Central Tops Northview; Washington Over Tate
September 16, 2015
Central defeated Northview 3-0 in varsity action Tuesday at Central, 25-8, 25-22, 25-19. Junior varsity results were not available. Northview will host Laurel Hill High School on Thursday. For more photos, click here.
Washington High School defeated Tate 3,0 Tuesday at Tate, 25-23, 25-23, 25-17. Tate will travel to West Florida School on Wednesday.
Pictured: Northview at Central. NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Amerson, click to enlarge.
UWF Holds First Ever Football Scrimmage
September 13, 2015
Chalk up another ‘First’ for the University of West Florida and it’s football program
Head coach Pete Shinnick put his team through a 90-minute scrimmage at University Park Field Saturday morning, marking the first-ever such event in team history.
Crowd estimates of more than 750 were reported with a large number of student groups and Argonaut fans and boosters were in attendance.
The Argonauts currently have 108 student-athletes on the roster for the 2015-16 academic year.
UWF will hold four more scrimmages this season, with three on campus and one at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium in downtown Pensacola on October 17. The remaining scrimmage dates are October 24 (during UWF Homecoming Week) and November 7. Each scrimmage will begin at 11 a.m.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Out Of Playoffs As Historic Season Ends
September 13, 2015
With one swing, Pensacola 
Blue Wahoos first baseman Marquez Smith cleared up his club’s playoff blues and cleared the bases with a grand slam that rocketed over the left field fence.
In the snap of a finger, Pensacola had five runs in the seventh inning and trailed the Biloxi Shuckers, 7-5, Saturday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Smith’s stroke also ended a Pensacola slump that saw them score just two runs on nine hits through 24 innings and hit .115 (9-78) against one of the best starting rotation in the Southern League, which boasted a 3.17 ERA.
However, the comeback fell short as the Shuckers held on for a 7-5 victory over Pensacola in front of 4,104 fans Saturday. They celebrated with champagne in the dugout as the team’s fireworks show fired up and Biloxi fans chanted “Shuckers!”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said Biloxi easily has five position players that are future Major Leaguers, not to mention its stellar pitching rotation.
“That’s a heck of a club,” Kelly said. “They are very talented. Not only can they hit, they got speed and they got defense.”
Smith said he enjoyed playing for the Blue Wahoos all season. He finished the season with nine home runs and 50 RBIs.
“Biloxi is obviously a good team and has a really good staff,” Smith said. “We gave ourselves a chance in the end, we just fell a little short. (Our comeback) says a lot about our guys. That’s a good group of guys in there who are always going to battle.”
It was the first postseason appearance for both franchises. The Blue Wahoos ended the longest drought of missing the playoffs by a Southern League Major League affiliate. The Cincinnati Reds last Double-A team to make the playoffs was Chattanooga in 2006.
The Blue Wahoos, which won a half for the first time since its inaugural season in 2012, came into Saturday’s best-of-five series in a must-win situation after dropping the first two playoff games to the Biloxi Shuckers at MGM Park. But Pensacola quickly fell behind, 7-0.
Biloxi right-hander Tyler Wagner gave up three runs in 6.2 innings and struck out six batters. Meanwhile, the Shuckers were led by a two-run bomb by shortstop Orlando Arcia in a five-run fourth inning.
Pensacola, which finished its season 6-17 against Biloxi, was simply overmatched by the Shuckers, who boasted 11 of the Milwaukee Brewers top 30 prospects, including four of the top 10.
Arcia certainly played against Pensacola like the Brewers top prospect. He went 4-5 with a homer, three doubles and two runs batted in Saturday and for the series batted .615 (8-13) with two home runs, six RBIs, five runs and a triple.
Jesse Winker, who went 1-3 with a single and run, is the Cincinnati Reds top prospect. He was asked about his future and said jokingly he was going home to watch the Buffalo Bills play.
“I have no idea what’s in store for my future,” he said. “I’m going to work hard and just try to get better. Everyone in there (the clubhouse) has a bright future ahead of them.”
Tim Adleman looked to turn around Pensacola’s fortunes. But the tall righty, who entered the game with the third best ERA in the Southern League at 2.64, gave up six runs in his third start in a row, lasting just 3.2 innings.
Adleman allowed 18 runs, 17 earned in 13.1 innings on 22 hits in his last three starts. That’s a very un-Adleman like 11.77 ERA for the Southern League All-Star.
Winker, who played the entire season for the Blue Wahoos, said he enjoyed his second season with the team.
“We went from last place to first place,” said Winker, who led the team in home runs (13), RBIs (55) and batting average (.280). “We’re all proud of that.”
Kelly, who was managing the Blue Wahoos for the first time this year, also said the season was “very fulfilling for me.” He said he was proud of how the team battled in every game all year long.
“You see our turnaround and we basically did it with the same guys,” said Kelly, who plans to manage in the Puerto Rican league this winter. “It’s nice to see them have success and be rewarded for all the hard work they put in.”
1A Northview Chiefs Fall To 6A Gulf Breeze Dolphins (With Photo Gallery)
September 12, 2015
The 1A Northview Chiefs took on their second 6A team of the season Friday night, losing to the Gulf Breeze Dolphins 56-24 in Bratt.
The Dolphins took an early 7-0 lead on their opening drive, but the Chiefs made it 7-6 with a 41-yard interception return from Toney Harrison. Luke Ward then returned a Gulf Breeze punt 58 yards to put the Chiefs up 12-7.
In the second, the Chiefs also scored on an 18-yard pass from senior quarterback Gavin Grant to Neikel Robinson. And Grant also tossed a 3-yard pass in the fourth to Jacob Dunsford.
“There were a lot of things I didn’t like tonight,” Northview Head Coach Sid Wheatley said after loss. “We didn’t tackle well; we were undisciplined….We had so many mistakes; it was not a good showing from the defense.”
“We hit a couple of a plays offensively, then we turned the ball over,” he said. “You can’t turn the ball over in games like this….this was not us tonight.”
Northview hits the road next Friday night to take on Chipley. In the meantime, Wheatley said there’s a lot of work ahead next week for the Chiefs.
“We are going to work them over and over on fundamentals to make sure that we are sound,” he said. “Traditionally (Chipley) is a strong football team, and that’s a hard place to go in and win. So I would expect us to be really challenged. Coming off of this loss, we’ve go to regroup in a hurry to get ready for them.”
For more photos, click here. (Cheerleader, dance and band photos will be published on a future date).
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Drop Second Playoff Game
September 12, 2015
Adrian Houser who threw a perfect game through six innings as 3,168 witnessed his first complete-game gem in a 6-0 victory at MGM Park. Biloxi now leads the best-of-five game series, 2-0. The series heads to Pensacola for a 6:35 p.m. Saturday game that’s a must win for the Blue Wahoos to stay alive.
Pensacola center fielder Phillip Ervin made sure the perfect game ended with a solid line drive single to center to start the seventh inning and extended the Blue Wahoos no-hit streak to 556 games. Despite the hit, the Shuckers fans recognized Houser with loud cheers.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly admitted Biloxi pitching has totally dominated the Blue Wahoos lineup. The team has managed just six hits in two games against Biloxi, who’s starting rotation sports a 2.38 ERA over 63 starts.
Pensacola’s top hitter Jesse Winker, Ray Chang, Alex Blandino and Ervin are all 1-7. The rest of the Pensacola hitters remain hitless. Pensacola has been out hit 22-6 by the Shuckers after two games.
“We have to tip our cap to their pitchers,” Kelly said. “We’re seeing a great staff. Houser was pinpoint tonight. He took advantage of the strike zone.”
Houser threw his first ever complete game, shutting out Pensacola on three hits and striking out 10.
Both Houser and Josh Hader, the Brewers No. 15 prospect, both came from a midseason trade with the Houston Astros.
“That’s really strengthened their staff again,” Kelly said.
Biloxi started with a pregame ceremony honoring the Americans lost in the 9/11 terrorist act with a 21-gun salute and the playing of “Taps” by a single horn player from the Keesler Air Force Base Honor Guard led by Master Sgt. Jim Davidson.
Cody Reed loaded the bases his first two innings on the mound but only trailed Biloxi, 1-0. Both times he struck out the final two batters of the inning. However, he threw more than 50 pitches to do it.
“Those first two innings took a lot out of him,” Kelly said.
Reed, the Cincinnati Reds No. 9 prospect who joined the Blue Wahoos pitching staff as part of a midseason trade with the Kansas City Royals for ace Johnny Cueto, allowed Biloxi second baseman Yadiel Rivera to score in the first inning on a ground out to first base.
Biloxi then hung four runs on Reed in the fifth inning with a two-run homer over the left field scoreboard by shortstop Orlando Arcia the main hit to go up, 5-0.
Thursday night, Biloxi pitcher Jorge Lopez threw a season-high 115 pitches, broke two bats, allowed three balls out of the infield, gave up one unearned run and allowed two hits in 6.2 innings. The Biloxi pitcher improved to 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA against Pensacola and has fanned 29 Blue Wahoos in 29.2 innings.
The winner of the South Division will play either the Twins Double-A affiliate Chattanooga Lookouts or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays affiliate the Montgomery Biscuits. The Lookouts won the first game, 4-3, Thursday and Friday’s game was rained out.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos play the third game of the best-of-five Southern League South Division playoff series against the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate the Biloxi Shuckers at 6:05 p.m. Saturday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Prep Sports: Jay Over NHS Volleyball; EWMS Tops Neal
September 11, 2015
In high school volleyball action Thursday, the Jay Royals topped the Northview Chiefs.
JV
25-23, 21-25, 10-15
Jay wins
Varsity
11-25, 11-25, 16-25
Jay wins
In middle school football, Ernest Ward Middle School beat W.S. Neal 46-12.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Amerson, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Drop Playoff Opener
September 11, 2015
At the All-Star break, Pensacola manager Pat Kelly admitted that first half champion Biloxi was the only team he thought was better than the last place Blue Wahoos.
Ironically, both teams are now playing for the Southern League South Division crown, after Pensacola won the second half.
In the first game of the five-game-series, the Shuckers came out on top, 4-2, with a dominating performance by Biloxi pitcher Jorge Lopez in front of 2,782 fans at MGM Park.
Kelly credited Lopez for cruising through the Pensacola lineup.
“We got two guys on in the ninth and our guys kept on battling but we didn’t have a lot of chances,” Kelly said, who said Lopez’s changeup and fastball kept Pensacola off balance. “We just ran into a hot pitcher. There’s nothing we can do about that.”
Playing in his first playoff game in his 11-year minor league career, Pensacola second baseman Ray Chang scored the tying run, 1-1, in the second inning after reaching second on a throwing error by Biloxi shortstop Orlando Arcia. Chang then smacked a single back through the box in the ninth inning to score Pensacola first baseman Marquez Smith and pull the Blue Wahoos within, 4-2.
“I thought he was terrific,” Kelly said about Chang.
But those were about the only highlights for Pensacola offensively.
Lopez showed why he earned pitcher of the year honors in the Southern League Thursday night.
Lopez, the Milwaukee Brewers No. 9 prospect, held Pensacola hitless through the first 5.1 innings and left the game to a standing ovation in the seventh. Pensacola shortstop Alex Blandino singled up the middle to center field off Lopez, ensuring Pensacola would make 555 games without being no-hit — a streak that goes back to the Blue Wahoos inception in 2012.
However, Lopez, who broke two Pensacola hitters’ bats, stranded the Blue Wahoos Phillip Ervin at third in the sixth inning.
Lopez, who threw a season-high 115 pitches, allowed one unearned run, two hits and struck out seven in 6.2 innings. Only Pensacola left fielder Jesse Winker (who fouled out to left field), Blandino and catcher Kyle Skipworth hit balls out of the infield.
The Biloxi pitcher is now 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA against Pensacola and has struck out 29 in 29.2 innings.
Meanwhile, Daniel Wright gave up a single and three doubles to the leadoff batters for Biloxi in four of the first five innings. However, Wright got Taylor out in a rundown between third and home on a failed squeeze bunt in the fourth inning and stranded two other runners at third base in the first two innings.
Wright left the game, trailing 3-1, and struck out six Shuckers in his 5.1 innings of work.
Kelly said Wright did a “terrific job getting out of tough jams.”
Wright said he gutted out each inning.
“I just kind of tried to come up with stuff to get out of jams,” he said. “They’re just solid.”
Biloxi scored first to take the lead, 1-0, when third baseman Yadiel Rivera singled and Arcia drove him in with a triple to left center — four of Biloxi’s six hits off Wright through five innings went for extra bases.
Biloxi’s Arcia, who had his team’s first two RBIs, grounded out to Pensacola’s third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean in the fifth inning to score the Shuckers second baseman Nick Shaw, who lead off the inning with a double. The ground out put Biloxi back on top, 2-1.
Biloxi first baseman Garrett Cooper scored in the sixth, 3-1, on Shuckers center fielder Brett Phillips ground ball that hit the first base bag and leaped over Pensacola’s diving Smith and rolled into right field. Cooper then batted in Arcia in the seventh for a 4-1 Biloxi lead.
The Blue Wahoos ended the longest drought of missing the playoffs by a Southern League Major League affiliate. The Cincinnati Reds last Double-A team to make the playoffs was Chattanooga in 2006.
Pensacola plays the Biloxi Shuckers at 7:10 p.m. Friday at MGM Park. Biloxi then moves to Pensacola for Saturday and, if needed, will play Sunday and Monday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The winner of the South Division then plays either the Twins Double-A affiliate Chattanooga Lookouts or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays affiliate the Montgomery Biscuits. The Lookouts won its first game, 4-3, with a walk-off single by Southern League MVP Max Kepler.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos play the second game of the best-of-five Southern League South Division playoff series against the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate the Biloxi Shuckers at 7:10 p.m. Thursday. The Blue Wahoos LHP Cody Reed (6-2, 2.17) is scheduled to face the Shuckers RHP Adrian Houser (4-1, 2.92).
Wahoos Drop Game to Mobile; Chang Plays All Nine Positions
September 8, 2015
Where is Ray Chang?
That was the game played by the 4,202 Pensacola Blue Wahoos fans during Monday’s Labor Day game at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Chang became the first Wahoo to play all nine positions in the field, as Pensacola had loads of fun but dropped the final game of the series with the Mobile BayBears, 4-2.
Pensacola clinched the Southern League South Division second half championship Sunday for the first time since its inaugural season in 2012, so its game Monday was inconsequential to its playoff run.
So, when Chang entered the clubhouse, Pensacola manager Pat Kelly gave him two options—sit out and rest or play all nine spots in the field. Chang said the decision was easy.
“It was not even close,” said Chang, who is 32-years-old and an 11-year minor league veteran. “I want to thank Pat Kelly for giving me the chance to do that. It was such a great day.”
Kelly said it was something he had been thinking about for a while. Former Blue Wahoo Juan Perez had asked to do it last year in Bakersfield under Kelly.
“It was fun and everything worked out perfectly,” Kelly said. “The fan reaction was awesome, especially in that eighth and ninth inning.”
In his professional career, Chang had never played center field, right field or catcher in a live game.
On Monday, he went 3-4 with three singles and scored a run in the ninth inning when shortstop Zach Vincej smashed a two-run homer — his fifth of the year — to left field. Chang, who lifted his average to .283 on the season, also stole his first base since 2012.
“I told the first baseman, ‘I haven’t stolen a base all year.’ He said, ‘Do it! Take off!’” Chang said. “It was definitely ugly.”
He played catcher in the eighth inning and caught Zack Weiss, who leads the Southern League with 25 saves and was named to the league’s postseason All-Star team. Weiss throws a fastball in the mid-90s.
That was the hardest position “by far,” Chang said. “My heart was racing.”
Chang then warmed up in the bullpen and pitched the ninth inning. He already had pitched two games this season on May 4 against the Jackson Generals and on Aug. 19 against Chattanooga Lookouts. He threw two innings gave up one hit, a walk and one earned run.
Fans gave Chang a standing ovation when he took the mound as the pitcher. Chang needed all of four pitches to retire the side in order, including a fly out that was chased down by center fielder Billy Hamilton who leaped in the air at the wall.
“There’s not another human being alive besides (Hamilton) who makes that play,” Kelly said.
Fans chanted, “Ray!” and he came out of the dugout. Hamilton had tossed the ball into the stands but the fan gave the ball back, so Chang could have it. Chang gave the young man one of his black bats and autographed it in exchange for the ball.
Hamilton, who played three games for Pensacola to help in his right shoulder recovery, said he looks forward to returning to the Cincinnati Reds. He went on the disabled list Aug. 19 and he still leads the National League with 54 stolen bases.
“I’m ready to get back to Cincinnati and battle with my guys,” Hamilton said. “But it’s always good to come back to Pensacola and visit. I come back in the off season sometimes just to visit.”
Hamilton, who set the minor league record of 155 steals in 2012 with Pensacola, said he plans to follow the Blue Wahoos in the playoffs.
“I just really feel like they’re going to win it,” Hamilton said. “Their mindset is about winning. They really want it. I’ll be rooting for them and checking up on them.”
Mobile scored first Monday when catcher Mark Thomas gave Mobile the lead, 1-0, with a solo home run deep to left field. Thomas enjoyed Pensacola pitching smashing three home runs and driving in seven runs. Thomas entered the series against Pensacola batting .162 with three home runs and 13 RBIs and finished it batting .174 with six home runs and 20 RBIs.
Mobile led, 2-0, in the third inning when left fielder Socrates Brito tripled in third baseman Raul Navarro. Mobile added one run in the sixth on Gabriel Guerrero’s solo homer to left field and another in the seventh when Pensacola pitcher Wandy Peralta walked Thomas to score Alex Glenn to put Mobile up, 4-0.
The winner of the South Division then plays either the Twins Double-A affiliate Chattanooga Lookouts or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays affiliate the Montgomery Biscuits.
Pensacola, which was 38-32 in the second half, takes on the Biloxi Shuckers at 7:10 p.m. Thursday and Friday at MGM Park. Biloxi then moves to Pensacola for a 6:35 p.m. game Saturday and, if needed, will play at 4:05 p.m. Sunday and 6:35 p.m. Monday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The Blue Wahoos playoff rotation is slated to be Daniel Wright (10-11, 4.53), Cody Reed (6-2, 2.17) and Tim Adleman (9-10, 2.64).
Pictured: Ray Chang on Sunday. Photos courtesy Barrett McLean, Pensacola Blue Wahoos, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Make The Playoffs
September 7, 2015
The Blue Wahoos celebrated its first postseason appearance since the franchise began in 2012 on Sunday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium by jumping up and down and spraying champagne and beer all over each other and their coaches.
Pensacola did its part by eliminating the Mobile BayBears, 15-2, Sunday in front of 4,949 fans. The team then came out of the locker room and watched the ninth inning between the Mississippi Braves and Jacksonville Suns on the field on the ballpark’s giant video board in center field. The Suns defeated the Braves, 7-3, to eliminate Mississippi on the next to last day of the 2015 season.
The Blue Wahoos, who are 38-31 and the South Division second half champs, ended the longest drought of missing the playoffs by a Southern League Major League affiliate. The Cincinnati Reds last Double-A team to make the playoffs was Chattanooga in 2006.
The playoff appearance is extra special to Pensacola utility player Ray Chang, who hit .375 in May and .329 in June to help propel the Blue Wahoos in the second half. In Sunday’s game, Chang was 3-4 with a run scored and two RBIs and hit a check swing blooper to centerfield to score Pensacola third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean to put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 6-2, after five innings.
“It’s amazing,” said a drenched Chang, who joined the team in 2013. “I’ve never gotten the chance before. It’s unbelievable. It’s everything they said it would be.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly ran out of the dugout into the center of his players, who were chanting “PK” and lavished him with beer. They did that to all their coaches and athletic trainer, celebrating each time with just as much energy.
Kelly said this playoff appearance is one of his most cherished in his more than three decades of managerial experience. He could hardly contain his excitement about the Blue Wahoos being one of the few teams in Southern League history to go from last place in the first half to first place in the second half.
Last year, last place Chattanooga went 26-44 and then 35-33 in the North Division to make the playoffs. This year, Pensacola was 25-43 in the first half.
“I think so when you consider how far we’ve come,” Kelly said. “We basically had the same guys. We didn’t have a big turnover at the half. We just seemed to find a way.”
Pensacola starter Cody Reed was celebrating a division victory for the third time. He played on first half winners in the Kansas City Royals organization with both High-A Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
On Sunday, Reed settled down after giving up two unearned runs to Mobile in the first inning. Reed, who was part of Cincinnati’s trade with the Kansas City Royals for ace Johnny Cueto, retired the final 13 batters he faced and 14 of 15, including five strikeouts. In six innings of work, Reed allowed three hits, gave up two unearned runs, walked two and struck out nine. He improved to 6-2 with a 2.17 ERA this year.
“I looked at Pensacola’s record and was like, ‘Man, we got to win some games,’” said Reed, who pitched in front of his family and his girlfriend’s family Sunday. “This is the third time I’m celebrating. That’s awesome!”
One of the biggest reasons for the Blue Wahoos turn around in the second half was outfielder Jesse Winker, the Cincinnati Reds top prospect.
Pensacola right fielder Jesse Winker went 3-4 with two walks and two runs scored to lift his average to .282 and now has 400 career minor league hits.
Winker ranks fourth in the Southern League with a .316 average since the All-Star break. He has got on base in 57 of 63 games in the second half and leads the league with a .426 on-base percentage. He also leads the Blue Wahoos in almost every major statistical category, including home runs (13), runs-batted in (55) and batting average (.282).
Winker said every player on the Blue Wahoos wanted to extend the team’s season into the playoffs. Winker played on the High-A Bakersfield Blaze team last season that won the first half.
“We want to get in, that’s for sure,” Winker said. “It’s been a tale of two halves. I know that’s a cliché statement. But that’s why everyone gets to come back after the break. Seventy games is a lot of games.”
Pensacola plays the Biloxi Shuckers on Thursday and Friday at MGM Park. Biloxi then moves to Pensacola for Saturday and, if needed, will play Sunday and Monday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The Shuckers, which won the first half despite playing its first 54 games on the road.
The winner of the South Division then plays either the Twins Double-A affiliate Chattanooga Lookouts or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays affiliate the Montgomery Biscuits.
In Sunday’s game, the Blue Wahoos scored a season-high eight runs on six hits in the eighth inning, including a grand slam by catcher Yovan Gonzalez. It also set a season season-high with 15 runs.
In addition, Pensacola surpassed 300,000 fans for the fourth straight season. It now has a total attendance of 300,861 with one game left to play on Labor Day.
Kelly could hardly contain his excitement about the Blue Wahoos knocking out Mobile.
“It’s terrific for me since we knocked Mobile out,” Kelly said. “The second half has been so much fun. I kept thinking this was going to come together.”
The game didn’t start well for Pensacola. Mobile jumped in front, 2-0, in the first inning when BayBears right fielder Gabriel Guerrero smashed a single up the middle to score center fielder Evan Marzilli and shortstop Jack Reinheimer.
But then, it was all Pensacola, which scored the next 15 runs.
Mobile starter Braden Shipley, the Arizona Diamondbacks No. 2 prospect, seemed to get rattled when Cincinnati Reds and National League steals leader Billy Hamilton led off the bottom of the first inning with a line drive single to center field. Shipley made four pick off attempts on Hamilton.
Hamilton, who is in Pensacola to recover from injuring his right shoulder, went 2-4, walked twice, scored three times and stole a base — his 52nd career steal in Double-A. He last played for Pensacola in 2012 when he set the minor league stolen base record with 155.
In that first inning, Pensacola left fielder Phillip Ervin then lined a two-run, game-tying double to left field that skipped by Mobile’s Socrates Brito. Blue Wahoos third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean then laced a line drive down the right field line to score Ervin and put Pensacola ahead, 3-2. Pensacola would never trail in the game again.
“This is good for (Hamilton),” Kelly said. “He’s had a tough year in Cincinnati. It’s probably a relief for him to come and actually have some meaningful games. He got on base seven times in two days and got a chance to show what he can do.”
Kelly added that Earvin’s two-run double was the turning point in the game.
“To come back and score three right away was huge,” Kelly said. “If we don’t score there, it might be a different story after that.”
Cantonment Youth Sports Hall Of Fame Members Inducted
September 6, 2015
The Cantonment Cowboys held an induction ceremony Saturday afternoon for their new Hall of Fame wall at the Cantonment Sportsplex on Well Line Road.
Gene Atkins, Morgan Fowler, Shaquille Purifoy, and Bud Norton were inducted onto the Hall of Fame.
Gene Atkins had a passion for coaching youth football and baseball. Atkins coached in both Atmore and Pensacola for over 45 years. He was widely known for his time working with youth in the 1960’s through 1980’s during his nearly 25 years living in Atmore.
Morgan Fowler was a cheerleader whose life was tragically cut short at the age of 12 from leukemia.
Shaquille Purifoy was known by his family, friends, coaches, teammates and others as the life of the party, the clown in the classroom, and the playmaker on the field. Shaq’s personality was larger than life. Many in the community considered him one of their own. He was a role model; one who set the example through his walk with the Lord which was evident in his everyday life. Shaq’s life was tragically cut short when he was shot while visiting his parents when home from college on June 14, 2014.
Bud Norton was a coach in the Escambia County area. He was a part of the Cantonment park in some capacity for more than 30 years, be it park president to having grand kids playing there. Bud is one reason why the park is still around today.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
