McAnally Has Two Grand Slams, Pitches Complete Game As Tate Beats Washington
April 19, 2023
Ethan McAnally had two grand slams Tuesday night at the Tate Aggies defeated Washington High 12-1 in five innings.
McAnally’s homers came in the first and fifth innings.
McAnally also earned the win with a complete game on the mound for Tate, allowing six hits and one run over five innings while striking out five.
Frank Randall, Clifton Quiggins, James Davis, Javin Floyd and Conner Hassell added on hit each for Tate.
The Aggies will host West Florida on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mesa Jr. Hits For Historic Cycle Wahoos 10-4 Loss
April 19, 2023
Little went right Tuesday for the Blue Wahoos, except for a special night by Victor Mesa Jr.
The 21-year-old centerfielder, rated No. 14 among the Miami Marlins’ top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline, attained one of baseball’s rarest achievements by hitting for the cycle in the Blue Wahoos’ 10-4 loss against the Birmingham Barons at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Mesa Jr., a Havana, Cuba native, matched the Blue Wahoos franchise feat first attained by Donald Lutz on April 21, 2014 while part of the Cincinnati Reds minor league system.
Ironically, Mesa’s magnificence followed the Miami Marlins’ Luis Arraez, who played for the Blue Wahoos in 2019 as Minnesota Twins prospect, becoming last week the first Marlins player in franchise history to hit for the cycle.
In this case, Mesa Jr. hit the cycle in the natural order of single, double, triple and homer on a 4-for-5 night at the plate. He struck out with the bases loaded in the ninth to end the game, but now has a team-high .395 average.
He drove in the game’s first run in the first inning with his two-out single, then followed with the extra base hits. With two outs in the eighth inning, Mesa Jr. clubbed the first pitch he saw and launched it 407 feet over the right-center wall.
Before a crowd of 3,456, his game was the boost on a tough way for the Blue Wahoos to begin their first full-week homestand.
Erratic pitching created a deep, early-inning hole.
It was the first “Doggone Tuesday” promotion, sponsored by Anderson Subaru, giving fans ability to bring their beloved pets into the ballpark and take in the game together.
The Barons (3-7) quickly took over, expanding a 2-1 lead by scoring four runs in the fourth inning on one hit.
Through five innings, three Blue Wahoos pitchers had combined to issue six walks, hit three batters, a wild pitch and another that was a passed ball. The Barons took advantage for an 8-1 lead. The Blue Wahoos wound up using five pitchers in the game.
The two teams will play Wednesday on Education Day — the first mid-week, matinee game in Blue Wahoos history. It will include school children ages kindergarten through fifth grade at the ballpark as part of special educational field trip. The Blue Wahoos will do it again on May 3 in their other Education Day game.
First pitch from Blue Wahoos Stadium is scheduled for 11:05 p.m.
by Bill Vilona, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Northview Rallies With 11-Run 6th To Run-Rule W.S. Neal (Gallery)
April 18, 2023
The Northview Chiefs rallied with an 11-run sixth inning to run-rule W.S. Neal Monday night in Bratt.
The Chiefs were down 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth when Kaden Odom doubled with a 2-2 count to score two runs.
Tyler Shaw pitched a complete game for the Chiefs, allowing just two runs on four hits and striking out four.
For more photos, click or tap here.
The Chiefs were led at the plate by Josh Landis who went 3-5. Shaw, Odom, Jamarkus Jefferson, Rustin Pope, Ethan Collier, Trent Knighten and Cason Burkett each added a hit for Northview.
The Northview Chiefs will travel over to Flomaton Tuesday to take on the Hurricanes at 5:30 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photos by William Reynolds, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Get 4-2 Win Over Shuckers In Series Finale
April 17, 2023
Nasim Nuñez showcased surprising power for the second time in four days, hitting a go-ahead homer in the fifth inning to lead the Pensacola Blue Wahoos to a 4-2 victory over the Biloxi Shuckers on Sunday afternoon.
Nuñez, who had homered twice in his professional career entering the week, took Justin Jarvis (L, 0-1) deep off the right field scoreboard to break a 2-2 tie and sent the Blue Wahoos to a split in their six-game road series.
Biloxi struck first against Blue Wahoos starter M.D. Johnson, as Tyler Black hit a two-run homer in the first inning. The Pensacola righty settled in after that, completing 4.0 innings without another run allowed.
Paul McIntosh got the Blue Wahoos on the board in the third with an RBI single, and scored on a Troy Johnston double two batters later to tie the game 2-2. After Nuñez’s homer in the fifth inning, the Blue Wahoos added an unearned run in the sixth on a Victor Mesa Jr. double, pickoff error, and Will Banfield sacrifice fly.
Four Pensacola relievers covered the final five innings, as Josan Méndez (W, 2-0) was followed by Austin Roberts, Cristian Charle and Sean Reynolds (S, 1). Reynolds fanned three in a perfect six-up, six-down appearance to close out the win.
After an off day Monday, the Blue Wahoos welcome the Birmingham Barons to town for a six-game series starting Tuesday.
by Erik Bremer
Blue Wahoos One-Hit Shuckers In 7-1 Win
April 16, 2023
Patrick Monteverde backed up a dominant 2023 debut with an even more impressive performance on Saturday night, firing the first seven innings of a one-hitter in a 7-1 Blue Wahoos win over the Biloxi Shuckers.
Monteverde (W, 1-0), who allowed only a hit over 6.0 innings last Sunday against Montgomery, repeated his performance over 7.0 scoreless frames against the Shuckers while adding eight strikeouts. Biloxi’s only hit, a Tyler Black single in the fourth, was immediately erased on a pickoff.
Patrick Murphy and Jefry Yan got the final six outs to complete the 12th one-hitter in Blue Wahoos history, and the first since Zach King and Justin Evans combined for a one-hit effort in a 2-1 loss to the Mississippi Braves on August 17, 2022. Eury Pérez and three relievers also one-hit the Shuckers at MGM Park last April 29.
Pensacola opened up the scoring in the third against Carlos Rodriguez (L, 0-1) as J.D. Orr laced a triple into the right field corner and scored on a José Devers single. Paul McIntosh and Joe Rizzo each hit two-run homers in the late innings, padding out the lead against the Biloxi bullpen.
The Shuckers scored an unearned run against Yan thanks to an error and three walks, but the lefty finished off the performance with a popout just as the Biloxi crowd was coming to life.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Shuckers on Sunday at MGM Park.
by Erik Bremer
Lady Aggies Celebrate Senior Night With 11-1 Run-Ruled Win Over Escambia
April 15, 2023
The Tate Lady Aggies run-ruled the Escambia Gators with a big senior night 11-1 Friday night in five innings.
Before shutting down the Gators, the Tate Aggies honored seniors Charlie Vinson and MacKenzie Cook.
Jordan Smith pitched a complete game for the Aggies, allowing two hits and one run while striking out five.
Kate Balagbagan led the Aggies at the plate going 3-3. Amburleigh Laird went 2-2, and K Wine was 2-3. Cook, Lacy Wilson, Tristen Showalter, Olivia Latner, Peyton Womack, and Kylea Gibbs each added one hit.
The Aggies will host Gulf Breeze on Tuesday and travel to West Florida on Thursday.
Northview Beats Chipley 4-2 (With Photo Gallery)
April 15, 2023
The Northview Chiefs doubled up on the Chipley Tigers with a 4-2 win Friday evening in Bratt.
Jamarkus Jefferson earned the win for the Chiefs, giving up one run and three hits while striking out eight in five innings. Kaden Odom was on the mound for the final two innings, striking out three while allowing one run and one hit.
Jefferson led the Chiefs at bat, going 2-3. Rustin Pope, Tyler Shaw and Trent Knighten added one hit each.
The Chiefs will be in action three times next week as they host W.S. Neal on Monday, travel to Flomaton on Tuesday, and welcome Central on Thursday.
For more photos, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
No. 1 Pace Tops No. 10 Tate (With Gallery)
April 15, 2023
In a big District 1-6A game Friday night, the No. 1 Pace Patriots downed the No. 10 Tate Aggies 5-3.
Colton Swiers took the loss for the Aggies, allowing two hits and two runs, striking out three, in one and two-thirds innings. Drew Reaves opened on the mound for Tate, giving up five hits and three runs, striking out three, in three innings. Gabe Patterson threw one and a third innings with two strikeouts and allowing one hit.
Clif Quiggins led the Aggies at bat, going 2-4. Reaves, Frank Randall, Ethan McAnally, James Davis, Caden Kelly and Madox Land each added a hit for Tate.
The Patriots improved to 18-2 on the season, while the Aggies fell to 13-6.
The Aggies have a three game home stand next week as they host Washington on Tuesday, West Florida on Thursday and Pensacola High on Friday.
For more photos, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Laura Glodfelter, click to enlarge.
Pérez Fans Seven, But Shuckers Beat Blue Wahoos 7-1
April 15, 2023
In his final start as a teenager, Pensacola Blue Wahoos righty Eury Pérez struck out seven batters in a 7-1 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday night.
A game billed as a showdown between two of baseball’s top prospects, Pérez and Biloxi outfielder Jackson Chourio, saw Pérez (L, 0-1) fan his fellow 19-year-old twice before Chourio hit a game-breaking three-run homer in the fifth inning.
Biloxi opened up the scoring in the first with an unearned run, as Lamar Sparks reached on an error and scored on Tyler Black’s RBI double. Pensacola couldn’t solve Shuckers starter Christian Mejias (W, 1-0), who allowed only one hit over 5.0 scorless innings.
Pérez was in good shape heading to the fifth, and almost had an inning-ending double play before Freddy Zamora’s sharp grounder to third took a bad hop and turned into an RBI double. Two batters later, Chourio sent a liner off the left field foul pole for a three-run homer to extend the Biloxi lead to 5-0.
The Blue Wahoos managed their only run in the sixth, as Cobie Fletcher-Vance hit a double and scored on a José Devers groundout. The Shuckers added insurance in the seventh on a Zamora homer and in the eighth on a Griffin Conine fielding error.
Brandon Knarr and Harold Chirino combined to pitch the final four innings for the Shuckers, who have taken three of the first four games in their series against Pensacola.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Saturday at MGM Park in Biloxi.
by Erik Bremer
Tate Aggies Shut Out Fort Walton 3-0
April 14, 2023
The Tate Aggies shut out Fort Walton 3-0 Thursday evening.
Senior Drew Reaves and junior Bray Touchstone both had home runs for the Aggies. Complete game stats were not available at publication time.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Pictured: Drew Reaves (top) and Bray Touchstone (below) both had homers for the Tate Aggies Thursday evening. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
