Wahoos Beat The Shrimp 7-5
April 20, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos won its fifth consecutive game with more drama and suspense than the movie Titanic.
Pensacola was ahead, 3-1, against Jacksonville, gave up three runs in the eighth inning to fall behind, 5-3, then scored four runs of its own in the bottom of the eighth to pull out its fifth consecutive victory with a, 7-5, win Wednesday over the Jumbo Shrimp at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The game was an “emotional roller coaster” for Pensacola second baseman Josh VanMeter on a night that the Double-A club team celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of the tragic love story that tied records for number of Academy Award nominations with 14 and wins with 11, including a Best Director award for James Cameron.
The three-hour movie with its ups and downs was still faster than Wednesday’s game that lasted three hours and 20 minutes.
For the second consecutive night, VanMeter came to the plate with the bases loaded. On a 3-2 count with two outs, he delivered a bases clearing single to right field to make up for two throwing errors. His overthrow in the eighth inning came on a tailor-made double play that instead allowed Jacksonville left fielder Jeremias Pineda to tie the score, 3-3.
“Up until tonight (Wednesday), my defense has been pretty darn good all year,” he said. “I have to thank my teammates for picking me up and letting me have an opportunity to redeem myself.”
Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly said the team is showing him a lot of grit by playing hard all nine innings.
“The eighth inning wasn’t pretty for either club,” Kelly said. “We gave up runs and fall behind. It was nice for VanMeter to get a redeemer there. He got with the bases loaded and got a clutch hit.”
Early in Wednesday’s game, Blue Wahoos starter Keury Mella returned to looking like a top pitching prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization.
He’s ranked the organization’s 19th top prospect by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, but didn’t look like it entering Wednesday’s game 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA after lasting just 1.2 innings and giving up five runs in his last start against the Biloxi Shuckers.
Against Jacksonville, though, Mella allowed just one run on four hits and struck out seven in six innings of work. The 23-year-old left in the sixth inning with a 3-1 lead but his first win in Double-A was spoiled when Pensacola’s normally reliable bullpen fell apart.
“He’s young and had great stuff,” Kelly said of Mella. “Young pitchers have to handle the ups and downs and the flow of the game and not get too emotionally involved. We’ve been working with him to stay even keeled.”
Jacksonville shortstop Alex Yarbrough lined a single into center in the seventh off reliever Ariel Hernandez that scored catcher Austin Nola to pull within, 3-2.
In its next at bat in the eighth, the Jumbo Shrimp got three runs across on four singles off Pensacola relievers Brennan Bernardino and Alex Powers, who gave up four hits and a walk to the Jumbo Shrimp. They weren’t helped by VanMeter committing his second throwing error that would have ended the inning on a double play with Jacksonville scoring just one run.
Jacksonville first baseman Taylor Ard lined single to center field that scored second baseman David Vidal to put the Jumbo Shrimp up, 5-3.
Blue Wahoos shortstop Blake Trahan drove in Brian O’Grady in the third inning with a single that took a hop that the Jacksonville’s Vidal couldn’t handle cleanly to knot the game, 1-1.
In the fourth inning, Pensacola went ahead, 2-1, when first baseman Eric Jagielo smashed a liner that caromed off the pitcher and shortstop into centerfield to score right fielder Aristides Aquino.
The Blue Wahoos tacked on another run to go up, 3-1, when third baseman Alex Blandino grounded out deep in the hole to the Jacksonville shortstop’s right with the bases loaded to allow catcher Adrian Nieto to score.
Tate Beats Crestview 12-2
April 19, 2017
The Tate Aggies beat Crestview Tuesday 12-2.
Trey LaFleur earned the win for the Aggies. He tossed four innings, surrendering one run, three hits, striking out six, and walking one.
Tate Aggies Varsity collected 11 hits. Tanner Helton, Jesse Sherrill, Logan McGuffey, and Reid Halfacre each collected multiple hits for Tate Aggies Varsity. Logan Blackmon went 1-for-2 with a homerun and four RBIs.
Tate hitters — Reid Halfacre 2-2, RBI, 2R; Mason Land R, RBI; Logan McGuffey 2-4, 3 RBI, R; Logan Blackmon 1-2, 4 RBI, 2 R, HR; Kyler Hultgren RBI; Hunter NeSmith R; Tanner Helton 3-4, 2R; Jesse Sherrill 2-3, 2 R, RBI.
Up next, the Aggies will host Escambia on Thursday.
Wahoos Devour Shrimp With Season High Runs, Hits
April 19, 2017
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly asserted since the beginning of the season that the Blue Wahoos would be a good hitting team.
The team entered Tuesday’s game with a team batting average below the Mendoza line at .194.
However, the Blue Wahoos, who have relied on pitching and defense to this point of the season to record the best record in the Southern League at 9-3, broke out for season-highs with seven runs and 11 hits to beat the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, 7-4, in front of 3,298 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Kelly said he remains confident in his lineup.
“We’re not going to hit .190 for the year,” Kelly said winking. “We’re coming along. We have a few more guys who need to get going.”
Pensacola broke a 4-4 tie with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Leon Landry, who was 0-18 this season, came into pinch hit and lined a sharp single of the arm of Jacksonville pitcher Tyler Bremer, to knock him out of the game and load the bases with two outs.
That’s when center fielder Brian O’Grady stepped to the plate. He had blasted his team-leading third homer off the video board in the fourth inning to give the Blue Wahoos a 4-0 lead. O’Grady was promptly walked by new pitcher Tyler Kinley that forced in Gabriel Guerrero, who had doubled earlier in the eighth, for a 5-4 lead.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Josh VanMeter stepped to the plate and slammed a single to right field to score both first baseman Angelo Gumbs, who reached base on an intentional walk, and Landry to put Pensacola ahead, 7-4.
Previously, VanMeter had struck out four times in a row. But Kelly said VanMeter has “earned his at bats,” playing in 10 games this year and batting .270.
“From day one he has hit the ball,” Kelly said. “I’m really impressed. This guy has hit all the way through the minor leagues.”
Van Meter said it was nice for the offense to finally come through for the pitching staff, which struggled Tuesday. Previously, the most Pensacola had scored was four runs, which the club did three times. The Blue Wahoos’ most hits previously were nine against the Tennessee Smokies in the opening series.
“Pitching has kind of been bailing us out during this first stretch of games,” VanMeter said of the pitching staff that has a Southern League-leading 2.06 ERA. “It was time for us to pick them up. They gave up four runs and we still won the game.”
Aristides Aquino, the Cincinnati Reds sixth best prospect after hitting 23 homers last year, is hitting the ball hard going 2-4 Tuesday with two RBIs. He is 3-8 with a run and three RBIs in the first two games against Jacksonville and raised his average 33 points to .194. Blue Wahoos shortstop Blake Trahan is 4-12 in his last three games and raised his average from .194 to .231.
Gabriel Guerrero remains on a terror going 3-4 with a triple and a double and two runs scored. The left fielder now has seven multi-hit games in the 12 games he has played.
Blue Wahoos right-hander Luis Castillo faced his former Jacksonville team Tuesday night. The flamethrower, who hit 101 on the stadium radar gun, threw five scoreless innings and allowed just three hits to the Jumbo Shrimp.
But then came the sixth inning and Jacksonville rallied to tie the score at 4-4 with Castillo giving up three of those runs, two of which were earned. The inning started with Pensacola Trahan making a week throw to first that was ruled an error and allowed Jacksonville’s Adeiny Hechavarria to reach first.
Hechavarria, the starting shortstop for the Miami Marlins, is playing for the Jumbo Shrimp as he recovers from a strained left oblique and is expected to be back with the Big League club on Friday. He was 1-4 and robbed of another hit by Pensacola center fielder Brian O’Grady who dived head first to catch a tailing line drive.
Jumbo Shrimp third baseman Brian Anderson then doubled Hechavarria home with a line drive in the right center gap that rolled to the fence to pull within, 4-1. After a groundout, Jacksonville right fielder John Norwood smacked a two-run homer off Castillo over the right field wall into Pensacola Bay to make the score, 4-3.
Castillo was replaced by Domingo Tapia, who gave up three singles and allowed the Jumbo Shrimp to tie the game, 4-4, when second baseman David Vidal scored on pinch hitter Alex Yarbrough sharp single to center.
“The first five innings everything was working great and then all of a sudden they start hitting the ball hard,” Kelly said. “Things didn’t go our way.”
Jimmy Herget earned his sixth save in six tries but even he gave up a walk and a single before finishing off Jacksonville.
Herrington Pitches Northview To Win Over Central; Aliff Homers In Baseball
April 18, 2017
SOFTBALL
Northview 3, Central 2
The Northview Lady Chiefs beat state-ranked Central 3-2 Monday.
The Chiefs, 11-4 in Class 1A, hosts Chipley Tuesday night to decide if the Chief see second or third seed in upcoming district play.
“We struggled offensively and defensively coming off of a three-day weekend but we had players to step up and drive in three runs when needed to give us the win,” Northview Coach Amy Holland said. “Our team is still very young with only two seniors and the rest mostly ninth and tenth graders…Tori Herrington has 140 strikeouts this year — very impressive for a 10 grader.”
Herrington pitched a complete game for the Chiefs allowing six hits, three runs, two errors and striking out four. She was 1-3 at bat for the Lady Chiefs.
For Northview – Jamia Newton 2-4, R, RBI, 3B; Kendall Enfinger 1-2, RBI; Peighton Dortch 1-3, 3B; Teriana Redmond R.
The Chiefs host Chipley at 6:00 Tuesday in Bratt. Senior Night activities begin at 5:30.
BASEBALL
Northview 12, W.S. Neal 11
The Northview Chiefs beat W.S. Neal Tuesday 12-11. Jared Aliff homored for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs will cross the Escambia River to play Jay’s Royals at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Tate 8, West Florida (9th grade)
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Pensacola’s Wahoos Cook The Jumbo Shrimp 3-2
April 18, 2017
The most dingers that Pensacola Blue Wahoos center fielder Brian O’Grady had in his past three seasons of minor league baseball is nine, which he hit last year for High-A Daytona Tortugas.
Already in his first 25 at bats in Double-A, O’Grady has ripped two homers, including a solo shot he lifted high into right field in the seventh inning that capped the scoring to give the Blue Wahoos a 3-1 victory in the series opener against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in front of 3,646 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
O’Grady, who has two homer and four RBIs in his first season with Pensacola, said his home run hitting has developed in his professional career. Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the eighth round out of Rutgers in 2014, he ranked among school leaders in almost every offensive category, except home runs.
“In my defense, it is a big park,” O’Grady said, smiling. “I didn’t hit a ton there. I’ve developed more as a power hitter in pro ball. As soon as I hit it (tonight), I knew I got it.”
O’Grady attributed his success, so far, to playing in the prestigious Arizona Fall League and his workouts in the offseason. He’s second on the team in hitting at .280 and has at least one hit in seven of the nine games he has played this year.
“I felt good coming into spring training,” O’Grady said. “I was confident in the work I put in in the offseason. The (AFL) was a really good and fun experience for me.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly has been impressed with O’Grady at the plate and in the field. He pointed out the 24-year-old can play first base, third base and all three outfield positions.
“We’ve been kind of hiding him in that eight spot (in the batting order),” Kelly said. “He smoked that ball today. That was impressive.”
Meanwhile, Pensacola continues to win with its pitching and defense. Blue Wahoos shortstop Blake Trahan and second baseman Josh VanMeter bailed out starter Tyler Mahle with an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
In the second inning, Devin Mesoraco, who is doing at least 20 days of rehabilitation in Pensacola, popped up quickly from behind the plate and fielded a dribbler by Jacksonville third baseman Brian Anderson down the third base line and tagged out Anderson in the batter’s box where he stood still.
Then in the eighth inning, Jacksonville left fielder Alex Glenn clobbered what looked like a homer over the right field wall but Pensacola’s Aristides Aquino reached up and grabbed it out of the air.
Mahle threw 4.1 perfect innings in the season opener and then 5.0 perfect innings in his second start and entered Monday’s game with a 0.71 ERA.
But Monday against Jacksonville, he had a shaky first inning. Mahle walked two and allowed two singles to the Jumbo Shrimp to allow Jacksonville to take a 1-0 lead when Glenn scored on second baseman David Vidal’s single that he laced to left field.
After that inning Mahle settled down and only allowed one more hit – a double to Vidal – against the last 14 Jacksonville batters he faced. On the night, Mahle threw five innings, gave up three hits and one run, walked two and struck out seven.
“That first inning he obviously struggled,” Kelly said. “He was a little out of whack mechanically.”
Pensacola, though, came right back to score two runs in the bottom of the first and go up, 2-1. Blue Wahoos catcher Mesoraco was hit by a pitch and scored when right fielder Aristides Aquino smashed a grounder down the third base line for an infield single. Gabriel Guerrero then singled on a sharp single off Jacksonville lefty Dillon Peters’ leg and was driven in by Angelo Gumbs ground ball that deflected off the glove of Jumbo Shrimp shortstop Alex Yarbrough.
Again Monday, the Pensacola bullpen then took over and did its normal thing. Four pitchers –
Jake Ehret, Brennan Bernardino, Ariel Hernandez and Geoff Broussard – combined to throw four scoreless and hitless innings, while striking out five. Broussard, who was called up from Daytona, earned the save.
Pensacola’s bullpen now is 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA and seven-for-seven in save opportunities.
“I’m very pleased,” Kelly said about the bullpen’s development. “Mez (Mesoraco) has led the way. He’s done a lot of work with them in the pen.”
Two-Run Homer Leads Wahoos To Win Over Biloxi
April 17, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Joe Hudson smashed his first home run this season in the third inning to give his team a 2-0 lead and the win over the Biloxi Shuckers Sunday afternoon at MGM Park.
Pensacola took four of the five games from Biloxi and shut the Shuckers out twice.
With Cincinnati Reds 2014 All-Star catcher Devin Mesoraco doing his rehabilitation in Pensacola, the Blue Wahoos have three catchers. It’s meant less playing time for Hudson, who was playing in only his second game this season.
However, Hudson got all of the pitch thrown by Taylor Jungmann. His blast to center field also scored third baseman Taylor Sparks, who singled on a soft grounder back to the pitcher.
Meanwhile, Pensacola righty Austin Ross threw eight scoreless innings, allowing just four hits, two walks and struck out three. He picked up his first win for the Blue Wahoos and is now 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA.
Jimmy Herget saved his fifth game in five appearances, striking out two. He’s only allowed one hit and one walk in six scoreless innings on the year and struck out 13.
Pensacola’s pitching staff has been dominant this season. It leads the Southern League with a 2.18 ERA, has the second most strikeouts with 90 and has allowed the second least amount of hits at 59.
After the first two series of the 2017 season, the Blue Wahoos are in first place in the South Division at 7-3.
At Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, last year’s Blue Wahoos starter Sal Romano made his big leg debut Sunday. Romano got the loss, allowing a two-run homer to Ryan Braun and a solo homer to Travis Shaw in the third inning. Romano pitched three innings, allowed three runs, two earned, gave up three hits, walked four and struck out two. Relieving Romano was former Blue Wahoos pitcher Tim Adleman, who in his first game this season with Cincinnati pitched four innings, allowing two hits, including a home run and struck out five.
Wahoos Beat Biloxi
April 16, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos third basemen Taylor Sparks said he gets as excited when he walks as when he hits a home run.
Sparks was really excited Saturday when he hit the game-winning homer to right field in the 11th inning at MGM Park against Biloxi Shuckers reliever Taylor Scott. The Sparks homer, his second of the season, gave Pensacola a 2-1 victory Friday over the Shuckers and helped the Blue Wahoos clinch the five-game series with its third win.
Biloxi only got one hit on the night when shortstop Maurico Dubon singled on a bunt ground ball to third baseman Sparks.
Pensacola starter Deck McGuire tossed a one-hitter in his six innings of work and allowed one unearned run, while walking two and striking out seven.
Biloxi went ahead, 1-0, in the first inning when shortstop Maurico Dubon walked and then stole second and third base. Dubon scored when Pensacola catcher Devin Mesoraco was charged with an error trying to throw Dubon out at third. Dubon also stole second and third in the third inning.
But Pensacola pitchers combined after Dubon’s bunt single in the third inning to the 11th inning to retire the last 26 batters that Biloxi sent to the plate.
McGuire, Brennan Bernardino, Ariel Hernandez, Domingo Tapia and Jimmy Herget shut down the Biloxi lineup. Herget struck out the side in the 11th inning to earn his fourth save in four opportunities. Pensacola’s five pitchers struck out 16 Biloxi hitters.
Pensacola tied the game, 1-1, in the eighth inning when Blue Wahoos right fielder Aristides Aquino hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored catcher Devin Mesoraco.
Biloxi pitcher Luis Ortiz threw a no-hitter through five innings, walking four and striking out five. The Shuckers five pitchers combined to strike out 14 Blue Wahoos hitters.
Pensacola left fielder Gabriel Guerrero was 2-5 with two singles for his fifth multi-hit game in nine games. He is batting .351 on the season. Second baseman Josh VanMeter also had two hits in four at bats, and walked. He is now hitting .321 for the Blue Wahoos.
Tate Softball Beats Niceville; Tate Baseball Beats Pace
April 15, 2017
SOFTBALL
Tate 9, Niceville 6
The Tate Lady Aggies came alive in the bottom of the fifth Friday on their way to a 9-6 win over Niceville.
The Aggies added six runs in the fifth for a 7-1 lead before Niceville answered with five runs in the top of the sixth.
Hannah Brown pitched a complete game for Tate, allowing 10 hits, six runs, three errors, walking three and striking out four. She was 3-4 at the plate with a double.
For Tate: Hayden Lindsay 2-4, 2R; Belle Wolfenden 1-3, RBI; Shelby Ullrich 2-3, R, RBI; Leslee Scruggs 2-4, R, 3 RBI 2B; Ashely Lundquist R; Shelby McLean 1-3, 2 RBI; 2B; Deazia Nickerson 1-3, R.
BASEBALL
Tate 7, Pace 2
The Tate Aggies beat Pace 7-2 Friday night.
Gabe Castro pitched a fulll game for Tate, allowing four hits, two runs, two errors an striking out one batter.
For Tate: Reid Halfacre 1-2, R; Mason Land 3-3, R, 2RBI, 2B; Logan McGuffey 1-4, 2RBI; Logan Blackmon 1-2, R, RBI; Jesse Sherrill 2-3, R; Corben Young, R; Blake Anderson R; RBI; Ethan Bloodworth R.
Blue Wahoos Fall To Shuckers 6-2
April 15, 2017
The Biloxi Shuckers sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the second and scored five runs to end the Pensacola Blue Wahoos three-game winning streak, 6-2, Friday at MGM Park.
Biloxi got four singles from right fielder Clint Coulter, second baseman Javier Betancourt, catcher Dustin Houle and shortstop Maurico Dubon and a line drive double to left field from third baseman Angel Ortega to score the first four runs in the inning and go ahead, 4-0. Ortega capped the scoring when he crossed the plate when first baseman Dustin DeMuth grounded into a force out.
Blue Wahoos righty Keury Mella lasted just 1.2 innings. He gave up five earned runs on six hits and struck out two. The Cincinnati Reds’ organization 19th ranked prospect is now 0-2 on the year.
Pensacola used four pitchers in relief of Mella and allowed just one more run to the Shuckers on five hits. Biloxi Michael Reed hit his second home run of the season to left field off of Blue Wahoos reliever Alex Powers in the fourth inning to put Biloxi up, 6-2. Powers pitched 3.1 innings in relief, giving up three hits and striking out one.
Seven of Biloxi’s nine starters earned hits in the game.
The Blue Wahoos had pulled within, 5-2, in the top of the fourth inning when second baseman Josh VanMeter doubled to center field with two outs to drive in both Brian O’Grady and Powers. VanMeter has three doubles this season and is hitting .292 on the year.
Blue Wahoos left fielder Gabriel Guerrero went 2-5 with two singles to raise his average this season to a team-leading .344. He has four multi-hit games in the first eight games.
Pensacola fell into a three-way tie with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and Mississippi Braves for first place in the South Division at 5-3.
Blue Wahoos Win Third Straight
April 14, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitcher Luis Castillo pitched his second strong outing, allowing just one run on three hits in seven innings.
In his first start for Pensacola, after being traded to the Cincinnati Reds from the Miami Marlins on Jan. 19, Castillo allowed one run on three hits in six innings.
Castillo’s performance helped the Blue Wahoos win its third straight game, 4-1, over the Biloxi Shuckers Thursday night at MGM Park in front of 2,545. It also gave Pensacola a, 2-0, lead in the five-game series.
Castillo, the Red’s No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, picked up his first victory after getting a no-decision in his first start. His ERA is 1.36 after two games. In Miami’s organization, Castillo who can touch 100 mph with his fastball, was Minor League Pitcher of the Year and the No. 2 prospect.
The Blue Wahoos sent seven hitters to the plate in the fifth inning and broke out with three runs to take the lead, 3-0. Its first two runs came when center fielder Brian O’Grady doubled to drive in both left fielder Gabriel Guerrero, who had singled, and first baseman Angelo Gumbs, who earned a walk. Guerrero is hitting .333 this season. Then third baseman Alex Blandino drove in O’Grady with his third double and fourth RBI in two games against Biloxi.
Pensacola tacked on another run to go up, 4-0, in the sixth when right fielder Aristides Aquino walked and stole second. Blue Wahoos second baseman Josh VanMeter, who is hitting .316, then doubled to right field to score Aquino.
Biloxi scored its only run when pinch hitter Nick Ramirez blasted a solo home run to right field to make the score, 4-1.
Once again, the Pensacola bullpen blanked the opposition. In his one inning, Ariel Hernandez gave up one hit, one walk and struck out two. Ismael Guillon earned his first save of the season, even though, he gave up two hits and had to work out of a jam with Biloxi runners on first and third.