendall Enfinger, Northview
Aubree Love, Northview
Jamia Newton, Northview
Pictured top: Northview High School’s Tori Herrington. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Fall To Mississippi
June 11, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoo fans were shown again Saturday why the 22-year-old right hander Tyler Mahle is considered the team’s ace.
The No. 10 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization pitched six scoreless innings and tied his career-high with nine strikeouts.
It appeared Pensacola was going to win, 2-0, when center fielder Gabriel Guerrero singled in two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning with the Southern League-leading saves leader Jimmy Herget entering the game in the ninth. Instead, the Mississippi Braves rallied to score four runs and overcome Pensacola, 4-2, in front of the 10th sellout crowd of the season of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said the Blue Wahoos emotions went from feeling on “top of the world” to everything “falling apart.”
“Sometimes you just have those nights,” Kelly said of Herget, who gave up the runs and blew his third save opportunity of the season. “In your life as closer, you have to have a real short memory. There’s a pretty good chance he will be out there tomorrow.”
Mahle, who was seeking his Southern League eighth win, also brushed off the loss.
“Next time he’ll get the save,” Mahle said of Herget. “That’s just baseball. It happens.”
Mahle and Kelly were also not ready to panic with eight games left in the first half of the season. Pensacola leads the Southern Division with a 35-27 record and is vying to become the first team since the Tennessee Smokies to win four straight halves. The Smokies did it from 2009 to 2011.
Despite Pensacola losing Saturday, Biloxi lost 5-2, to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and are tied for second with Mississippi at 32-30, which is three games behind Pensacola.
“We just have to win the next two series, 3-2,” Kelly said. “I think we’re in pretty good position.”
The 23-year-old Guerrero, who was selected for the Southern League All-Star game, punched a line drive over the first baseman’s head into right field with two outs that scored both shortstop Blake Trahan and third baseman Josh VanMeter to give the Blue Wahoos a 2-0 lead.
But five of the first six batters Herget faced reached base on a walk, single, double and two more singles. Mississippi batted around in the inning. Braves catcher Kade Scivicque drove in the first run for Mississippi with a double that scored third baseman Travis Demeritte, who leadoff the inning with a walk to start the onslaught.
Mahle wasn’t the only impressive pitcher on the mound Saturday. Mississippi Braves right-hander Mike Soroka, a 19-year-old ranked the No. 4 prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization, also pitched well.
He threw seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits, no walks and striking out four. Soroka has now thrown 15 scoreless innings in his past two starts.
“Those were two pretty good pitchers right there,” Kelly said.
Blue Wahoos Down Misssissippi Braves In Series Opener
June 10, 2017
Homer Bailey got the start Friday for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and got the win as part of his MLB rehabilitation from elbow surgery to remove bone spurs.
Behind Bailey’s strong outing, Pensacola downed the Mississippi Braves, which entered the game in second place, with a, 6-2, victory in front of a sellout of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Bailey, the seventh pick in the first round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2004, retired the side in the first inning throwing 11 pitches, eight for strikes. He struck out Ronald Acuna, who MLB Pipeline.com ranks as the No. 7 prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization, on an 87-mph slider.
He finished the fifth inning by getting the Mississippi lineup out 1-2-3, striking out Mississippi right fielder Connor Lien for the last out.
For the game, Bailey threw 64 pitches, 42 for strikes in five scoreless innings. He allowed three hits, walked one and struck out five.
Bailey was scheduled to pitch just four innings, he said. He joked that it was his first Double-A win since he was with Chattanooga in 2006.
“They asked how I felt and I said, ‘Man, I feel great,’” Bailey said. “Can you go another one? I said, ‘Yes’ I didn’t know how many pitches I had and I didn’t want to know.”
Bailey had been throwing at the Reds training camp in Goodyear, Ariz. He said he enjoyed playing in his first real game this season.
“The biggest thing was getting used to the lights and sounds against more advanced hitters,” said Bailey, who was happy he was “staying in the zone” with all four of his pitches.
He walked one batter, second baseman Luis Valenzuela, in the third inning on four straight pitches.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly liked what he saw on the mound from Bailey and what he heard after the game. Bailey made a rehab start last year with the Blue Wahoos on April 26.
“He looked good,” Kelly said. “I know he was excited to see some competition and get under the lights. Last year, when he finished up he complained of forearm soreness.”
Bailey has been on the disabled list each of the last three seasons. He had a torn flexor tendon in his right forearm in 2014. Then in 2015, he tore an ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. It limited him to six starts in the 2016 season.
“All the signs tonight pointed in real good directions,” said the 11-year Major League veteran. “I can’t change things in the past. It’s about going forward.”
Meanwhile, Pensacola supported Bailey in his outing giving him a 4-0 lead. In the second inning first baseman Eric Jagielo leadoff with a single and scored when shortstop Blake Trahan hit a grounder into right field to put the Blue Wahoos up, 1-0.
Pensacola scored two more runs in the third inning when second baseman Alex Blandino doubled, his 18th of the season, to drive in both Gabriel Guerrero and Aristides Aquino to give the Blue Wahoos a, 3-0, lead.
In the fourth, Pensacola left fielder Tyler Goeddel leadoff the inning with a double on a grounder down the third base line and scored on a Guerrero groundout to second base making the score, 4-0.
Pensacola starter Keury Mella came in relief of Bailey and gave up two runs in the sixth inning to Mississippi. Braves catcher Kade Scivicque smacked a single to center field that scored both pinch hitter Jared James and Valenzuela to pull Mississippi within, 4-2.
But Mella settled down and got the last 10 batters he faced out, striking out three to earn the first save of his professional career.
“I really liked the way he threw in the eighth and ninth inning,” Kelly said.
Mella also helped himself at the plate hitting a double in the seventh inning that scored shortstop Blake Trahan and capped the scoring, 6-2.
Braves Andres Santiago made his first start this season with Double-A Mississippi Braves and gave up four earned runs in 3.2 innings. The righty has appeared in 11 games, all in relief, with Triple-A Gwinnett, Low-A Rome Braves and High-A Florida Fire Frogs since the Atlanta Braves picked him up March 20.
Pensacola is 35-26 and remains in first place in the Southern League South Division where they’ve been in all but six days this season.
Blue Wahoos Capture Sixth Straight Series
June 9, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos won its sixth straight series thanks to clutch two-out singles by third baseman Josh VanMeter and center fielder Gabriel Guerrero in the third inning to overcome the Mobile BayBears Thursday at Hank Aaron Stadium.
VanMeter singled to right field to drive in second baseman Alex Blandino, who lead-off the third inning with his 17th double of the season. Left fielder Tyler Goeddel, who had walked moved to third base and then VanMeter stole second base to put runners at second and third with Guerrero up to bat. He singled to right field to score both Goeddel and VanMeter, giving Pensacola a 3-0 lead in the third inning.
It would be all the runs the Pensacola pitching staff would need to pull out a, 3-2, victory over Mobile. Now 10-13 in one-run games, the Blue Wahoos captured the series, 3-2.
The victory improved the Blue Wahoos record to 34-26 to keep them in first place in the Southern League South Division. The team has been in first place for all but six days in the first half. It is vying to become the first Southern League team to win four straight halves since the Tennessee Smokies did it from 2009-2011.
Blue Wahoos starter Luis Castillo earned his second win in a row to improve his record to 3-3 and he now has a 3.00 ERA. Castillo worked six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and two walks and struck out eight.
Castillo retired the first six batters he faced before giving up a lead-off solo home run to right center field in the third inning by Mobile catcher Wade Wass, a Catholic High School product. It was his 10th homer of the season.
Mobile’s only other run came in the fourth inning when first baseman Zach Houchins singled to center field to score center fielder Michael Hermosillo. Houchins led the BayBears offense, going 7-18, or .389, with 10 RBIs.
Pensacola relievers Robert Stock, Ariel Hernandez and Jimmy Herget protected the Blue Wahoos one-run lead by pitching a combined three scoreless innings. They gave up three hits, a walk and struck out two.
Hernandez earned his Southern League-leading eighth hold, while Herget got his Southern League-leading 16th save of the season. He has 43 strikeouts in 29.1 innings on the year.
Blue Wahoos Drop Double Header To Mobile’s BayBears
June 8, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitchers Domingo Tapia, Carlos Gonzalez and Brennan Bernardino gave up a combined two hits in extra innings against the Mobile BayBears in the second game of a doubleheader.
Problem was for the Blue Wahoos that the second hit of the game on Bernardino was a walk-off home run by first baseman Zach Houchins that helped Mobile sweep Wednesday’s doubleheader, 1-0, and, 8-2, at Hank Aaron Stadium.
The teams were playing two seven-inning games to make up for Tuesday’s rain out.
Houchins has worked over Pensacola pitching, which has the top ERA in the Southern League going 5-14 with three doubles, a triple and game-winning homer, his fourth of the season, and driven in nine RBIs.
Tapia earned his second spot start of the season in the second game of a doubleheader with the Mobile BayBears. All he did was throw five scoreless innings, allow one hit and strike out.
Pensacola reliever Gonzalez came off the Triple-A Louisville Bats disabled list to relieve Tapia and pitched two scoreless innings and struck out two in his first appearance with the Blue Wahoos.
The Blue Wahoos did have runners on second and third with one out in the top of the seventh inning but both DH Eric Jagielo and first baseman Angelo Gumbs struck out swinging. Pensacola’s lineup earned just three hits and struck out 13 times in the second game.
The Blue Wahoos and BayBears are tied, 2-2, in the five-game series. Pensacola fell to 33-26 but remains in first place in the Southern League South Division.
Pensacola dropped the first game of the doubleheader to Mobile, 8-2, Wednesday.
The Blue Wahoos had scored two runs in the fifth inning to pull within, 4-2. Pensacola center fielder Brian O’Grady scored on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Josh VanMeter. Blue Wahoos right fielder Aristides Aquino then singled to score left fielder Tyler Goeddel.
Mobile scored eight runs, including a solo homer by Wade Wass, a Catholic High product, in the second inning, his ninth of the year. In the third inning, Houchins hit his 14th double of the season on a fly ball to center fielder that drove in second baseman David Fletcher and right fielder Forrestt Allday for two of Mobile’s three runs in the inning. The BayBears scored four more in the sixth inning with the big hit coming when shortstop Alberto Triunfel tripled with the bases loaded to drive in three runs.
Aquino singled in both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader to extend his on-base streak to 23 straight games, dating back to May 14.
Karl Jernigan Named New Tate Aggie Baseball Coach
June 7, 2017
Former Pace High School assistant coach and Florida State standout Karl Jernigan has been named head baseball coach for the Tate Aggies, replacing the retiring Greg Blackmon.
Jernigan was a four-year starter for the Florida State Seminoles in center field. He recorded career-highs with a .332 batting average and 15 stolen bases in 2000 and was regarded as one of the top defensive center fielders in the country. he was responsible for one of the most memorable victories in FUS history. His three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning gave FSU a 14-11 win over Stanford in the 1999 College World Series and a spot in the national title game.
Jernigan was drafted by the Oakland A’s, playing pro ball for three years. He spent the last 12 years as an assistant coach — at Milton for two years and then at Pace for the past 10 years.
Blackmon played on the UWF Baseball team from 1989 to 1990 under head coach Jim Spooner as a top first baseman. He holds the UWF career record for top batting average (.375) and is second in on-base percentage (.461). He is listed as third in slugging percentage (.570) and sixth in homeruns (13). In 1989, Blackmon was named to the All-Tournament team for his performance in the 1989 NAIA College World Series. By 1990, Blackmon held the second best single-season batting average (.472), slugging percentage (.624) and on-base percentage (.543). In 1990, he hit 11 homeruns as a third all-time record in the single season records.
Upon graduating from UWF, Blackmon continued to compete in the game as the head baseball coach at Tate High School in Cantonment, Florida for eight years. He led the high school team to two state championships in 1998 and in 2005 and posted a 202-42 record in eight seasons, leading them to five 6A Final Four appearances. Under his leadership, the Tate High School baseball team was crowned district and regional champions five times, as Blackmon was named the 6A Coach of the Year in 1998 and a six-time District I Florida Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year. He later received the Fred Waters Award in 1999 for his exceptional community contributions and devotion to the game of baseball.
Blackmon retired after the 2005 season to seek his master’s degree. He returned to the Aggie program six years later. His last two teams finished one win shy of a return to the state final four.
Northview Quarterback Club Announces New Officers
June 7, 2017
The Northview High School Quarterback Club has announced new officers and board members for the upcoming year. They are:
President – Jerry Fischer
Vice President – Josh Edwards
Secretary – Tammy Wilson
Treasurer – Courtney Nichols
Concession stand manager – Susan Hagan
Spirit merchandise – Jan Coleman
Programs and Ads – Genia Bayshore
Media – Carrie Bryan
Board Of Directors:
Ronald Peebles
Kent Calloway
Gary Killam
Kyle Wilson
Ronnie Cloud
Lonnie Wilson
Kevin Bryan
The next meeting of the Northview High School Quarterback Club will be at 6:30 p.m. on July 11 in the NHS Media Center.
Wahoos Hold On For Win Over The Mobile BayBears
June 6, 2017
For the second game in a row, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos relied on its bullpen to finish a close game with the Mobile BayBears.
This time it was righty Ariel Hernandez who pitched three scoreless innings to help Pensacola maintain a one-run lead before the Blue Wahoos scored twice in the ninth inning for a, 7-4, victory Monday over Mobile at Hank Aaron Stadium.
Pensacola was in danger of allowing Mobile to rally from a, 5-0, deficit. Mobile third baseman Zach Houchins doubled to left field to drive in Jose Briceno, who had singled to center, to pull the BayBears within, 5-4, in the sixth inning.
In came Hernandez to replace Jose Lopez, who was making his second start for the Blue Wahoos since being called up from the High-A Daytona Tortugas on May 30.
Hernandez, whose fastball touches 100 mph, promptly struck out the first to Mobile hitters he faced and got a groundout for a 1-2-3 inning. In fact, he faced the minimum nine batters over the final three innings and struck out five in his relief appearance that earned him his first save of the season for the Blue Wahoos.
Hernandez is now 1-0 with a save and 2.48 ERA.
The Blue Wahoos have won three straight games and improved to 33-24. It owns first place in the race for the Southern League South Division. The Biloxi Shuckers lost its second straight game to the Mississippi Braves, giving Pensacola a three-game lead in the division.
Lopez looked much better on the mound in his second Southern League start with Pensacola. He pitched six innings, allowed four hits, gave up four runs, one earned, walked two and struck out eight. In his first game, he gave up four runs and walked six in 4.2 innings. Lopez is now 1-0 with a 4.22 ERA.
The Blue Wahoos offense has now scored five runs or more in five of its last seven games and is on a three-game winning streak. It has captured the first two games of the five-game series with Mobile.
Leading the way on offense Monday for Pensacola was second baseman Alex Blandino, who homered and knocked in four of the seven runs Pensacola scored. Blandino was 2-3 with a walk and scored twice.
In his last 10 games, the first-round pick in 2014 is hitting .310 (9-29) with four doubles, three homers and 10 RBIs.
He crushed his fourth home of the year, a three-run dinger to left field, in the second inning that put Pensacola up, 3-0.
In the fourth inning, Blandino knocked in the first run with a single to shortstop that allowed Pensacola right fielder Aristides Aquino to score. The second run, which gave the Blue Wahoos a 5-0 lead, came when catcher Adrian Nieto singled to center to score first baseman Angelo Gumbs, who had singled.
Mobile’s Houchins, though, came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and delivered a bases-clearing triple to left field to pull the BayBears within, 5-3.
Pensacola gave itself some breathing room in the top of the ninth inning when shortstop Blake Trahan doubled in Blandino and then center fielder Gabriel Guerrero singled in Trahan for a 7-4 lead.
Aquino was 1-4 Monday with a single to lead-off the fourth inning and now has reached base in 21 straight games, dating back to May 14.