Biloxi Beats The Wahoos
July 23, 2016
The Biloxi Shuckers got the better of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos lineup Friday, allowing just two hits in a 3-2 victory over Pensacola in front of 4,612 fans at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The Shuckers snapped a five-game losing streak with the win.
The Blue Wahoos had the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning and were down by just one run with its leading home run hitter, Brandon Dixon, at the plate.
However, he whiffed, and Pensacola was unable to extend its franchise record eight walk-offs to nine in the ninth inning, going down 1-2-3.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said he had confidence Dixon would get a hit.
“I’ll take my chances with Dixon and the bases loaded,” Kelly said. “The eighth inning was a huge chance to win the game.”
But the best chance in the game to score for the Blue Wahoos, who earned just two hits in the game, was a missed opportunity. Dixon is now 1-7 with three strikeouts this season with the bases loaded.
Pensacola dropped to 14-14 in the second half and the first half South Division champions are 55-43 overall.
Biloxi starting lefty Wei-Chung Wang started the game by striking out the first five Blue Wahoos hitters he faced. He ended up striking out a career-high nine in 6.1 innings. He gave up just two hits and one walk and allowed one run on a solo blast by Pensacola catcher Joe Hudson.
Wang has now won three of four games against Pensacola this season. The native of Taiwan improved to 5-5 in 17 starts for the Shuckers and lowered his ERA to 3.61.
“He’s very deceptive,” Kelly said. “He changes speeds. His fastball ranges from 87-to-94 (mph). I don’t think he gets the credit for being very good. He has better stuff than people think.”
Meanwhile, Jackson Stephens, who dropped to 6-9 this year, also threw a solid start. He gave up two solo homers among seven hits allowed, walked two and struck out four in six innings pitched.
“Two solo home runs usually don’t beat you,” Kelly said.
One of those homers was by center fielder Brett Phillips, who snapped a 0-27 skid Friday, by going 3-5 with a run scored, stolen base and two RBIs. He also hit a two-out single in the seventh to drive in left fielder Johnny Davis for Biloxi’s third run of the game. The other homer was hit by second baseman Tom Belza.
“He’s a good hitter,” Kelly said about Phillips. “You’re not going to hold him down forever. He made some adjustments. He widened his stance with two strikes. Now, we have to make some adjustments to him.”
Pensacola took advantage of four walks in the eighth inning. Blue Wahoos center fielder Beau Amaral drove in the only other run on a sacrifice fly near the warning track in center field with the bases loaded that scored right fielder Jeff Gelalich and advanced the other two runners on base.
Wahoos Top Biloxi 3-0
July 22, 2016
Pensacola Blue Wahoos starting pitcher Rookie Davis blanked the Biloxi Shuckers for the second time in his last three starts since lasting just two innings against the Mobile BayBears.
Davis pitched just one batter over the minimum in five scoreless innings helping Pensacola to a 3-0 victory Thursday over the Biloxi Shuckers in front of 4,448 fans at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Two of his last three starts have come at home against Biloxi, who Davis has shutout over 12 innings. In his last three starts, Davis has pitched 18 innings, allowing two earned runs and one walk, and striking out 18.
“Anytime you pitch at home it’s awesome,” Davis said. “I’m trusting myself and trusting my stuff and pitching as well as I can.”
Both Davis and Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said that he has finally 100 percent healthy. Davis improved to a team-leading 8-3 and lowered his ERA to 2.68.
“It’s been a long year of tedious injuries, nagging injuries,” said Davis, who’s been bothered by hip and groin injuries and missed three starts. “It’s been frustrating for me.”
Davis was taken out after five innings when he took a hard hit grounder by Biloxi right fielder Tyrone Taylor off his thumb on his glove hand in the fourth inning.
“I think he’s finally healthy,” Kelly said about Davis. “His velocity is up and we’re seeing him use his legs a lot more.”
Davis can thank first baseman Eric Jagielo for facing just 16 batters, despite giving up four hits. Jagielo caught two line drives and stepped on first for a double play twice. Biloxi’s Taylor singled in the first inning but then got caught stealing.
In his start Thursday, Davis threw five innings allowed four hits, no walks and struck out four.
Davis wasn’t the only one to turn in a good pitching performance. Making his Pensacola debut was reliever Abel De Los Santos, who the Cincinnati Reds claimed off of waivers from the Washington Nationals.
He entered the game in the eighth inning and ended up pitching two scoreless innings, gave up one walk and struck out one.
Biloxi, who is hitting a Southern League worst .233 on the season, is now 13 for 63 (.206) in the first two games against the Blue Wahoos. The Shuckers entered the series hitting .209 against Pensacola pitchers, who have a Southern League-leading 3.24 ERA. Tonight marked the eighth shutout for the season.
Pensacola jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Blue Wahoos center fielder Beau Amaral and Alex Blandino led off with walks to start the game. Amaral scored when right fielder Sebastian Elizalde hit a ground ball to left field and Blandino came in on second baseman Brandon Dixon’s sacrifice fly near the warning track in center to go ahead, 2-0. Blue Wahoos shortstop Zach Vincej then hit a slow dribbler to third base for a single that drove in Elizalde to go up, 3-0.
Biloxi starting pitcher Taylor Jungmann, who struck out 12 Pensacola hitters in 4.2 innings in his last start against them, combined with relievers Mitch Lambson and Tristan Archer to retire 13 Blue Wahoos in a row before Archer walked Pensacola catcher Chad Wallach in the seventh inning.
The Shuckers’ Jungman, who started the year with the Milwaukee Brewers, worked five innings, giving up three hits, three walks and three earned runs, while striking out three.
The Blue Wahoos improved to 14-13 in the second half and are one game back in third place in the Southern League South Division. The first half South Division champions are 55-42 overall.
Kelly said the team is starting to play well together again.
“We had such a tough grind over the last two weeks of the first half,” Kelly said. “Mentally it was a little tough. Plus, we played a couple of good clubs to start the second half.”
Northview Head Football, Baseball Coach Wheatley Resigns
July 21, 2016
Northview High School head football and baseball coach Sid Wheatley has resigned to accept a coaching position in his native Mississippi.
Wheatley said he has accepted a coaching and teaching position at Kosciusko High School in Mississippi, not far from his son in Jackson and his parents in Philadelphia, MS.
“It was the toughest decision of my coaching and teaching career,” he said, “but it came down to a chance to return home to be near my family. My parents are only getting older.”
Wheatley’s career at Northview spanned 11 years, with a 50-31 record as head football coach. But the numbers he will remember most are probably 42-21. After losing out a couple of years at the state semi-final level, Wheatley led his Chiefs to a 42-21 Class 1A state championship victory in 2012 in Orlando.
“I would not trade that win for anything,” he said.
“I know there are many of his former players who will want to wish him well as he turns another page in his latest chapter of his life. I know that I will miss him dearly,” Northview Principal Gayle Weaver said. “We thank Coach Wheatley for his years of service and we wish him well as he moves back home to be with family.”
Weaver said the school will advertise a single job opening that will include the head football and baseball positions. She expects the position will be filled in a matter of weeks, prior to the start of the football season.
“Northview has been a second home for me. I thank Mrs. Weaver, the teachers and staff, the community and the kids for the opportunity,” Wheatley said. “I will be Northview’s biggest fan in Mississippi.”
Pictured top: Northview Head Coach Sid Wheatley. Pictured inset: Wheatley receives of a copy of the Congressional Record where the Chiefs were honored on the floor of the U.S. House and a flag that flew over the White House in their honor after winning a Class 1A state championship in 2012. Pictured below: Wheatley leads his Chiefs to a 2016 Spring Game win over Jay. Pictured bottom: Wheatley’s 2012 state championship team. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Beat Biloxi
July 21, 2016
The only thing that had cobwebs after Beau Amaral’s 71-day absence from the Pensacola Blue Wahoos starting lineup was his Jeep Wrangler that he left in the team’s parking lot.
In his first game back with Pensacola since going on the disabled list May 10, Amaral led off the first inning by lifting the first pitch he saw Wednesday over the right field fence into Hilly-Kelly Hill. It was his third homer starting a game this season.
Amaral had surgery to remove his top rib on his right side that was pressing on a vein and created a blood clot in his non-throwing right arm. He returned to the Double-A level after playing 10 games in two weeks for the Rookie League Billings Mustangs. He hit .382 there with one homer and five RBIs for Billings.
Thanks to home runs by Amaral and catcher Chad Wallach, Pensacola went on to beat the Biloxi Shuckers, 6-4, in front of 4,683 fans Wednesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Amaral said he was happy to be back in the No. 4 Pensacola jersey, even though, it lacked his last name across the back.
“It was real scary,” Amaral said about the blood clot that could have ended his season, professional baseball career or worse. “I shouldn’t have looked it up online. It kind of freaked me out.”
Amaral, who worked all offseason with his dad, Rich, to improve his swing also hit a leadoff solo homer on the first pitch of the 2016 season against the Jacksonville Suns and against Biloxi earlier in the year. He was 3-5 with the homer, two singles a run scored and an RBI Wednesday night.
“I got back to the dugout and thought I would wake up and still be in my hospital bed back at home,” said Amaral, who planned to celebrate his performance with a bottle of water and a conversation with his dad. “I’m just so excited to be here. It was really tough being at home and not being able to play baseball.”
Before his injury, Amaral hit .280 in 28 games with Pensacola with two homers, 14 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .360. His three hits Wednesday raised his average to .295.
As excited as Amaral was to be back in Pensacola, Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly was even more excited to have him back in the lineup.
“What a terrific comeback,” Kelly said. “We thought he was lost for the season. He comes back this quick and plays tremendous tonight. Everybody is excited to see him. Now, we have four really good outfielders.”
Besides the hits, Amaral made a great catch running back on a deep fly ball by Brett Phillips, the Milwaukee Brewers No. 2 prospect. He caught the ball over his left shoulder on the edge of the warning track.
“He made the play on Phillips look easy and that ball was crushed,” Kelly said.
Pensacola jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first three innings off of Biloxi starting pitcher Angel Ventura, who gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks to earn a loss.
Blue Wahoos shortstop Zach Vincej scored from first base in the second inning on first baseman Eric Jagielo’s double in the right center gap that rolled to the wall putting Pensacola up, 2-0. Wallach then jumped on a pitch sending it over the left field wall for a 4-0 Blue Wahoos lead.
Two more runs scored in the third inning for a 6-0 Pensacola lead when right fielder Sebastian Elizalde scored on a Jagielo ground out and second baseman Brandon Dixon crossed the plate on a Ventura wild pitch.
Biloxi, who entered the game hitting .209 against Pensacola pitching, scored its three runs in the fourth inning. Phillips, Biloxi’s center fielder, scored the first run for the Shuckers on an error by Dixon. Biloxi third baseman Gabriel Noriega then smacked a two-out single to left field that scored first baseman Nick Ramirez for the Shuckers second run of the game, 6-2.
Noriega scored the final run of the inning when Biloxi shortstop Angel Ortega hit a blooper just over Pensacola’s Dixon’s outstretched arm into right field pulling Biloxi within, 6-3.
In the ninth inning, Biloxi loaded the bases on two bunt singles and a flair to right field off of Pensacola closer Alejandro Chacin. Chacin then walked third baseman Tom Belza to score Johnny Davis.
However, Chacin then got Biloxi’s top of the order out on two foul pop ups to Wallach and struck out Phillips to get out of the bases loaded jam. He now has a Southern League-leading 18 saves on the year.
“It wasn’t like he was getting crushed,” Kelly said of Chacin. “He made great pitches when he has to.”
Pensacola starting pitcher Tyler Mahle also pitched well. He worked six innings giving up five hits, two walks and three unearned runs, while striking out five. He’s now 5-1 in six starts for Pensacola with a .2.41 ERA, winning 10 of his last 11 starts between the High-A Daytona Tortugas and Blue Wahoos.
Pensacola relievers have now allowed four runs total, two of them earned in 24.1 innings this season.
The Blue Wahoos improved to .500 in the second half at 13-13 and the first half South Division champions are 54-42 overall.
Wahoos Fall To Jacksonville
July 19, 2016
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos pulled within one run, 3-2, in the sixth inning but that was as close as they could come to the Jacksonville Suns on Monday at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
Jacksonville starting pitcher Jake Esch and relievers Tyler Bremer and Sean Donatello combined to shutout Pensacola over the last three innings, allowing one hit and retiring the last seven Blue Wahoos hitters in row.
Esch improved to 10-6 with a 3.72 ERA, becoming the first pitcher to reach 10 wins in the Southern League. In 6.2 innings of work he allowed seven hits, one walk and two earned runs, while striking out seven.
Despite Monday’s loss, Pensacola won the series, 3-2, but are still below .500 on the road at 23-26. They are 12-13 in the second half, one game back of Jacksonville, which improved to 13-12 to take first place in the Southern League South Division.
Jacksonville scored first when first baseman Chris Curley hit a two-run homer off of Pensacola starter Nick Travieso in the bottom of the second inning to give the Suns a 2-0 lead.
Travieso took the loss and is 4-6 with a 4.16 ERA this season.
In the top of the third inning, Pensacola right fielder Sebastian Elizalde singled to the opposite field on a ground ball to left field drive in shortstop Alex Blandino, who doubled, pulling the Blue Wahoos within, 2-1.
Suns left fielder Austin Dean put Jacksonville up by two runs again, 3-1, on a single on a fly ball to left field that scored pitcher Jake Esch, who led off the fifth inning with a single back up the middle.
Pensacola’s Elizalde doubled to start the sixth inning and crossed home plate on a ground out by third baseman Taylor Sparks to third base to bring the Blue Wahoos, within, 3-2. But that is as close as they would get.
Pensacola was 1-6 with runners in scoring position and left six runners on base.
Leading the Blue Wahoos at the plate were Elizalde, who was 3-4 with a double, run scored and RBI, and Blandino, who was 2-4 with a double and a run scored.
Northview Cheerleaders Take Gold At Auburn Camp; Four Headed To London
July 18, 2016
The Northview High School varsity cheerleaders attended UCA Cheer Camp last week at Auburn University, and the squad brought home the gold in several categories.
The Northview cheerleaders received first place trophies and gold ribbons in the small division for Xtreme routine, cheer, sideline, home fight song and overall division camp champions.
Additionally, four Northview cheerleaders — Peighton Dortch, Mallory Gibson, Autumn Albritton and Gabrielle Kline — earned All American status and now have the opportunity to cheer in London this fall.
Members of the Northview varsity cheerleaders are: seniors Autumn Albritton, Peighton Dortch, Mallory Gibson and Morgan Myrick; juniors Bailee Hinote and Anna Nelson; and sophomores Shelby Bashore, Gabrielle Kline, Allison Rice, Olivia Seals and Madison Sherouse. Coaches are Genia Bashore and Lauren McCall.
Pictured top and inset: The Northview High School varsity cheerleaders at Auburn University. Pictured below: All-American cheerleaders from Northview (L-R) Autumn Albritton, Peighton Dortch, Gabrielle Kline and Mallory Gibson. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Slip Past Jacksonville
July 18, 2016
Pensacola third baseman Taylor Sparks hit his third home run in his last four games to propel the Blue Wahoos to a 7-6 victory in the top of the 10th inning Sunday over the Jacksonville Suns in the second game of a doubleheader.
Sparks’ fifth homer of the season, this time off of Jacksonville reliever Tyler Higgins, helped Pensacola even its record at 12-12 and in second place in the Southern League South Division in the second half. Plus, the Blue Wahoos are now 8-3 in extra-inning games this season. Pensacola also clinched the five-game series, going up 3-1 on the road at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
A mid-season call up from the Daytona Tortugas, Sparks has gone 4-for-10 in this series against Jacksonville pitching with three homers and five RBIs. He hit two blasts in his first game with Pensacola and now has five homers and 13 RBIs in 22 games with the Blue Wahoos.
Jacob Ehret earned his first Double-A win (1-0) in nine appearances with Pensacola pitching two scoreless innings in relief on one hit, two walks and a strikeout.
Pensacola jumped on Jacksonville starting pitcher Matt Tomshaw by scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Blue Wahoos second baseman Brandon Dixon singled on a ground ball to leftfield that drove in center fielder Jeff Gelalich, who had doubled to start the game, for the first run.
Pensacola went ahead, 2-0, when shortstop Zach Vincej singled on a line drive to left field that scored left fielder Phillip Ervin. Blue Wahoos first baseman Ray Chang doubled in Dixon and Vincej for the final two runs of the inning that made the score, 4-0.
Jacksonville came right back in the bottom the first. Suns center fielder Moises Sierra doubled on a ground ball to left field that scored right fielder Ronnie Mitchell to make the score, 4-1. Then Suns third baseman Brian Anderson hit a two-out, two-run homer that also drove in Sierra to pull Jacksonville within, 4-3.
However, Pensacola came back with a run in the fourth inning to go up, 5-3, when Gelalich hit a sacrifice fly deep to center field that scored Blue Wahoos catcher Joe Hudson, who lead off the inning with a double.
Pensacola tacked on another run to go ahead, 6-3, in the fifth inning when right fielder Juan Duran singled in Dixon.
Jacksonville pulled within one run again, 6-5, in the sixth inning when first baseman Chris Curley hit an infield single to shortstop that scored both Sierra and Anderson.
The Suns tied the score, 6-6, in the seventh inning when Sierra hit a bases loaded sacrifice fly to center field that scored left fielder Alex Glenn.
In the first game of the doubleheader, Jacksonville won 1-0 scoring its only run in the first inning. Pensacola starter Jackson Stephens hit Brian Anderson with the bases loaded to score Austin Dean.
Wahoos Beat Suns 5-2
July 17, 2016
With a pair of home runs by Brandon Dixon and a season-high nine strikeouts by Rookie Davis, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos were lights out against the Jacksonville Suns in a 5-2 win at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
The Blue Wahoos jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning after a two-out home run by Taylor Sparks. After a single by Sebastian Elizalde, Brandon Dixon hit his first homer of the night.
Rookie Davis, the Reds No. 11 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, started off his night by striking out five of the first six Suns’ batters. In the top of the second, Davis also raked his fourth RBI of the year with a single to bring home Ray Chang.
Brandon Dixon hit his final home run of the night, and 13th of the year, in the third inning to give Pensacola a 5-0 lead, and the team’s final run of the night.
It wasn’t until the fifth inning that Jacksonville was able to put runs on the board. After a ground rule double by Francisco Arcia, former Pensacola catcher Cam Maron hit his first home run of the season.
Davis finished the night striking out by striking out four more batters for a total of nine, a Double-A high for him.
After leaving the game after the sixth inning, the Pensacola bullpen shut down Jacksonville including an inning of hitless baseball by MLB rehabber Caleb Cotham. Carlos Gonzalez came in the eighth inning and struck out one while giving up no hits in his third straight appearance (3.2 innings total).
Alejandro Chacin, who leads the Southern League in saves, picked up his 17th save after two strikeouts and allowing two hits.
Pensacola and Jacksonville play two seven-inning games Sunday after Friday night’s postponement due to rain. RHP Jackson Stephens and RHP Sal Romano are taking the mound for Pensacola while LHP Matt Tomshaw and RHP Patrick Johnson take the hill for Jacksonville.
Tate Football’s Raymond Freeman Named Top Long Snapper
July 15, 2016
Tate High School long snapper Raymond Freeman was declared Camp Champion at the Rubio Long Snapping Camp in Kennesaw, GA this week. The class of 2017 snapper was picked as the best overall at the camp.
Freeman beat out approximately 70 participants from 11 states as Snappers gathered to learn from the best and get the most exposure possible to college coaches.
“Freeman caught fire early in the day and never stopped. Came close in the accuracy contest, did well through the agility section and was outstanding in the speed competition. He left no doubt in the end that he was one of the top Long Snappers in the country!” said Chris Rubio, instructor.
Off the field, Freeman also shines academically at Tate, ranked high in his class with a 4.63 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Wahoos Beat Jacksonville 9-0
July 15, 2016
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos tied a franchise record by knocking five home runs in a 9-0 victory over the Jacksonville Suns at The Baseball Ground of Jacksonville.
The last time the Blue Wahoos hit five homers in a game was May 10, 2016. Then, as well as Thursday, Pensacola center fielder Phillip Ervin hit two of the five blasts out of the ballpark.
The Pensacola outburst came one day after the Blue Wahoos lineup was shutout by Biloxi Shuckers pitching, 1-0, and managed only four hits.
Despite the loss, Jacksonville remained in first place in the second half of the Southern League South Division at 11-10, while Pensacola moved into second at 10-11 — one game back of the Suns. Pensacola is 51-40 overall, while Jacksonville fell to 41-50.
Blue Wahoos third baseman Alex Blandino led off the homer avalanche by putting the Blue Wahoos on top, 1-0, in the third inning with a two-out solo homer to left field.
Blandino was followed with home runs by Taylor Sparks in the seventh, Phillip Ervin in the seventh, Eric Jagielo in the eighth and Ervin again in the ninth.
To go along with his two solo blasts, Ervin also doubled — his 16th of the season — to lead off the sixth inning. Pensacola second baseman Brandon Dixon then followed Ervin with a walk. Both moved up on a wild pitch to third and second base. Pensacola right fielder Sebastian Elizalde smacked a deep sacrifice fly to right field to score Ervin to put Pensacola ahead, 2-0.
Pensacola went up, 3-0, when left fielder Juan Duran grounded out to shortstop driving in Dixon.
The Blue Wahoos put the game out of reach when they scored four more runs in the seventh inning to take a 7-0 lead. Sparks hit a pinch-hit, three-run blast over the left field wall that also brought in both Jagielo and catcher Chad Wallach for a 6-0 lead.
It was Sparks first homer since he hit two dingers and drove in four runs in his Double-A debut June 23. He now has three home runs and 11 RBIs on the season.
Pensacola then scored its last three runs of the game on solo homers. Ervin smacked his solo blasts in the seventh inning and leading off the ninth inning. Ervin now has nine homers and 29 RBIs this season.
The other solo shot was smacked by Jagielo over the right field wall in the eighth inning — his third homer in eight games. The Blue Wahoos first baseman has seven homers and 22 RBIs.
Jagielo hit .160 in April, .192 in May, .269 in June and .306 in July, so far to increase his average to a season-high .219.
Not to be out done, Pensacola starting pitcher Tyler Mahle threw six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks, while striking out two. He improved to 4-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.93. In his last start against Biloxi, he allowed one run in seven innings of work.