Northview Softball Beats Neal
April 13, 2017
The Northview Lady Chiefs defeated W.S. Neal Tuesday night 10-1.
Tori Herrington earned the win in seven innings on the mound for Northview, allowing two hits, one run and striking out 10 while allowing no errors.
For Northview – J Newton 1-3, R, RBI; Tori Herrington 1-4, RBI; Aubrey Love 2-4, R, RBI, 3B; Peighton Dortch 3-2, 2 R, RBI; V Shelly 1-3, 3 R; Lydia Smith 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI 2B.
Escambia Academy has canceled their Thursday game at Canoe against the Chiefs. Northview has added a 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 18 home game against Chipley for Senior Night.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Wahoos Shut Out Biloxi
April 13, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos second baseman Alex Blandino hit a line drive double to left field with the bases loaded in the fourth inning to score three runs.
It was all the Blue Wahoos needed to win its first game, 3-0, on the road Wednesday against the Biloxi Shuckers at MGM Park in front of 3,708.
Pensacola right fielder Aristides Aquino led off the fourth inning with a walk and moved to second base on a single to left field by left fielder Gabriel Guerrero. Leon Landry then reached on a fielder’s choice and Guerrero was out at second base. Blue Wahoos third baseman Taylor Sparks then got the first of his three walks in the game to load the bases.
That’s when Blandino, who’s working on being more consistent at the plate, hit the first pitch to left and cleared the bases. He was 3-4 on the night with two doubles.
Meanwhile, Tyler Mahle allowed just one hit in seven innings of work, walked two and struck out six. Mahle is now 2-0 on the year with a 0.71 ERA.
In the home opener, Mahle pitched 4.1 perfect innings. Against Biloxi he pitched 5 perfect innings. To start the sixth inning, Mahle walked Angel Ortega and then second baseman Javier Betancourt singled to right field. He then walked Dustin DeMuth to load the bases with no outs.
But Mahle got out of the inning unscathed. He struck out the next two batters and got the third to ground out to first base.
Austin Brice and Jimmy Hegert both pitched one inning of hitless relief and closed out Pensacola’s first shutout of the season. Brice walked one, while Hegert struck out the side for his third save of the season. The Blue Wahoos now lead the Southern League with a 2.50 ERA in its six games this season.
Northview Athletes Qualify For Track Regionals
April 13, 2017
The following Northview High School athletes have qualify for regionals in track:
Beauchaine Tosses No Hitter For Tate Lady Aggies
April 12, 2017
Tate 14, Pine Forest 0 (5 innings)
The Tate Lady Aggies 10-run ruled the Pine Forest Eagles 14-0 Tuesday evening in five innings as freshman Avery Beauchaine threw a no-hitter.
Beauchaine was on the mound for five innings, allowing no hits, no runs, no errors, walking four and striking out eight. At the plate, she was 1-3 with 2 RBI.
For Tate: Deazia Nickerson 1-1, R; Kendall Attaway R; Shelby McLean 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI; Leslee Scruggs 1-2, 2 RBI 2B; Gabby Locke, 1-2, 2 R; Ashley Lundquist 1-2, R, RBI; Sydni Solliday, 2 R; Madison Nelson 1-2, 2 R; RBI, 3B; Taylor Hedgepeth 1-2, R, 2 RBI; Katie Snyder 2-3, 2 RBI.
Wins For Northview, Tate; NHS Softball Adds Games
April 11, 2017
BASEBALL
Northview 9, T.R. Miller 6
The Northview Chiefs took on T.R. Miller (25-1) Monday. In the end, the Chiefs dished out the second loss of the year for Miller as Northview beat T.R.M. 9-6.
The Chiefs begin a long series on the road Thursday against Baker, followed by away games at Chipley, Jay, and West Florida before returning home to host Freeport on April 21.
T.R. Miller 7, Northview (JV)
Tate 5, West Florida 1 (9th)
SOFTBALL
Tate 10, Osceola 4
The Tate Aggies beat Osceola 10-4 on Saturday to place 7th out of 16 teams in the Kissimmee Tournament. The Lady Aggies were 2-2 in the tournament play.
For Tate: Hannah Brown 3-4, 3 R, RBI, 2B; Belle Wolfenden 2-3, 3 R RBI, 2B; Shelby Ullrich 2-2, 2R, 3RBI, 2B; Ashley Lunquist 1-3, RBI; Shelby McClean 2-3, RBI; Katie Snyder R; Deazia Nickerson 2-3; R.
Northview adds WS Neal games
Northview High School’s Lady Chiefs has added games at W.S. Neal on Tuesday. The JV will play at Neal at 4:00, while the varsity will play at 6:00.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Beat Smokies In Home Series
April 11, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos right-hander Austin Ross got his first start in two seasons Monday against the Tennessee Smokies.
All the 28-year-old did was toss six innings—his longest start since he pitched 6.1 innings Aug. 25, 2014 in a start for the former Double-A Huntsville Stars. He gave up two runs on three hits to help Pensacola to a, 3-2, win in front of 4,018 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
And afterward, Pensacola club co-owner Quint Studer introduced Ross to a group of star-struck baseball fans from Wisconsin. Ross played seven years in the Milwaukee Brewers organization before the Cincinnati Reds picked him up as a free agent in January.
“It was definitely fun,” Ross said. “It was something different than I’ve done the last two years. But I built up to it all spring training.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly liked what he saw from Ross, who pitched 96 games out of the bullpen for Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Colorado Springs the past two seasons. He threw 96 innings and struck out 157.
“That was great,” Kelly said. “He got stronger as the game went along. The sixth was his best inning.”
Ross retired the last 12 of 13 batters he faced, giving up a walk in the fourth inning. He credited catcher Devin Mesoraco for his good showing. The 2014 Cincinnati Reds All-Star is doing his up to 20-day rehabilitation assignment in Pensacola.
“I felt like I fell into a groove in the middle innings,” Ross said. “Me and Mez got into a good rhythm out there.”
It was Mesoraco who delivered the single that propelled the Blue Wahoos to victory. With the game tied, 2-2, in the seventh inning, catcher Devin Mesoraco came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out and ripped Pensacola’s fourth straight single. The hit to left field drove in center fielder Brian O’Grady with the winning run, putting the Blue Wahoos on top, 3-2.
Kelly said Mesoraco, who played all nine innings Monday, will likely play three games against the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate Biloxi Shuckers this week, including back-to-back nine inning games. Kelly said Mesoraco will likely stay in Pensacola until it finishes the series with the Mobile Bay Bears April 26. The Reds’ are bringing him back slowly after his two hip surgeries and shoulder surgery limited him to 18 games behind the plate for the big league club the past two seasons.
Mesoraco’s game-winning hit also helped Pensacola clinch its first series of the year, 3-2, and the Blue Wahoos have now beat Tennessee in six straight series at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Not only that, he threw out Smokies second baseman Davis Bote trying to steal second on a double steal.
“As much as we would love to have him back (in Cincinnati), we want him to go there and stay there,” Kelly said. “The biggest thing is not to rush it.”
Pensacola scored its second run to knot the game, 2-2, in the fourth inning when right fielder Aristides Aquino doubled and then scored when left fielder Gabriel Guerrero knocked a double into left field. Guerrero has reached base seven straight times in the last two games.
Tennessee scored first for the third straight game, taking a 1-0 lead, when Charcer Burks singled, was bunted to second, stole third on a double steal and then scored on first baseman Yasiel Balaguert soft liner to right field.
The Smokies scored its second run in the third inning when pitcher Duane Underwood scored on a ground out by second baseman David Bote, to take a 2-1 lead.
Austin Brice, who also is on rehab in Pensacola, made his second appearance for the Blue Wahoos, pitching the seventh inning. He got the win, striking out one, allowing one hit and throwing a wild pitch.
“Brice looked a little freer today (Monday),” Kelly said. “He looked a lot better.”
Jimmy Herget protected the Blue Wahoos one-run lead and picked up the save by retiring all six batters he faced in the final two innings. He struck out three of the Smokies hitters.
The Blue Wahoos staff has an earned-run average of 3.00 in its first five games.
“I got to give them an A,” Kelly said of his pitching staff after the first series. “They’ve been outstanding.”
Wahoos Tie Series With Tennessee Smokies
April 10, 2017
Gabriel Guerrero always seemed to hit well against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos when he played for the Mobile BayBears.
Now, Guerrero plays for Pensacola and Sunday he had a walk-off single as the Blue Wahoos came from three runs down to defeat the Tennessee Smokies, 4-3, in front of the fourth straight sellout of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Guerrero went 3-5 at the plate, hitting a double off the left field wall on one hop and scoring Pensacola’s second run in the eighth and then hitting a bloop single to left that drove in Pensacola second baseman Josh VanMeter in the ninth.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly, who coached Gabriel’s uncle Vladimir, said after the way Guerrero feasted on Blue Wahoos pitching in the past, he’s happy to have claimed him off waivers and have him play for his team this season.
“He loves hitting in this park,” Kelly said. “We figured we should get him for 70 games instead of just 10.”
Guerrero couldn’t stop smiling after the game. With runners on first and third, Tennessee elected to pitch to him. He was looking for a fastball but hit a slider for the game-winning hit, for Pensacola’s first walk-off this season. Last year, the team had a record 12 walk-offs.
“I always hit well here, I don’t know why,” Guerrero said. “It’s always exciting to have a walk-off run. It was a good win for the team. We kept fighting. We kept doing our job. We knew something was going to fall.”
Guerrero admitted he talks regularly to his uncle, who played 16 years in the Major Leagues and won the American League MVP in 2004 when he hit 39 home runs, drove in 126 RBIs and batted .337 for the California Angels.
“He’s my mentor. He’s my leader,” the 23-year-old Guerrero said. “I respect my uncle. It’s always good to have a guy around like him to talk to. I talk to him a lot.”
The Smokies bad luck in Pensacola continued. The Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate hasn’t won a series in Pensacola since 2012 — the longest drought for Tennessee in the Southern League.
This time, Pensacola catcher Adrian Nieto pulled the Blue Wahoos within, 3-2, in the eighth inning when he lined a single to center that scored both first baseman Eric Jagielo, who was hit by a pitch, and left fielder Gabriel Guerrero, who doubled.
Nieto said the key was to stop thinking about his swing when he was up to bat.
“My first couple at bats, I was thinking about my mechanics,” he said. “I told myself, ‘Get ready. Be on time. See the ball and hit it. Put the barrel on it.”
Nieto was also involved with an odd play in the fifth inning. Pensacola shortstop Alex Blandino hit a chopper to third base with the bases loaded and the Smokies turned a double play. It appeared that Nieto had scored from third to pull Pensacola within, 3-1.
However, the umpires ruled that pinch hitter Angelo Gumbs interfered with the double play on his slide into second base. The umpires took the Blue Wahoos run off the board, putting Nieto back on third base and center fielder Brian O’Grady back on second.
Kelly got thrown out for the first time this season arguing the call.
To Kelly, one of the key’s to Pensacola’s comeback victory to tie the series, 2-2, and have a chance to win the series at 6:35 p.m. Monday, is the bullpen. Its four relievers — Alex Powers, Domingo Tapia, Ariel Hernandez and Ismael Guillon — have combined to pitch five shutout innings and strike out six.
“The biggest thing is the bullpen throwing those scoreless innings that kept us in the game,” Kelly said. “We had one bad inning (Saturday) but other than that the bullpen has been fantastic. It’s good having those guys backing up our starters.”
The Blue Wahoos relievers have allowed just three runs in 14.1 innings, not counting allowing five runs in one inning to Tennessee in Saturday’s game.
Tennessee left fielder Charcer Burks, who has feasted on Pensacola pitching batting .333 in four games, started the game by creaming a pitch to left field out of the park.
The Smokies then went up, 2-0, in the first inning when Blue Wahoos’ Nieto threw to second base trying to catch Tennessee second baseman Davis Bote stealing. But the ball glanced off Pensacola’s Blandino’s glove, allowing Tennessee third baseman Jason Vosler to score.
Tennessee added another run in the second inning when centerfielder Trey Martin walked, stole second base, advanced to third on a groundout and then scored on pitcher Preston Martin’s groundout to first base for a 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, in his Double-A debut, Tennessee right-hander Preston Morrison picked up where he left off in A ball last season. He dominated.
Morrison, who Baseball America pegged as the 29th best prospect in the Chicago Cubs organization, had a no-hitter until Aristides Aquino hit an infield single to third base. He pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking four and striking out three.
Morrison moved up to the Smokies this season after going 13-5 with a 1.92 ERA in 26 starts and 150.1 innings in two seasons in the minors.
“We kept saying, something’s going to fall in,” Kelly said. “We said there has got to be a hole out there somewhere. If I remember, it’s the Wahoo way.”
Wahoos Drop Second In A Row
April 9, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos took a short-lived, 2-1, lead in the first inning of Saturday’s game when Devin Mesoraco blasted his first homer in two seasons out of Blue Wahoos Stadium into Pensacola Bay.
However, the Tennessee Smokies regained the lead in the second inning and Smokies pitcher Trevor Clifton set down the next 13 Pensacola batters he faced, as Tennessee went on to a 9-2 victory in front of the third straight sellout crowd of 5,038.
The two-run shot by Mesoraco also scored Pensacola shortstop Blake Trahan, who had walked. It was Mesoraco’s first home run since Sept. 23, 2014 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Mesoraco, an All-Star catcher with the Reds in 2014, is playing in Pensacola as part of his rehabilitation from two hip surgeries and a shoulder surgery that limited him to play just 39 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 2015 and 2016.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly pointed to his bulletin board where he pinned the schedule for Mesoraco’s playing time. By the middle of next week, the Reds’ want him to play in back-to-back 9-inning games. He played six innings in the Blue Wahoos’ season opener, sat out the second game, and was pulled after 7 innings Saturday.
“They don’t let me make those decisions,” Kelly said, chuckling.
Mesoraco impressed him with his long ball in the first inning.
“He hit that ball good,” Kelly said. “We talked earlier in the day at batting practice and he’s still not feeling comfortable yet. But he jumped all over that 3-1 fastball. He’s knocking that rust off.”
The Blue Wahoos stayed within two runs of Tennessee until the sixth inning when the Smokies sent nine batters to the plate and broke out with five runs.
The big hit in the inning came from Tennessee first baseman Yasiel Balaguert who with two outs and the bases loaded hit a sizzling ground ball past the shortstop into centerfield that made a close 4-2 game, 6-2, as both pinch hitter Ian Rice and left fielder Charcer Burks scored. Balaguert was 2-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs.
“Offensively, this lineup is going to hit,” Kelly said. “It just takes time. We got some power. We’re going to hits some home runs.”
Kelly expects one of the Blue Wahoos’ power hitters, Aristides Aquino, who hit 23 homers last year to get on track. Aquino is 0-11 after getting a hit in his first at bat Thursday that drove in a run.
“He’s going to show us why he’s so highly rated,” Kelly said confidently of Aquino, the sixth ranked Red’s prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
Tennessee scored in the first inning to go up 1-0, when Burks started the game with a double. He then scored when second baseman Davis Bote hit a sharp grounder down the right field line.
After Mesoraco’s two-run bomb, the Smokies came back with two more runs in the second inning when catcher Cael Brockmeyer doubled and scored on a triple by shortstop Andrew Ely, who smacked a line drive into the left center gap to tie the game 2-2. Ely then scored when Tennessee righty Clifton singled up the middle to give Tennessee a 3-2 lead.
Making his Double-A debut Clifton, who MLB Pipeline ranks the seventh best prospect in the Cubs organization, retired the next 13 Blue Wahoos hitters until first baseman Angelo Gumbs smacked a line drive single to right center in the fifth inning. Clifton was named High-A Carolina League Pitcher of the Year after going 7-7 with a 2.72 ERA for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and holding hitters to a .225 average.
He finished the game allowing just two hits and two runs in five innings, while walking one and striking out four.
“In that first inning, we needed to take advantage of him,” Kelly said. “He started getting his breaking ball over and seemed to settle in.”
Pensacola right-hander Keury Mella also made his Double-A debut Saturday. The 23-year-old Mella, who is the No. 19 ranked prospect by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, also lasted five innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out four. After giving up three runs in the first two innings, Mella threw better, blanking the Smokies and limiting them to two hits, one walk and striking out two over the next three innings.
“Those last three innings, I thought he threw fairly well,” Kelly said.
Hunter Safety Courses Offered In Molino, Cantonment
April 9, 2017
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering free hunter safety courses in Escambia County. (List follows.)
Students who have taken the online course and wish to complete the classroom portion must bring the online-completion report with them. Traditional course students must complete the entire course in person.
All firearms, ammunition and materials are provided free of charge. Students should bring a pen or pencil and paper. An adult must accompany children younger than 16 at all times.
Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised). The FWC course satisfies hunter-safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.
The locations and times are:
Online-completion Courses
April 19 (6 to 10 p.m. CDT) and May 6 (7 to 10 a.m. CDT)
Molino Community Center
6450 Highway 95A in Molino
April 24 (6 to 10 p.m. CDT) and May 6 (7 to 10 a.m. CDT)
Langley Bell 4-H Club Center
3730 Stefani Road in Cantonment
Traditional Course (must complete all days)
April 24, 26 & May 1, 3 (6 to 10 p.m. CDT) and May 6 (7 to 10 a.m. CDT)
Langley Bell 4-H Club Center
3730 Stefani Road in Cantonment
Those interested in attending a course can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s regional office in Panama City at 850-265-3676.
Tate Baseball Beats Washington; Softballs Suffers Loss In Kissimmee
April 8, 2017
BASEBALL
Tate 4, Washington 3
The Tate Aggies beat Washington 4-3 Friday night when Washington walked Logan Blackmon to drive in the winning run.
Logal McGuffey earned the win for the Aggies. He pitched one inning, giving up no runs, not hits, nowalks and striking out one. Trey LaFleur opend the game for the Aggies, pitching five innings, giving no runs, one hit and striking out nine.
Tanner Helton, Ryan Greene, Jesse Sherrill, and Ethan Bloodworth had one hit each for the Aggies.
Tate 10, Washington 3 (JV)
SOFTBALL
Lake Howell 8, Tate 3 (Kissimmee Tourney)