Gaetz, Others Urge FWC To Back Deer Importation Ban
July 17, 2013
Senate President Don Gaetz and two other Panhandle lawmakers this week urged the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to approve a ban on importing deer from out of state, amid concerns about the spread of a disease that can be fatal to the animals.
Last month, Gaetz, his son, Rep. Matt Gaetz, and Sen. Greg Evers asked the commission to wait for more evidence of the impact of Chronic Wasting Disease. The panel postponed a decision on a ban until its September meeting.
But now the lawmakers say the risk is too great.
“Please accept this letter as acknowledgement that the scientific case for closing the border is stronger than we had originally understood,” they wrote Monday to FWC Chairman Kenneth Wright. “We now believe that moving forward with (the ban) is the prudent course of action.”
Chronic Wasting Disease is similar to Mad Cow Disease and is fatal to deer. If a deer is found with the disease, the entire population — fee-ranging or farmed — must be eradicated to prevent it from spreading.
Marion Hammer of the National Rifle Association, which backs the ban, says the disease could wipe out all the state’s deer.
“Some folks say it’s manageable. It’s not manageable,” Hammer said. “Why should you wait to try to manage something when you can take action to prevent getting it in the first place?”
But opponents of the ban said the move is unnecessary.
“I think it’s a shame,” said Chris Winsey, president of the Southeast Trophy Deer Association. “We’re just being prejudiced toward the deer versus any other animal that’s being moved in our state.”
“They don’t have enough data to close the border,” said Mike Vizcaino, a deer farmer in the St. Augustine area. “If these guys were really afraid of CWD, they would be promoting a statewide testing requirement rather than closing the borders.”
Vizcaino said the ban had been pushed by importers who are stocking up on deer now “so they can set the prices” once the ban goes into effect. “This is all about money.”
Currently, to reduce chances of the disease entering Florida, the state bans deer from being imported from those states and Canadian provinces where infected deer have been found. The ban also prohibits deer killed in those areas from being brought into Florida unless they have first been deboned or treated and mounted by taxidermists outside the state.
The state also requires that imported deer come from herds that have been certified disease-free for five years. Opponents of the ban have recommended the state consider doubling that time frame.
At last month’s commission meeting, deer farmers and game ranchers said closing the border would increase the risk of the disease turning up in Florida. They predicted an increase in smuggling to keep up with the demand for deer available for hunting.
“I believe this decision is probably going to cripple the (deer) industry in Florida,” Winsey said. “It’s a shame how we continue to discriminate against people in agriculture.”
But Hammer said the disease is so deadly that if it spread to Florida, deer hunting would become too dangerous to continue.
“If we got Chronic Wasting Disease in the state of Florida, I’d never eat another piece of venison,” she said. “The risk is too great. So we need to take the steps that are best to prevent ever getting the disease to begin with.”
The disease is not known to affect people.
Backers of the ban include not only the NRA but the Florida Wildlife Federation, United Sportsmen of Florida, Florida Deer Association, Florida Zoo Association and the Humane Society.
Hammer wants the commission to schedule an emergency meeting to hasten the start of the ban, but FWC spokesman Tony Young said Tuesday that wasn’t necessary.
By The News Service of Florida
Wahoos Blank Biscuits
July 15, 2013
Pensacola’s red-hot offense rolled into the All-Star Break with another strong performance, smashing seven runs on 14 hits in a 7-0 blanking of the Montgomery Biscuits on Sunday evening at Riverwalk Stadium. The win moved the Blue Wahoos to within two games of first place Mobile and marked the first time this season that Pensacola won four games in a single series.
The Wahoos offense came out early, striking for three runs in the first inning against Montgomery starter Jake Floethe. Donald Lutz, Tucker Barnhart and Travis Mattair stroked consecutive RBI singles in the first to give Pensacola the early advantage. An inning later, Brodie Greene doubled with one out, stole third base and scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Corey Wimberly to make it 4-0.
That was enough support for Pensacola starter Ryan Dennick who got the nod after pitching just one inning on Friday before rains suspended that contest. Dennick fired five shutout innings, allowing just two hits with a strikeout and two walks to improve to 5-10 on the season.
Chris Manno, Josh Ravin, Loek Van Mil and Jamie Walczak combined to hold the Biscuits to just three hits over the final four innings to give the pitching staff its seventh shutout of the season.
Pensacola put the game away in the top of the eighth inning against reliever Erik Hamren. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Mattair scored Yorman Rodriguez on an RBI groundout before Mike Costanzo and Ryan LaMarre notched RBI singles to make it 7-0. The knock for Costanzo was his first in a Blue Wahoo uniform this season in 12 at-bats.
Eight of the nine Wahoos starters ended up with at least one hit in the ball game while five players smacked multi-hit games for the fourth time in the series. Corey Wimberly led the attack with a 3-for-5 showing while Lutz (2-for-4), Barnhart (2-for-4), Mattair (2-for-4) and Costanzo (2-for-5) contributed two-hit games. In the series, Pensacola blasted 31 runs on 52 hits for a team batting average of .308 during the five-game set.
The Wahoos will take the next three days off for the Southern League All-Star Game, which will be played on Wednesday in Jacksonville. Pensacola will return to action on Thursday night at home as they open up a series against the Huntsville Stars at 7 p.m. Daniel Renken (3-6, 3.91) is the scheduled starter for the Wahoos while Huntsville has not yet named a starter.
story by Kevin Burke
Molino’s Kelly Named To World Wood Bat Tournament Team
July 14, 2013
Jacob Kelly of Molino was recently named to the 2013 World Wood Bat Association 18U National Championship All-Tournament Team as a pitcher. The tournament, held in Atlanta, featured over 180 teams with over 3,000 players.
Kelly, 17, pitched 11 innings striking out 13 and allowing only one earned run. Kelly played with the Patriot Travel Team made up of area high school athletes. Another team member, Chandler Burgess, was also named to the All-Tournament team as a hitter. Burgess batted .438 during the tournament that featured teams from as far away as Hawaii and New Jersey.
Wahoos Set Team Record With 12-4 Win Over Montgomery
July 14, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos scored a franchise record 12 runs in a 12-4 win over the Montgomery Biscuits in the conclusion of Friday’s suspended game, but were shut out on just one hit by Victor Mateo and lost 6-0 in game two.
In game one, both teams traded single runs in the second and third innings before Pensacola finally took the lead for good with three runs in the top of the fifth. Ray Chang tied the game with a sacrifice fly to centerfield driving home Ryan LaMarre to even the score at 3-3. Donald Lutz followed a couple batters later, and grounded in a fielder’s choice at second base, but on an attempt to turn a double play the throw to first got away allowing two runs to score and Blue Wahoos went ahead 5-3.
Pensacola was holding onto a 7-4 lead when they blew the game open with a five-run eighth inning. After two runs had already scored in the inning, Tucker Barnhart doubled down the right field line with the bases loaded which plated two more runs. The final run scored on a groundout by Travis Mattair to cap the scoring.
It was the third straight game where five batters finished with multi-hit efforts. Corey Wimberly (3-for-5) led the attack with his third-straight multi-hit game. Lutz (2-for-4), Barnhart (2-for-5), LaMarre (2-for-4) and Brodie Greene (2-for-4) all chipped in with two-hit affairs. LaMarre and Greene both belted solo home runs in the contest. It was LaMarre’s third game in a row with a round-tripper.
Daniel Renken (W, 3-6) started the resumption and earned the win after allowing just two earned runs, four total, over 4.2 innings. The Wahoos plated four of their 12 runs against Marquis Fleming (L, 2-4) who took the loss for the Biscuits. Fleming was charged with three earned runs over 3.1 innings for Montgomery.
Game two was a much different story. Victor Mateo (W, 4-8) faced just one over the minimum for the Biscuits in a complete game shutout of the Blue Wahoos. Mattair had the Wahoos only hit with his second inning single. That was the only baserunner the Blue Wahoos would get in their fourth time facing the Biscuits starter.
The Biscuits scored, what proved to be all they needed, in the third inning when Robby Price singled home Mayo Acosta. Montgomery opened up their 1-0 lead with four runs in the fifth. With two runs already home, Kyeong Kang belted a two-run home run to right field which signaled the end of the game for Blue Wahoos starter Josh Smith (L, 7-8). Smith was charged with five runs, all earned, on nine hits over 4.2 innings in the loss. The win for Mateo was his second straight.
With the game one win, the Blue Wahoos have already assured themselves a series victory. Now, Pensacola looks to make it four out of five with a win in the series finale on Sunday. Pensacola will look to LHP Ryan Dennick and RHP Shaun Ellis to carry to load against Biscuits RHP Jake Floethe. First pitch is set for 6:05 from Riverwalk Stadium.
story by Kevin Burke
Wahoos Make It Two Straight With 7-2 Win Over The Biscuits
July 12, 2013
For the second straight game the Blue Wahoos had five players with multi-hit games as Pensacola cruised to a 7-2 win over the Montgomery Biscuits for their second consecutive win on Thursday night at Riverwalk Stadium. Corey Wimberly (2-for-4), Donald Lutz (2-for-5), Tucker Barnhart (2-for-5), Travis Mattair (3-for-4) and Brodie Greene (2-for-4) all had multiple knocks aiding the 13 hit effort by the Wahoos.
Ryan LaMarre got the Blue Wahoos on the board with a three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning. Greene tripled a batter later and scored on a sacrifice fly from Wimberly to make it 4-0. That proved to be all the Blue Wahoos would need behind more solid pitching. The Biscuits scattered six hits against Blue Wahoos starter Tim Crabbe (W, 4-7) over his six shutout innings on his way to his fourth win of the year. Jim Patterson (L, 0-2) took the loss after allowing all four Blue Wahoos runs in the fourth. They were the only four runs he allowed over his three innings out of the Biscuits bullpen.
Both teams traded runs in the seventh. Pensacola scored one when Barnhart singled home Lutz. In the bottom of the frame, Todd Glaesmann doubled home Cameron Seitzer before scoring on a sacrifice fly to centerfield a couple batters later for the Biscuits two runs. Both runs were scored off reliever Jamie Walczak in his only inning of work.
Pensacola extended the advantage and put the game away with two more runs in the ninth off Austin Hubbard. Wimberly homered to right for his first of the season with Pensacola, before Barnhart singled home Lutz for the second time in the game making it 7-2 Wahoos. Josh Ravin and Loek Van Mil both worked scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth, respectively, to cap off the win.
The five-game set rolls on Friday night at Riverwalk Stadium. LHP Ryan Dennick (4-10, 3.77) takes the ball for Pensacola against Biscuits RHP Mike Colla (3-1, 3.29). First pitch is slated for 7:05 in Montgomery, Ala.
NOTES: Former Blue Wahoos closer Donnie Joseph made his Major League debut on Thursday afternoon for the Kansas City Royals against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The lefty worked 0.1 innings allowing just a hit and a walk. Joseph was traded to Kansas City with former Wahoo J.C. Sulbaran near last year’s trade deadline in exchange for Jonathan Broxton.
story by Kevin Burke
Blue Wahoos Snap Losing Skid, Beat Montgomery 5-3
July 11, 2013
Ryan LaMarre broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the ninth inning with a game-winning two-run home run giving the Blue Wahoos all they needed to down the Montgomery Biscuits 5-3 in the series opener at Riverwalk Stadium Wednesday night. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Blue Wahoos.
After the two teams waited out a rain delay of nearly an hour, Pensacola struck first with a run in the top of the second when LaMarre brought home Tucker Barnhart from third with a sacrifice fly to right field. The Biscuits quickly responded using a hit and three walks, including one with the bases loaded, to tie the game in the bottom of the inning.
The Biscuits moved in front with back to back home runs from Todd Glaesmann and Kyeong Kang in the bottom of the third. Blue Wahoo starter Shaun Ellis labored through three innings and was charged with all three Biscuits runs. He also walked a season-high four batters in the no decision.
Pensacola got back on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the fourth. Barnhart started the rally with a one-out solo home run. Travis Mattair singled behind him and scored on a two-out double from LaMarre. The left fielder mishandled the ball allowing Mattair to scamper home with the game-tying run.
The two teams traded zeros until the ninth. With Mattair at first and two outs, LaMarre launched a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall to give the Blue Wahoos a 5-3 advantage. Trevor Bell (S, 5) came in and nailed down the save, his fifth in as many tries. Bell combined with three other relievers to work six scoreless innings. Chris Manno worked three shutout and Lee Hyde (W, 3-4) pitched 1.1 scoreless. Hyde earned the win, his third of the season. Juan Sandoval (L, 2-2) took the loss for the Biscuits after allowing the ninth inning home run.
Five players had multi-hit games for the Blue Wahoos. Corey Wimberly (2-for-4), Barnhart (2-for-4), Brodie Greene (2-for-4), LaMarre (2-for-3) and Mattair (3-for-4) all had at least two hits, but LaMarre added three RBI.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series with the Biscuits on Thursday night. RHP Tim Crabbe (3-7, 3.63) gets the nod for Pensacola against Biscuits LHP Enny Romero. First pitch is slated for 7:05 from Riverwalk Stadium.
story by Kevin Burke
Northview Announces 2013 JV Football Schedule
July 10, 2013
The Northview Chiefs have announced their 2013 junior varsity football schedules.
Games will be played as follows:
Aug 29 – Baker – Away
Sept 9 – Escambia Co, AL – Home
Sept 19 – West Florida – Away
Sept 23 – Escambia County, AL -Away
Oct 3 – West Florida – Home
Oct 17 – Baker – Home
All games are scheduled for 6 p.m.
For the previously announced Northview Chiefs 2013 varsity schedule, click here.
Wahoos Drop Fourth Straight
July 9, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos offense was quieted for a majority of the evening and couldn’t convert on a late-inning threat, falling 3-2 to the Jackson Generals in the series finale on Monday night. Jackson ended up taking the final four games of the five-game set.
Just like every other game in the series, the Generals jumped out to an early lead, this time against Wahoos starter Josh Smith. The right-hander plunked Ramon Morla with one out in the second inning and Jack Marder made him pay by blasting a two-run homer to left to give Jackson a 2-0 lead. It was Marder’s second home run of the season.
An inning later, Steven Proscia singled home Chris Taylor who had singled and advanced to second on an error by the center fielder Ryan LaMarre. It ended up being an unearned run charged to Smith, who fell to 7-7 with a tough-luck loss. Smith posted his third straight quality start by allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits in six innings with six strikeouts.
Pensacola jumped back into the contest against Jackson starter Chance Ruffin in the fourth inning. The Wahoos loaded the bases on two singles and a walk against Ruffin before Stephen Kohlscheen replaced him. Ryan LaMarre and Theo Bowe brought home runs with sacrifice flies to cut the lead to one.
Kohlscheen then dominated the Wahoos, allowing no hits in 3.1 innings of relief to pick up his third win of the season against three losses.
In the eighth, though, Pensacola had runners on second and third with one out but Stephen Shackleford extinguished the rally with a strike out of Travis Mattair and a fielder’s choice from Ray Chang after an intentional walk to Ray Chang.
Shackleford walked two in the ninth inning, but got out unscathed with a caught stealing, strikeout, and a flyout to the warning track from Devin Lohman to end the game.
Pensacola returns to action on Wednesday with the first game of five against the Montgomery Biscuits at Riverwalk Stadium. Newly named All-Star Shaun Ellis (3-1, 3.21) will toe the rubber for the Wahoos against the Biscuits’ Enny Romero (8-4, 3.02). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
story by Kevin Burke
11U Argos Win Gulf Coast Elite World Title
July 8, 2013
The Cantonment 11U Argos are the Nations Gulf Coast Elite World Champions. They recently defeated the Gulf Coast Storm 16-9 for the title, after needing to win three straight games during the tournament in Gulf Breeze. Pictured: (bottom L-R) : Christian Munoz, John Pinette, Nathan Brewton, Trevor Norton, Cole Mullins, (top) Sam Shackle, Cameron Bailey, TJ McCants, Chase Barcus and Jacob Bryant. Coaches are Mike Norton, Levy Bryant and Matt Faust. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Generals Put Damper On Late Wahoos Rally
July 8, 2013
The Jackson Generals saw a 3-0 lead disappear but put together a two-run top of the eighth inning to take Sunday night’s game from the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 5-4 at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Trailing 4-3 heading to the eighth inning, Jackson took advantage of some sloppy defense to take the lead. The Generals loaded the bases with nobody out with two singles and a sacrifice bunt with Leon Landry reaching on an error by first baseman Donald Lutz. Steven Proscia knotted the game at four with a sacrifice fly before the bases were reloaded with an intentional walk. Loek Van Mil struck out Ramon Morla but then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Landry to scamper home from third with the go-ahead run. Van Mil got John Hicks to fly out to end the threat.
Pensacola wasn’t able to muster a comeback in the final two innings and fell for the third consecutive game, thus losing the series to the Generals with a game still to be played.
The Wahoos offense looked much like it did in Saturday’s doubleheader, mustering just one hit through the first five innings. Jackson had built a 3-0 lead after five thanks to a Proscia solo homer in the second, a Ji-Man Choi single in the fourth and a Hicks sacrifice fly, also in the fourth.
Yorman Rodriguez sparked the Pensacola offense, though, with a one-out solo homer in the sixth against Jackson reliever Kyle Hunter. It was the first career Double-A home run for the 20-year old Rodriguez, and 10th this season combined between Bakersfield and Pensacola.
An inning later, the Wahoos rallied for three runs to take the lead. Matt Kennelly singled to lead off the frame, stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher Hicks. Ryan LaMarre singled him home to make it 3-2. Ray Chang and Brodie Greene followed with singles to load the bases. LaMarre then scampered home on a passed ball to knot the game at three before Devin Lohman reached on a fielder’s choice to the shortstop as Gabriel Noriega’s throw to the plate to try and get Chang was wide, giving the Wahoos a 4-3 advantage. Pensacola was unable to scratch across any more runs as Donald Lutz grounded into a double play two batters later.
Tyler Burgoon (4-2) picked up the win by getting the final two outs of the seventh inning and then retiring the side in the eighth inning for the Generals. Jackson starter James Gillheeney went two innings before exiting the game due to unknown circumstances. Carson Smith picked up his 10th save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning.
Daniel Renken started for Pensacola and posted another quality start, allowing three runs on six hits in six innings. Wilkin De La Rosa (2-5) took the loss by allowing the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth. De La Rosa yielded two runs (one earned) on three hits in an inning plus three batters.
The series wraps up on Monday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. Recently named All-Star Josh Smith (7-6, 3.47) will take the ball for Pensacola against Jackson’s Chance Ruffin (4-3, 3.66).
story by Kevin Burke