Flomaton’s Philyaw Signs With Gulf Coast Prep Sports Academy
April 26, 2017
Joe Philyaw of Flomaton High School signed Tuesday to play football at Gulf Coast Prep Sports Academy in Moble. Pictured with Philyaw at the signing are his parents, Wendell and Esther Carnley and Andy and Pamela Philyaw, Flomaton Head Coach Doug Vickery, Principal Scott Hammond, and Gulf Coast Prep Coach Willie Gaston. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Baybears Beat Wahoos 2-1 In 17 Innings
April 25, 2017
Playing in its longest game in team history, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell, 2-1, Monday when Mobile BayBears third baseman Zach Houchins hit a walk-off single with the bases loaded and no outs.
Mobile loaded the bases with no outs in the 17th inning at Hank Aaron Stadium when center fielder Zach Welz singled, right fielder Michael Hermosillo was hit by a pitch and DH Andrew Daniel reached first on a sacrifice bunt.
The BayBears have now won two straight games against Pensacola and leads the series between the arch-rivals, 2-1.
Pensacola reliever Jake Ehert took the loss and is 0-1 this season. It was a rare blown save for the Blue Wahoos bullpen, which leads the Southern League with 11 saves.
The Blue Wahoos had scored its first run in the 16th inning against Mobile BayBears to take a, 1-0, lead when right fielder Gabriel Guerrero lined a two-out single to left field to drive in shortstop Blake Trahan.
Guerrero was 0-6 Monday against his former team before driving in Trahan.
But Mobile came right back in the bottom of the inning to tie the game again, 1-1, when second baseman Hutton Moyer slapped a two-out grounder to right field to score Houchins. The 24-year-old Houchins was 3-8 in the game with a run scored and game-winning RBI.
The 17-inning game is the longest Pensacola has played in after going 16 innings in the 2016 and 2013 seasons.
The game went into extra innings with the score tied, 0-0. Pensacola had runners on first and third with two outs when Guerrero stepped to the plate and struck out on three pitches.
Both teams had plenty of chances to score. Pensacola was 3-12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 players on base. Meanwhile, Mobile was 2-17 with runners in scoring position and left 16 runners on base.
The loss wasted a second good start by Pensacola right-hander Keury Mella, who threw seven scoreless innings, allowed four hits, one walk and struck out four. He now has an 11-inning scoreless streak and lowered his ERA to 4.12 from a high of 10.80.
Mobile starter Grayson Long worked six scoreless innings and gave up just one hit, one walk and struck out four.
Pensacola still has the best record in the Southern League at 13-5 and leads second place Mobile, which is 9-9, by four games in the Southern Division.
Wahoos Fall To Mobile Ending Winning Streak
April 24, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos eight-game win streak — the longest in franchise history — came to an end Sunday when the Mobile BayBears pulled out a, 3-2, victory at Hank Aaron Stadium.
Mobile scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning when third baseman Andrew Daniel singled to center field to score center fielder Zach Welz.
Pensacola starter Luis Castillo had left the game in the sixth inning with a 2-2 tie. He allowed five hits and struck out four and didn’t walk any batters.
However, the Blue Wahoos usually reliable bullpen gave up the final run of the game. Pensacola reliever Ismael Guillon gave up a line drive single to centerfield to Welz in the eighth and balked to move him to second.
After a groundout, Blue Wahoos reliever Geoff Broussard replaced Guillon and promptly gave up the game-winning hit to Daniel. The loss was Guillon’s first of the season and evened his record at 1-1. It was also the first run Guillon has given up in five relief appearances for Pensacola giving him a 1.42 ERA.
Pensacola did get runners on first and third with two outs in the top of the ninth but Blue Wahoos right fielder Aristides Aquino, who is tied for the team lead with second baseman Josh VanMeter and center fielder Brian O’Grady with seven RBIs, struck out to end the game.
For the game, Pensacola had plenty of chances to score. It put runners in scoring position in eight of the nine innings against Mobile. But it was 1-15 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base.
Pensacola did score two runs in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. VanMeter singled to right field to drive in DH Devin Mesoraco, who had doubled to center field to start the inning. Blue Wahoos first baseman Angelo Gumbs then doubled to center to score VanMeter.
Mobile catcher Jose Briceno doubled on a line drive to Pensacola left fielder Leon Landry to score Daniel in the first inning. He then tied the game 2-2, with a line drive single to Landry that scored Mobile first baseman Zach Houchins in the fourth inning. He was 2-4 with two RBIs to lead Mobile at the plate.
BayBears reliever Eric Karch gave up two hits and two walks and struck out one in the final two innings but earned the victory and is 1-1 with a save and a 0.84 ERA.
Pensacola still has the best record in the Southern League at 13-4 and leads second place Mississippi Braves, who are 8-9, in the Southern Division by five games.
Earlier in the day, RHP Ariel Hernandez was recalled to Cincinnati and looks to become the 42nd former Blue Wahoos player to make their Major League Debut.
UWF Holds Spring Game
April 23, 2017
For the second-consecutive year, the UWF football team gave the sizeable crowd on campus at Pen Air Field nearly 400 yards of offense and numerous big plays on both sides of the ball in the annual Spring Game.
Playing offense against defense throughout due to limited depth at various positions, the offense managed 398 yards of total offense in approximately 90 plays, including 347 through the air. The Argonauts also had eight plays of 10 yards or more.
Redshirt sophomores Grey Jackson and Mike Beaudry saw the majority of time at quarterback with each amassing at least 90 yards of offense. Jackson was 10-for-15 for 82 yards and rushed for eight more including a 5-yard touchdown score. Beaudry was 11-for-17 for 106 yards and one scoring strike.
Sophomore Kevin Grant had five receptions for 53 yards and a 32-yard touchdown catch. Sophomore Caleb Robinson hauled in three balls for 61 yards, while classmates Ka’Ron Ashley and J.J. Lewis each collected more than 20 yards receiving.
The defense collected seven 3-and-out performances and registered a pair of turnovers. Junior Anthony Ryals forced a fumble on the game’s second play and sophomore Jerel Ricketts had a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown. Junior John Williamson had one-and-a-half sacks and was one of five players with three tackles each.
After the game, UWF strength & conditioning coach Kent Morgan recognized a number of Argos for their improvement in the weight room over the spring workout period. He also presented the Iron Argo Award for exceptional improvement to sophomores Chris Schwarz, Martes Wheeler and Stephen Mathews (pictured bottom).
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Pitcher Throws First Southern League Perfect Game Since 1970
April 23, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos starter Tyler Mahle flirted with perfect games in his first two starts. On Saturday against the Mobile BayBears lineup he pitched a perfect nine innings — the first time that has happened in the Southern League since 1970.
Behind Mahle’s perfect game the Blue Wahoos won, 1-0, over Mobile at Hank Aaron Stadium and its eighth game in a row. Pensacola is off to its best start in franchise history and has the best record in the Southern League at 13-3.
Mahle said he was able to mow down the Mobile batters by relying on mixing the speeds and location of his fastball and said his “off-speed stuff was OK.”
“There’s no way to really do it,” the 22-year-old Mahle said. “You got to go out there and it just happens by chance. I feel good. You know it doesn’t happen often. It’s unreal.”
The Blue Wahoos opening day starter, who struck out eight in Saturday’s game, improved to 4-0 with a 0.67 ERA. He is the first Southern League pitcher to reach four wins this season and his ERA is third in the Southern League behind two pitchers with 0.00 earned-run averages.
In his first two starts, Mahle threw 4.1 perfect innings against Tennessee and 5.0 perfect innings against Biloxi. Baseball America ranked him the Cincinnati Reds 12th best prospect to start the 2017 season.
He did throw a no-hitter last season in a game June 13 against Jupiter Hammerheads in High-A with the Daytona Tortugas.
The Reds’ moved him up in June to its Double-A affiliate in Pensacola and he participated in his first Major League spring training camp this year.
Mahle was named the Reds’ Sheldon Chief Bender Award as the club’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2015 when he was with Low-A Dayton Dragons and posted a 13-8 record and 2.43 ERA.
He was 14-6 last year with Daytona and Pensacola but said he felt his performance for the Blue Wahoos was the “worst” in his professional career. He was 1-2 with a 6.90 ERA in his last eight starts and lasted 3.2 innings or less three times.
Mahle thanked his defense for their stingy defense behind him throughout the game. Blue Wahoos shortstop Blake Trahan has made only two errors in 16 games this season. In addition, Gabriel Guerrero caught some fly balls on the run in left field.
“They were in the perfect spots and they ran some balls down,” said the humble Mahle. “They made some amazing plays.”
All Mahle needed was a single to left field by catcher Joe Hudson in the second inning that drove in right fielder Aristides Aquino to put the Blue Wahoos up 1-0. Aquino ripped a double to center field to start the second inning.
They were the only two hits that Mobile starter Tyler Carpenter gave up to Pensacola in his eight inning start
Mahle’s perfect game gave the Blue Wahoos pitching staff a ridiculous team ERA of 2.17, which leads the league. It was also the team’s fourth shutout in its 16 games played this season, the most in the league.
Northview Falls To Freeport (With Gallery); Tate Falls To Escambia
April 22, 2017
The Freeport Bulldogs beat the Northview Chiefs 8-4 Friday night in Bratt.
Freeport took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third, but the Chiefs responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the third. After a scoreless fourth inning, Freeport added four more runs in the top of the fifth for an 8-4 lead.
The Northview Chiefs will travel to Central on Monday before returning home for a Senior Night game Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Pensacola Christian.
The Chiefs will wrap up their regular season next Thursday on the road against the Pine Forest Eagles.
For a photo gallery, click here.
OTHER BASEBALL SCORES
Escambia 3, Tate 0
The Escambia Gators upset the No 1. Tate Aggies 3-0 Friday night.
All three of Escambia’s runs came in the bottom of the third.
For Tate – Logan McGuffey 1-3; Blake Anderson 1-2. Gabe Castro took the loss for Tate.
Escambia 10, Tate 2 (JV)
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Sweep The Jumbo Shrimp
April 22, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos starting pitcher Austin Ross and Jacksonville starting pitcher Chris Mazza dueled to a 0-0 tie for seven innings.
But in the eighth the Blue Wahoos put up two runs on a walk, error and sacrifice fly and wild pitch to sweep the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in the five-game series Friday in front of a sellout crowd of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly compared the game to a tennis match.
“A game like that the first team that makes a mistake gets beat,” he said. “If you’re the one to break the serve, you got a chance to win.”
It’s not often teams sweep five-game series. Last season, Pensacola swept the Birmingham Barons on the road to end the season and in 2015 it swept the Montgomery Biscuits at home.
The Blue Wahoos have now won seven straight games and own the best record in the Southern League at 12-3. It’s the best start since the franchise began in 2012.
This year in three starts for the Cincinnati Reds, the 28-year-old Ross is 2-0 with an 0.86 ERA. In 21 innings, he has allowed 10 hits, two earned runs, walked seven and struck out 13. Friday night, he pitched seven scoreless innings to up his scoreless inning streak to 18 innings.
He gave up just three hits, three walks and struck out seven Jumbo Shrimp hitters.
“Good pitches are good pitches,” the 28-year-old Ross said. “It’s all about just executing your pitches. It was fun going back and forth like that (with Mazza). With the flow of a game like that, sometimes guys just feed off each other. Each run matters.”
Fortunately for the Blue Wahoos, they scored first when left fielder Leon Landry walked and advanced to third when Joe Hudson came into pinch hit and bunted to Jacksonville third baseman Brian Anderson, who overthrew first baseman Taylor Ard.
With runners on second and third and no outs, Pensacola shortstop Blake Trahan hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right center to score Landry and put the Blue Wahoos up, 1-0. Catcher Devin Mesoraco then hit a line drive shot that was too hot for the pitcher to handle for a single and Hudson moved to third base where he scored on a wild pitch by Jacksonville reliever Tyler Higgins to give the Blue Wahoos ahead, 2-0.
Before the eighth inning, the highlight of the game was when right fielder Aristides Aquino chased down a single by Jacksonville right fielder John Norwood in the second inning deep in the outfield and then gunned a throw to Trahan to get Norwood out.
“That play changed the inning and changed the game,” Ross said. “It could have been first and second with no outs.”
Tate Gets Senior Night Shutout Over Navarre
April 21, 2017
SOFTBALL
Tate 7, Navarre 0
Hannah Brown threw no hitter Thursday in a Tate Aggie Senior Night 7-0 win over Navarre.
Brown pitched seven innings, allowing no runs, two hits, and striking out eight.
Hitting for Tate — Hannah Brown 2-4, RBI; Hayden Lindsay 1-3; Belle Wolfenden 2 RBI; Shelby Ulrich R, RBI; Madison Nelson 1-3, R; Shelby McLean 2-3, R, 2 RBI; Kendall Attaway R.
Thursday was Senior Night with special honors for Kendall Attaway, Tristen Cook and Hayden Lindsay.
Pictured top: Tate seniors Kendall Attaway, Tristen Cook and Hayden Lindsay. Pictured below: Senior Night activities. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Falls To Chipley (With Photo Gallery)
April 21, 2017
The Northview Chiefs fell to Chipley on Tuesday, 10-3.
Hitting for Northview — Jamia Newton 0-3, R; Kendall Enfinger 1-4 R, RBI; Aubree Love 1-4, R, RBI, 2B; Peighton Dortch 2-3, RBI, 2B; Alana Brown 1-2; Terriana Redmond 1-3.
Tori Herrington pitched seven for the Chiefs, allowing nine hits while striking out 10.
NorthEscambia.com photos, and photos by Ditto Gorme for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Off To Best Start In Team History
April 21, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are off to its best start in franchise history winning 10 of its last 11 games and sixth game in a row.
They were winning with pitching and defense. The ball club has the lowest ERA in the Southern League at 2.48, which offset the Blue Wahoos hitting below the Mendoza line.
In its past three games, Pensacola has scored 22 runs on 35 hits to improve to 11-3 – the best record in the Southern League. It defeated the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, 8-5, Thursday in front of 4,311 at Blue Wahoos Stadium and have now captured all three of its series to start the season.
Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly isn’t surprised the team is winning, especially with its average rising by 34 points to .228.
“Early on good pitching kept us in the ball game,” he said. “It’s good to see the offense come alive. We’re a good ball club. We won that Biloxi series and we hadn’t been able to win a series there until then.”
Both right fielder Aristides Aquino and first baseman Angelo Gumbs hit bombs to lead the Blue Wahoos offense Thursday.
Gumbs, who went 3-4, scored twice and knocked in two runs, said the team has gelled. An everyday player last season in High-A, he now is coming off the bench and splitting time with Eric Jagielo at first base.
“We have a great group of guys,” said Gumbs, who is hitting .364. “Everyone is close in there. We push each other to get better every game.”
Pensacola’s lineup exploded at the plate in the second inning with Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin’s advice earlier this week to be aggressive at the plate apparently ringing in their ears. The team hit for the cycle with a single, two doubles, a triple and home run to score five runs and go up, 5-1.
Aquino punished a pitch to the opposite field for a two-run homer that barely cleared the fence near the right field foul pole. The first Double-A home run for Aquino, the Cincinnati Reds Minor League Player of the Year last season, also drove in left fielder Gabriel Guerrero, who led off the inning with a double.
Leading, 2-1, Gumbs then hit a high pop up in short right field that fell between three Jacksonville defenders for a hit. Blue Wahoos third baseman Taylor Sparks then ripped a grounder into the left field corner for a double that scored Gumbs from first base, giving Pensacola a 3-1 lead. Still with no outs, center fielder Brian O’Grady lifted a high fly ball to right center that bounced off the top of the wall for a triple that drove in Sparks to make it 4-1.
With one out and O’Grady at third, Blue Wahoos shortstop Blake Trahan hit a chopper to Jacksonville second baseman David Vidal who threw home trying to get O’Grady out but he slid to the back of home plate to put Pensacola ahead, 5-1.
Kelly said it was good for power hitters Aquino and Gumbs to club their first homers of the season, so they can relax more at the plate.
“You don’t see a lot of home runs drilled to right field like that,” Kelly said of Aquino’s blast in the second inning. “It’s a good sign when he’s going the opposite way.”
Vidal, who played parts of the 2012 and 2013 seasons with the Blue Wahoos, hit his first home run of the season in the second inning to give Jacksonville a 1-0 lead. He also drove in the Jumbo Shrimps’ second run with a double in the fourth inning that drove in right fielder John Norwood to pull them within, 5-2.
Jacksonville fought back within one run in the fifth, 5-4, when Alex Glenn blasted a line drive triple into the right center gap getting both shortstop Alex Yarbrough and center fielder Jeremias Pineda.
But in the sixth, Pensacola scored three runs including a two-run homer that Gumbs pulverized to left field to go up 8-4.
Pensacola again made some spectacular defensive plays. The Blue Wahoos turned a double play in the sixth inning when Vidal bunted back to Blue Wahoos’ pitcher Deck McGuire who threw him out at first. Gumbs then alertly threw to third base where Pensacola catcher Devin Mesoraco sprinted to cover the bag, and in one move leapt to catch the throw and tagged out Norwood. Trahan followed that by cutting off a sharp grounder headed to center field and throwing off balance to get catcher Cam Maron out to end the sixth inning.
Mesoraco also picked off Jacksonville first baseman Taylor Ard at second in the fifth inning with Jumbo Shrimp pitcher Mike Kickham batting. Sent to Pensacola for 20 days of rehabilitation to recover from surgeries to both hips and his left shoulder, the 2014 All-Star has started to shine behind the plate.
Pensacola’s McGuire, a first-round pick in 2010, started the game strong, striking out the side in both the first and second inning, although he did serve up a dinger. He retired the last 11 hitters he faced in his start against the Biloxi Shuckers and struck out the first four Thursday.
McGuire earned his first Blue Wahoos win, throwing six innings, giving up six hits, four runs, two walks and striking out seven.
“He’s been through a lot of organizations (five) in a small amount of time,” Kelly said. “They were messing with his mechanics. We told him to throw like Deck McGuire throws and don’t worry about it.”