Wahoos Snap Losing Streak With 4-2 Win Over Tennessee
August 14, 2016
Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Chad Wallach and left fielder Phillip Ervin each crushed home runs Saturday.
However, the loudest cheers from the sellout crowd of 5,038 were for Olympic golfer and club co-owner Bubba Watson telling them on the scoreboard from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro that Pensacola would host the Southern League All-Star game next year.
Wallach smashed the first pitch he saw in the second inning over the left field wall for a two-out, three-run home run for a 3-1 Blue Wahoos lead. Ervin followed in the fourth inning with a rocket to left to put Pensacola up 4-1 and they hung on for a 4-2 victory.
Pensacola now has 81 home runs this season, which is behind only the Mobile BayBears (87) and Montgomery Biscuits (86).
Pensacola got only three hits Saturday with the only other one a double by third baseman Taylor Sparks.
Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly normally wouldn’t be happy with his lineup going 3-27, which is a .111 batting average.
“We definitely made the most of our hits,” Kelly said. “We’ve hit a bunch of homers and we’ve hit them in bunches.”
Wallach said after Tennessee starter Michael Wagner walked first baseman Eric Jagielo on four straight pitches, he went to the plate with an aggressive attitude.
“I just wanted to be aggressive, especially with runners in scoring position,” said Wallach, who hit .231 in the first half and is hitting .294 in the second half. “It’s nice when you can get two home runs and win the ball game.”
The win snapped a three series losing streak by the Blue Wahoos and improved their series record at home to 10-2. The victory also returned Pensacola to .500 in the second half at 24-24 in the Southern League South Division.
Tennessee had scored the first run of the game in the first inning when second baseman Ian Happ doubled and scored on third baseman Jason Vosler’s double to go up, 1-0.
The Smokies got its second run when Happ hit a high fly ball to right field to score shortstop Carlos Penalver, who started the inning with a single.
The 22-year-old Romano, the No. 17 ranked prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization, worked 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out three. He now has 119 strikeouts in the season, which is second best in the Southern League.
Romano has turned things around by relaxing more before his outings and trying not to think about pitching. He was 1-7 with a 4.84 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in the first half, but is 3-4 with a 2.65 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in the second half.
He earned the victory Saturday putting him at 5-11 with a 3.87 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP on the season.
Wallach, who caught Romano before moving to first base, said Romano’s new approach before pitching is making adifference.
“He’s really relaxed and has let the numbers go and just focused on pitching well,” Wallach said. “He’s doing really well.”
Kelly said he’s noticed Romano’s confidence on the mound improving, pointing out that he worked out of a jam in the first inning with runners on second and third base with one out and set down the next two batters on a fly out and K.
“It’s that age old question what comes first, success or confidence?” Kelly said. “That’s what we’re seeing with Sal. He’s pitching with confidence and he’s having success.”
Pensacola reliever Abel De Los Santos came into the game in the eighth inning and has allowed one earned run and three hits in 11.1 innings. Closer Alejandro Chacin earned his 23rd save which is his career high, surpassing the 20 he had in 2014 with the Class A Dayton Dragons.
Fans Meet The Aggies
August 13, 2016
Tate High School held a “Meet The Aggies Night” Friday night with a chance for fans to meet the 2016 football team, coaching staff and cheerleaders.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Sweep Doubleheader With Tennessee
August 13, 2016
Pensacola second baseman Alex Blandino slid head first into home and appeared to be out easily. But Blandino lifted his left arm over the tag by the catcher and slapped home plate to give the Blue Wahoos another walk-off win in the first game of a doubleheader.
With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Pensacola right fielder Sebastian Elizalde slapped a line drive into short right field. It scored center fielder Brandon Dixon with the tying run and Blandino with the winning run to give Pensacola a 4-3 victory over the Tennessee Smokies. Elizalde’s hit extended the Blue Wahoos franchise record to 10 walk-offs this season.
Elizalde said he didn’t know what pitch was thrown to him on his walk-off single. He went 4-9 in the doubleheader and his season batting average has rebounded to .263.
“I was ready to hit the ball,” Elizalde said. “Everything over the plate, I’m going to swing.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly was happy to see Elizalde getting the clutch hit after batting .172 last month—his lowest average for a month this season.
“He had a tough month of July,” Kelly said. “He’s been one of our better hitters all year. It’s nice to see him back on track.”
In the second game at Blue Wahoos Stadium, Pensacola jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning when shortstop Zach Vincej rounded the bases on a deep fly ball in the right center gap that Tennessee right fielder Ian Happ chased down but then dropped while on the run. Happ compounded his drop with a throwing error that allowed Blandino, left fielder Phillip Ervin and Vincej to all score on the play.
Pensacola catcher Kyle Skipworth added a two-run homer to left field and the Blue Wahoos ended up sweeping Friday’s doubleheader with an 8-0 victory over Tennessee.
The Blue Wahoos are now 23-24 in the second half, while the Smokies are 19-27.
Meanwhile, in the first game Tennessee went back on top, 3-2, in the sixth inning when first baseman Victor Caratini hit a two-run rocket into the Hill Kelly Dodge berm in right field that also scored second baseman Happ.
The Smokies left two runners on base in the fifth through eighth innings and stranded pinch hitter Daniel Lockhart on second base after he hit a leadoff double in the ninth inning.
Pensacola picked up where the game ended Thursday with two on and two outs in the bottom of the second inning before rain drowned out the opener of the five-game series. Pitcher Tyler Mahle, who pitched two perfect innings, had just bounced a groundball down the first base line into right field for his second RBI of the season when Vincej came around to score and give Pensacola a 1-0 lead.
When the game resumed Friday the Blue Wahoos lead was short lived. Tennessee left fielder Kelly Dugan smashed a first pitch fastball from Pensacola reliever Barrett Astin just left of dead center to tie the game, 1-1, in the top of the third inning.
Pensacola’s Astin made up for allowing the homer with a single past the shortstop, who was playing on the grass, to drive in Ervin from third to put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 2-1, in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was Astin’s first career hit and RBI.
Blue Wahoos reliever Kyle McMyne pitched two scoreless innings to improve his record to 4-3 this season. McMyne has pitched 9.1 scoreless innings in his last seven relief appearances.
“That guy was our closer last year,” Kelly said. “He has had his struggles early on. But that 94 mph sinker is a really good pitch.”
In the second game, Pensacola starting pitcher Jackson Stephens continued to look like a Southern League All-Star. He worked his first complete game shutout, although it was seven innings because of the doubleheader. Stephens also set a new career-high with 10 strikeouts and is now third in the Southern League with 115 strikeouts on the season. He improved his record to 8-10 and lowering his ERA to 3.01.
Stephens has thrown seven innings in each of his past three starts allowing just two runs on 15 hits, two walks, while striking out 22. His last out Friday was a strikeout of Tennessee’s second baseman Lockhart.
“It was like icing on the cake when I got that out,” Stephens said. “I felt like he was the last batter I would face. I didn’t care if it was a strikeout, fly out or ground out. I just wanted to get him out.”
Tate Grad Long Named To FCS Preseason All American Team
August 10, 2016
The STATS FCS Preseason All-America Team has been announced and includes a Tate High School graduate.
Fullback Lorenzo Long was named to the third team.
Long was named second team All-Southern Conference last season. He led the team in rushing with 969 yards, which was fourth in the league. For his career, he has 2,055 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. Long earned a spot on the Preseason All-SoCon second team which was released last week.
Long currently plays for the Wofford Terriers
Wahoos Earn 11 Hits In 7-4 Win Over Biloxi
August 10, 2016
This time the Pensacola Blue Wahoos changed up its game script a little bit. Instead of waiting until late in the game to score, the Blue Wahoos jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning.
Behind four players who had multi-hit games and seven of the nine starters getting a hit, Pensacola won the final game of the five-game series over the Biloxi Shuckers, 7-4, Tuesday at MGM Park.
The Pensacola lineup that scored 11 runs in the first four games and hit .236 broke out in the last game of the series with seven runs on 11-36 hitting for a .305 batting average.
Although Biloxi snapped a six series losing streak, beating Pensacola, 3-2, the Blue Wahoos closed out the season with the Shuckers Tuesday with a 13-12 record.
Pensacola, the first half Southern League South Division champions, is now 21-24 in the second half and 7.5 games behind the South Division leader Mississippi Braves that have a 28-16 record. Biloxi fell to 18-27 and are in last place after being neck-and-neck with the Blue Wahoos in the race for the first half title.
Blue Wahoos shortstop Zach Vincej and right fielder Sebastian Elizalde led the Pensacola offense on Tuesday. Vincej was 2-5 with a run scored and three RBIs. He is hitting .309 in the second half, so far, after hitting .258 in the first half of the season. Vincej leads the Blue Wahoos with 22 multi-hit games.
Elizalde went 2-5 with two runs scored and has 21 multi-hit games this season for Pensacola. He has gotten a hit in his last six games.
Also having a good game at the plate Tuesday was left fielder Phillip Ervin, who went 2-4 with a double, solo home run and scored twice. He leads Pensacola with 51 runs scored this season, plus is second on the team in both homers with 10 and RBIs with 36.
Pensacola scored five runs in the second inning when it sent all nine batters to the plate with four hits, including three doubles by Phillips, Vincej and second baseman Alex Blandino, and two walks.
Blue Wahoos left fielder Ervin started the big inning when he doubled in Elizalde to put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 1-0. Vincej doubled in both catcher Joe Hudson (2-4, one run scored) and Ervin to give Pensacola a 3-0 lead. Vincej then scored when center fielder Brandon Dixon grounded out to second base to make the score, 4-0. The final run of the inning scored when Blandino doubled in first baseman Chad Wallach for a 5-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Pensacola starter Nick Travieso pitched for the first time since July 18 and threw 3.1 scoreless innings with three hits, three walks and two strikeouts. Pensacola reliever Barrett Astin relieved Travieso and got the win (7-3) working 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, two walks and striking out two. Astin lowered his ERA to 2.37.
Biloxi did earn four in the bottom of the eighth inning when catcher Jacob Nottingham singled back up the middle to knock in both pinch hitter Tom Belza and left fielder Johnny Davis to trail Pensacola, 7-2.
Pensacola sent in its top closer Alejandro Chacin to rescue reliever Carlos Gonzalez, who loaded the bases with one out by walking first baseman Dustin DeMuth and hitting right fielder Clint Coulter.
Chacin then promptly walked Biloxi second baseman Javier Betancourt to score Nottingham making the score, 7-3, Pensacola. Shuckers third baseman Gabriel Noriega than hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored DeMuth to pull the Shuckers within, 7-4.
Chacin, who has a 1.76 ERA, settled down in the ninth inning setting down the Biloxi side with two strikeouts. He ended up working 1.2 innings with a walk and three strikeouts to earn his Southern League-leading 22nd save of the season.
Ernest Ward Middle Cheerleaders Attend Camp; Five Named As All Americans
August 9, 2016
Shuckers Stop Wahoos 3-1
August 9, 2016
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos scored one run in the ninth but the run came too late to make a difference as the Biloxi Shuckers held on for a 3-1 victory Monday to capture the five-game series at MGM Park.
Pensacola just couldn’t score on Biloxi starter Brandon Woodruff who helped the Shuckers take a 3-1 lead in the series.
In fact, Pensacola batters haven’t earned a run off of Woodruff in all three of his starts against the Blue Wahoos. After throwing 20 scoreless innings against Pensacola, Woodruff probably wishes he could throw against them in every game. He has struck out 25 batters and allowed just nine hits. Woodruff improved to 5-4 and his earned-run average dropped to 2.87.
Pensacola, which won the first half title, is now 20-24 in the second half and in fourth place in the Southern League South division. Biloxi is 18-26 and in last place.
In the ninth inning, Blue Wahoos right fielder Sebastian Elizalde lead off with a single to center and reached third on Biloxi center fielder Brett Phillips error. Pensacola shortstop Zach Vincej then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Elizalde to pull Pensacola within 3-1.
But Biloxi’s top closer Stephen Kohlscheen then struck out both Pensacola third baseman Taylor Sparks and first baseman Eric Jagielo to end the game and earn his 18th save of the season.
Biloxi scored first in the bottom of the third inning when Shuckers center fielder Brett Phillips homered, his 13th of the season, to lead off the inning and give his team a 1-0 lead. Biloxi tacked on another run in the inning when first baseman Dustin DeMuth singled in left fielder Tyrone Taylor, who had doubled, putting the Shuckers ahead, 2-0.
Biloxi catcher Jacob Nottingham extended the Shuckers lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning with a homer over the center field wall — his eighth home run of the season.
Pensacola starter Sal Romano gave up three runs on two homers in five innings of work. He scattered nine hits, walked none and struck out four. He is 4-11 with a 3.92 ERA and is second in the Southern League with 116 strikeouts.
Leading the way at the plate for Pensacola was second baseman Alex Blandino, who went 3-4. He is now 7-12 in the series against Biloxi in three games with one run, one RBI and one walk.
Pensacola center fielder Jeff Gelalich also got on base twice going 1-3 with a walk.
Northview JV Cheerleaders Attend Camp; Three Named All American
August 8, 2016
The Northview High School junior varsity cheerleaders recently attended a home UCA camp. Three squad members — Ashlan Hargel, Briana White and Bailey VanPelt – made All American. They will have the opportunity to march in the Disney Thanksgiving Day Parade this fall. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Win Over Biloxi
August 8, 2016
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos let its pitching and defense keep the game close and then struck with three runs off of the Biloxi Shuckers in the top of the ninth inning to snap a four-game losing streak Sunday at MGM Park.
Thanks to Jackson Stephens, Abel De Los Santos and Alejandro Chacin, Biloxi scored only one run and Pensacola pulled out a, 4-1, victory.
Stephens spread seven hits and one walk over seven innings, giving up one earned run, while striking out six batters. Stephens has now pitched seven innings in his last two starts and given up only two earned runs. His earned-run average has dropped from 3.44 on July 11 to 3.16 Sunday.
Meanwhile, Abel De Los Santos pitched one inning with one strikeout to get the win to even his record at 1-1. De Los Santos has allowed two unearned runs over 10.2 innings of relief for Pensacola and struck out 13.
Pensacola went to closer Alejandro Chacin to protect its lead in the bottom of the ninth and he got a double play and strikeout to earning his Southern League-leading 21st save of the season. Chacin is now 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA and has struck out 55 in 49.1 innings.
Pensacola has started making late inning comebacks a routine. In Sunday’s game, Blue Wahoos right fielder Sebastian Elizalde started the ninth inning with a single to right field. Left fielder Brandon Dixon followed him with a bunt back to the pitcher who threw the ball away. Shortstop Zach Vincej singled to left field to load the bases with no outs.
Biloxi reliever Junior Rincon then came in for Stephen Peterson and promptly walked Pensacola third baseman Taylor Sparks to score Elizalde, giving the Blue Wahoos a 2-1 lead. First baseman Eric Jagielo then grounded out into a double play but Dixon scored putting Pensacola up, 3-1. Biloxi’s Rincon’s ball four pitch to Pensacola catcher Kyle Skipworth was a wild pitch that allowed Vincej to score from third and gave Pensacola a commanding, 4-1 lead.
Pensacola had tied the game, 1-1, in the sixth inning when second baseman Alex Blandino doubled in Jeff Gelalich, who reached on an infield error.
A night after scoring a Biloxi record four runs, right fielder Clint Coulter continued to hit and score for Biloxi. He singled to left field, advanced to second on a slow roller to shortstop and crossed the plate on a double to left by catcher Rene Garcia to give the Shuckers its only run of the game Sunday.
Coulter, playing in his third game since being called up from the High-A Brevard County Manatees, went 2-3 in Sunday’s game.
Biloxi starter Taylor Jungmann also had a strong start, going six innings and allowing one unearned run on three hits and one walk, while striking out eight. Opponents are hitting .194 against him this year.
Leading Pensacola at the plate was Elizalde who went 2-4 and scored a run. He now has 20 multi-hit games, which is one behind Vincej for the team lead.
Blandino also went 1-4 with a double and RBI and is hitting .313 in seven games in August and has one homer with five RBIs.
Biloxi Beats The Wahoos
August 7, 2016
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos lost its fourth straight game, falling, 7-2, Saturday to the Biloxi Shuckers at MGM Park.
The Shuckers starter Luis Ortiz and reliever Tayler Scott combined to shut out Pensacola through five innings, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out six. Reliever Stephen Kohlscheen earned his 17th save of the season throwing 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and two walks, while striking out three.
Kohlscheen loaded the bases in the ninth allowing singles to Pensacola catcher Kyle Skipworth and center field Ronald Bueno and a walk to Phillip Ervin. But Biloxi Kohlscheen worked out of the jam to end the game by striking out second baseman Alex Blandino and right fielder Sebastian Elizalde.
For the game, Pensacola had 10 hits but was 1-6 with runners in scoring position and left 10 base runners stranded. The Blue Wahoos also struck out 10 times.
Leading Biloxi’s offense was right fielder Clint Coulter, who went 2-2 and scored four of the Shuckers’ seven runs. It was just his second game after being called up from High-A Brevard County Manatees.
Pensacola, which is 19-23 in the second half after winning the first half Southern League South Division crown, were led by Alex Blandino, who got on base four times in five plate appearances and scored one of the Blue Wahoos two runs. Pensacola catcher Kyle Skipworth was also 2-3 with one run scored and one RBI.
However, Biloxi center fielder Brett Phillips hit a sacrifice fly to right field scored the first five runs of the game to lead, 5-0, in the sixth inning. Coulter scored three times.
Pensacola finally scored its first run of the game when Skipworth doubled to lead off the eighth inning and scored when center fielder Ronald Bueno singled to center field to pull the Blue Wahoos within, 5-1. The Blue Wahoos scored a second and final run of the game when Blandino crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Sebastian Elizalde to make the score, 5-2. With two outs, Pensacola loaded the bases but third baseman Taylor Sparks struck out to end the inning.
Biloxi extended its lead to 6-2 when pinch hitter Nick Ramirez singled to center to score Coulter for the fourth time. It went up, 7-2, when left fielder Tyrone Taylor singled to center field with two outs to drive in Ortega.
Pensacola started reliever El’Hajj Muhammad for the first time this season in place of Rookie Davis, who was called up to Triple-A Louisville Bats. Muhammad had made 27 appearances for the Blue Wahoos this season. He threw 46 pitches over three innings without giving up a hit and allowed one unearned run, walking one and striking out two.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos return home Thursday, August 11 to take on the Tennessee Smokies.