Blue Wahoos Hold off Barons For Seventh Straight Win
May 14, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos won their seventh consecutive game on Saturday night, beating the Birmingham Barons in a nail-biting 6-5 thriller.
Jefry Yan earned the four-out save, stranding two runners in both the eighth and ninth innings, to make a winner of Luis Palacios in his Blue Wahoos season debut.
With the win, the Blue Wahoos have won an incredible 15 of their past 16 games, with only a May 5 loss to Mississippi separating an eight-game winning streak and their active seven-game streak.
Palacios allowed a two-run homer to Taylor Snyder in the second, but the Blue Wahoos evened up the score in the third on an RBI double from J.D. Orr and an RBI single from Nasim Nuñez. In the fifth, Barons starter Garrett Schoenle almost escaped trouble before allowing a go-ahead three-run double to Victor Mesa Jr. that gave Pensacola a 5-2 edge.
Griffin Conine added some insurance with an RBI double in the sixth, and it turned out to be crucial as Palacios allowed three runs in the home half of the inning to draw the Barons to within a run at 6-5.
Austin Roberts and Brady Puckett contributed scoreless relief before Yan worked out of trouble in the final two innings to earn the save.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Barons on Sunday afternoon in Birmingham.
by Erik Bremer/Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Tate High’s Rilee Lowery Signs With Coastal Alabama
May 13, 2023
Tate High School’s Rilee Lowery has signed with Coastal Alabama South to continue his athletic and academic career.
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Blue Wahoos Blow Out Barons In Historic Sweep
May 13, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos completed two games on Friday, wrapping up Thursday’s suspended game and playing a seven-inning contest against the Birmingham Barons. They won both, taking the first 22-6 in blowout fashion and cruising to a 5-1 victory in the nightcap.
Thursday’s suspended game, picked up with the Blue Wahoos leading 6-0 in the second, saw the Blue Wahoos set new team records with an 11-run eighth inning and 22 total runs scored.
The Blue Wahoos got a great performance from Dax Fulton (W, 2-4) on the mound and poured on the runs at the plate for their fifth consecutive win.
Fulton allowed three runs and struck out nine over 5.2 innings of long relief after starting pitcher M.D. Johnson was used up in an inning of work on Thursday. After Bennett Hostetler’s grand slam against Vince Vannelle (L, 1-1) on Thursday set the tone for the offense, the Blue Wahoos got two more home runs from Victor Mesa Jr. and Troy Johnston to stretch their lead out further.
Five runs into Pensacola’s eighth inning outburst, more rain arrived and caused a delay of another two hours. The game eventually resumed, and the Blue Wahoos tacked on six more runs for 11 in total. It marked the most runs scored in a single inning in team history, surpassing a nine-run second inning against Chattanooga on on July 13, 2021.
The 22 total runs surpassed a 17-1 win over the Jacksonville Suns on April 21, 2014 for the most runs scored in a game in Blue Wahoos history.
In game two, Jake Walters allowed only an unearned run over 4.0 solid innings and Will Stewart (W, 1-0) fanned six batters over 3.0 hitless innings of relief as the Blue Wahoos won their sixth in a row.
Trailing 1-0 in the fourth, Griffin Conine drew a bases-loaded walk against Matt Thompson (L, 1-3) before Jan Mercado hit a go-ahead two-run double and J.D. Orr added insurance with a two-run single.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Saturday night in Birmingham.
by Erik Bremer
Northview Beats Holmes County 17-6 To Advance To Regional Finals
May 12, 2023
With a 10-run final inning and two home runs, the Northview blasted by Holmes County 17-6 in the 1A regional semifinals Thursday night in Bonifay.
Chloe Ragsdale and Emma Gilmore both homered for the Chiefs.
Jamison Gilman led off for the Chiefs, allowing nine hits and six runs while striking out two in four innings. Aubrey Stuckey pitched three innings, allowing two nits, no runs and striking out two.
Stuckey led Northview at the plate, going 4-4. Gilmore was 3-5, A Flowers went 2-3, Ragsdale and M Golson were 2-5. K Alvare, R Brooks and Mary-Clayton Dawson eached added a hit.
Next Tuesday at 7 p.m., the Jay Royals (15-11) will host Northview (15-12) in the regional finals. The winner advances to the final four.
Northview’s Cason Burkett Signs To Play Baseball At Coastal Alabama
May 12, 2023
Northview High School senior Cason Burkett signed Monday to play baseball for the Coastal Alabama East.
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Wahoos Up 6-0 As Game With Barons Suspended by Rain
May 12, 2023
Bennett Hostetler’s grand slam highlighted a six-run first inning for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Thursday in a game that was suspended due to rain in the middle of the second inning.
The game will be picked up Friday at 4:30 with the Blue Wahoos leading the Birmingham Barons 6-0.
Friday’s regularly scheduled game will follow approximately 30 minutes after the completion of Thursday’s suspended game. The Friday contest will be shortened to seven innings.
The Blue Wahoos scored six unearned runs against Vince Vannelle in the first, capitalizing on an infield error to score the game’s first run before an RBI single from Joe Rizzo and Hostetler’s grand slam. M.D. Johnson worked a scoreless, hitless first inning in a brief start – the righty’s third in a row that was cut short by weather.
The Blue Wahoos will resume Thursday’s contest on Friday afternoon in Birmingham.
written and photo by Erik Bremer/Blue Wahoos
Holmes County Tops Northview 3-2 In 1A Regional Semi (With Gallery)
May 11, 2023
Top ranked Northview fell to Holmes County 3-2 in eight innings Wednesday night’s 1A regional semifinal in Bratt.
The game remained scoreless through six innings before both teams scored two each to make it 2-2 headed into extra innings.
Jamarkus Jefferson went seven innings for the Chiefs, giving up four hits and two runs while striking out eight. Cason Burkett closed with the extra inning on the hill, surrendering one hit and one run with two strikeouts.
Burkett, Luke Bridges and Kaden Odom had two hits each to lead Northview at bat. Jefferson and Trent Knighten both added a run.
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Northview ended their season at 17-7.
Holmes County advances to take on Jay Saturday; the Royals beat Paxton 9-6 Wednesday night.
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Tate Falls To Leon 6-5 In Regional Quarterfinal
May 11, 2023
The Tate Aggies lost the lead late as they fell 6-5 to Leon Wednesday night in Tallahassee in the opening game of regionals.
Leon broke a 3-3 tie when they scored on an error in the bottom of the fifth
James Davis and Caden Kelly both had homers for the Aggies — Davis in the third and a long ball for Kelly in the seventh.
Drew Reaves went one and two-thirds inning for the Aggies, giving up three hits and two runs while striking out one. Rilee Lowery was on the mound for four innings, giving up one run and one hit with four strikeouts. Gabriel Patterson pitched for a third of an inning, surrendering one hit and three runs and striking out one.
Clifton Quiggins and Kelly had two hits each for Tate to lead at bat.
The Aggies ended their season at 18-8.
Also Wednesday night , No. 1 Pace lost to Winter Springs 10-4.
NorthEscambia.com file photos by William Reynolds, click to enlarge.
Fourth Straight Win As Wahoos Beat The Barons
May 11, 2023
Nasim Nuñez had an outstanding day at the plate and Patrick Monteverde turned in another stellar start as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Birmingham Barons 7-5 on Wednesdady for their fourth win in a row.
Nuñez was 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBI, while Monteverde (W, 4-0) earned his league-leading fourth win with 5.1 innings of two-hit, one-run ball.
The Blue Wahoos took a 3-0 lead against Barons starter Cristian Mena (L, 3-2) in the third as Nuñez smoked a two-run triple into the right field corner. He scored one batter later on a Joe Rizzo sacrifice fly.
In the sixth, J.D. Orr added to the lead with a bases-loaded walk before Nuñez chopped a two-run single through the hole to left to extend the Pensacola advantage to 6-0. Monteverde wobbled in the sixth, leaving with the bases loaded, but Josan Méndez allowed only one inherited runner to score as he worked out of the jam.
Méndez wasn’t so lucky in the seventh, as the Barons loaded the bases once more before Ben Norman launched an opposite-field grand slam into the Pensacola bullpen to draw the score to 6-5. Birmingham twice got the tying run in scoring position, but came up empty in their bid to complete the comeback.
Troy Johnston doubled home Nuñez for an insurance run in the ninth, and Jefry Yan (S, 3) earned the six-out save.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Thursday evening at Regions Field.
written by Erik Bremer
Fitterer Fantastic Again As Blue Wahoos Beat Barons
May 10, 2023
Evan Fitterer turned in yet another dominant start as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos opened up their road series in Birmingham with a 4-2 win over the Barons on Tuesday night.
Fitterer (W, 3-0), who began his Double-A career with 11.0 scoreless innings, saw his streak come to a close but still allowed only two runs over 6.0 innings as the Blue Wahoos won their third in a row and 11th in their past 12 games.
The Blue Wahoos jumped out to an early lead against Garrett Davila (L, 0-3) in the first inning on a Dane Myers RBI single. The Barons briefly reclaimed the lead at 2-1 on a two-run homer from Alsander Womack in the third, but Pensacola charged back in the fourth to take the edge for good.
Cody Morissette started the rally with a one-out single before Victor Mesa Jr. was hit by a pitch. Will Banfield tied the game with an RBI double before Griffin Conine laced a two-run single to right that put Pensacola ahead 4-2.
Fitterer worked out of jams in the fifth and sixth, departing with his second quality start in a Blue Wahoos uniform. Brady Puckett and Zack Leban wriggled out of similar trouble in the seventh and eighth before handing the ball to Sean Reynolds (S, 5) for a scoreless ninth.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Wednesday morning at Regions Field.
by Erik Bremer