Mesa’s Four Hits Not Enough In Mississippi’s 7-6 Defeat Of The Blue Wahoos
July 10, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell victim to another late Mississippi Braves rally on Saturday night, dropping their third in a row in dramatic fashion by a score of 7-6.
Victor Victor Mesa went 4-for-4 at the plate with a triple for the Blue Wahoos, but his performance was overshadowed by a game-winning two-run double from Mississippi’s C.J. Alexander with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
Pensacola starter Zach King allowed an early two-run homer to Drew Lugbauer in the first inning, but looked much sharper in his second Double-A start. The lefty allowed three runs on four hits over 5.0 innings with five strikeouts.
Trailing 3-0 in the fourth, the Blue Wahoos started a rally against Braves starter Tanner Gordon with a leadoff double from Norel González. RBI singles from J.D. Orr and Cobie Fletcher-Vance followed, and an RBI groundout from Bubba Hollins in the fifth tied the game 3-3.
The Blue Wahoos took their first lead in the sixth on a Ray-Patrick Didder RBI single, and run-scoring sacrifice flies from Griffin Conine and Paul McIntosh stretched the lead to 6-3. Mississippi got a run back in the sixth with a solo homer from Jalen Miller, but the Pensacola lead stayed 6-4 going to the final two innings.
Braves reliever Indigo Diaz (W, 1-4) worked around a Mesa triple with one out in the top of the eighth inning to set the stage for Alexander’s heroics against Eli Villalobos (L, 3-2) in the bottom of the frame. Tyler Ferguson (S, 3) worked a spotless ninth to earn the save for Mississippi.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the M-Braves on Sunday afternoon.
by Erik Bremmer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
M-Braves Walk-Off Homer Sends Blue Wahoos To 6-3 Loss
July 9, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos were walked off by the Mississippi Braves for the second straight game on Friday night, falling 6-3 on a three-run home run from Drew Lugbauer in the bottom of the ninth.
Jeff Lindgren fought through shaky command to complete four innings of one-run ball, but the Blue Wahoos couldn’t solve Mississippi starter Darius Vines in the early innings. Vines struck out eight batters over 4.0 perfect innings before Norel González finally gave Pensacola a baserunner with a single in the fifth.
The Blue Wahoos finally broke through in the sixth, getting an RBI double from Griffin Conine to tie the game 1-1 and a two-out, two-run single from Victor Victor Mesa to take a 3-1 lead.
Mississippi tied the game 3-3 in the seventh as Anthony Maldonado surrendered a solo home run to Cade Bunnell, followed by a two-out RBI single from Yariel Gonzalez.
Pensacola made four outs on the bases in the span of three innings, squandering opportunities to add to their run total. Justin Maese (W, 1-4) worked out of a jam in the top of the ninth to keep the game tied before Dylan Bice (L, 1-1) walked a pair in the bottom half and served up Lugbauer’s walk-off blast.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the M-Braves on Saturday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Wahoos Split Double With M-Braves
July 8, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos got great starting pitching on both ends of their doubleheader against the Mississippi Braves on Thursday, winning 3-1 in eight innings in game one behind Eury Pérez and falling 3-2 in game two despite six no-hit innings from Zach McCambley.
In game one, Eury Pérez was dominant once again. The 19-year-old, fresh off being named Miami’s representative to the prestigious SiriusXM Futures Game later this month, allowed only two hits and struck out 10 batters while completing 6.0 innings for the second time in his career.
One Braves hit, though, was a solo home run to Justin Dean to put Mississippi ahead 1-0. Freddy Tarnok was sharp as well, holding the Blue Wahoos to one single over 6.0 scoreless innings. Down to their last out in the seventh and final inning, Pensacola got a pinch-hit RBI single from Norel González to tie the game 1-1.
Josh Simpson (W, 4-1) kept the game tied in the bottom of the seventh to force an extra eighth inning, where the Blue Wahoos scored a pair of runs against Coleman Huntley III (L, 1-1). José Devers scored on a wild pitch to put the Blue Wahoos ahead 2-1, and Victor Victor Mesa delivered a two-out RBI single to extend the lead to 3-1. Simpson retired the Braves in order in the bottom of the inning to nail down the win.
In game two, the Blue Wahoos got a pair of early RBI hits from Devin Hairston to take a 2-0 lead in support of Zach McCambley. The righty pitched the best game of his Double-A career, striking out six batters and taking a no-hitter into the sixth and final inning.
Three outs away from the fourth no-no in Blue Wahoos history, McCambley issued a lead-off walk to Drew Lugbauer before departing with 100 pitches thrown. Colton Hock (L, 5-3) entered, and the All-Star reliever immediately gave up a single to Cade Bunnell to break up the no-hit bid. Riley Delgado followed with a bloop single to load the bases, followed by a pair of RBI groundouts to tie the game 2-2. Pinch hitter Yariel González ended the game with a walk-off single.
Tyler Ferguson (W, 3-1) was the fifth and final pitcher for Mississippi in the bullpen game, striking out three batters in the top of the seventh to earn the win.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the M-Braves on Friday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
M-Braves Open Series With 5-1 Win Over The Blue Wahoos
July 7, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos were kept quiet at the plate on Wednesday, falling 5-1 to the Mississippi Braves in their series opener.
A.J. Ladwig (L, 2-3) turned in a quality start, but took the loss as the Pensacola offense mustered only three hits in a dominant pitching effort from Jared Shuster (W, 5-7) and the Mississippi staff.
The Braves jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first, as C.J. Alexander hit a hanging slider into the right field bullpen for his 15th home run of the year. After a Yariel Gonzalez double in the second, Hendrik Clementina brought him home with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 2-0.
Shuster completed 6.0 shutout innings, allowing only three hits and striking out four. Ladwig completed 6.0 frames as well, earning a quality start, but the early damage was too much to overcome.
Clementina added a solo homer in the seventh against new Pensacola reliever Sean Reynolds, and the Braves tacked on a pair of runs in the eighth with RBI singles from Cade Bunnell and Andrew Moritz against Eli Villalobos.
Ray-Patrick Didder hit a solo homer in the ninth to break up the shutout bid, but Justin Maese got J.D. Orr to fly out with the bases loaded to snuff out Pensacola’s final attempt at a rally and end the game.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the M-Braves with a doubleheader on Thursday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Tate Lady Aggies Hosting Annual Softball Camp On July 12
July 5, 2022
The Tate High School Lady Aggies will host their annual Summer Softball Skills Clinic on Tuesday, July 12 from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. Check-in begins at 4:30 p.m.
The cost is $50. For more information or to register, click or tap here.
Pictured: The 2021 Tate High School Summer Softball Skills Clinic. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos, M-Braves Rained Out On Independence Day
July 5, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Mississippi Braves saw their series opener postponed due to rain at Trustmark Park on Monday night.
The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Thursday, with game one of the twin bill scheduled to begin at 5:35.
The Blue Wahoos and Braves return to play on Wednesday.
written by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Wahoos Fall 4-1 In Series Finale With Montgomery
July 4, 2022
Cody Mincey tossed five no-hit innings to open Sunday’s game and finished with a strong quality start, but Pensacola fell 4-1 in their series finale against Montgomery.
Wahoos Split Twin Bill With Montgomery
July 3, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos split their doubleheader against the Montgomery Biscuits on Saturday night, winning the first game 2-0 but falling in the nightcap 5-4.
In game one, Jeff Lindgren (W, 3-1) pitched a complete game seven-inning shutout while allowing only four hits. It was the first complete game of Lindgren’s professional career, and the first solo shutout for a Pensacola pitcher since 2017.
Pensacola’s offense didn’t do much against John Doxakis (L, 0-2), but got back-to-back RBI singles with two outs in the third from Troy Johnston and J.D. Osborne to provide all the offense Lindgren would need.
Game one was played in a brisk 1 hour and 36 minutes, the fastest game for the Blue Wahoos of any length since a 1:32 seven-inning game in Mississippi on August 19, 2019 and their fastest at Blue Wahoos Stadium since a rain-shortened six-inning game in 1:34 on April 14, 2014.
In game two, Zach King (L, 0-1) was greeted rudely in his Double-A debut by former Blue Wahoos outfielder Kameron Misner, who blasted a two-run homer in the first inning to put the Biscuits ahead 2-0. The Blue Wahoos answered back in the bottom of the first with four runs, highlighted by RBI singles from Johnston and Paul McIntosh, but the 4-2 lead did not last long.
Montgomery began the third inning by reaching five straight times against King, with RBI singles from Roberto Alvarez and Jacson McGowan causing an early exit for the young lefty and putting the Biscuits ahead 5-4. Zack Leban, Eli Villalobos and Colton Hock provided 5.0 scoreless innings of relief, but Chris Gau (W, 3-0) and Justin Sterner (S, 2) were just as effective in relief for the Biscuits as they salvaged the split.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Montgomery Biscuits on Sunday night.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Blue Wahoos Blanked By Biscuits
July 2, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos suffered just their fourth shutout loss of the season, and first since April, in a 8-0 defeat to the Montgomery Biscuits on Friday night.
Taj Bradley (W, 3-1) lowered his league-leading ERA to 1.65 with 6.0 scoreless innings of three-hit ball while striking out five in a combined four-hit shutout for the Montgomery staff.
The Biscuits scored the first run of the game against Zach McCambley (L, 3-5) in the second inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Roberto Alvarez. The game remained 1-0 until the sixth, when Montgomery broke the game open.
Greg Jones led off the top of the sixth with a double, and scored on a bloop double off the bat of Kameron Misner. Two walks followed before a check-swing, two-run single from Erik Ostberg bounced McCambley from the ballgame.
Anthony Maldonado and Jefry Yan contributed 3.0 scoreless innings of relief, but the Biscuits added three more against Andrew McInvale in the ninth on a two-run single from Misner and a bases-loaded fielding error on catcher Paul McIntosh.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Montgomery Biscuits with a doubleheader on Saturday
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Blue Wahoos Win 5-1 Behind Solid Pérez Performance
July 1, 2022
Eury Pérez struck out eight batters over 5.0 one-run innings as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos defeated the Montgomery Biscuits 5-1 on Thursday night.
Originally scheduled to play a doubleheader on Thursday, wet grounds prevent a second game from being played. That contest will instead be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Saturday, with game one beginning at 4:05 p.m. CT.
Pérez (W, 3-1) was staked to an early lead as Pensacola scored a pair of first-inning runs against Montgomery starter Caleb Sampen (L, 1-3). José Devers led off the inning with a double and scored on a Paul McIntosh single before Griffin Conine blasted an RBI double to put the Blue Wahoos up 2-0.
Montgomery’s lone run came in the fourth on an RBI double from Erik Ostberg. Pérez left five men in scoring position and needed a career-high 87 pitches, but completed 5.0 innings to qualify for the win.
A Ray-Patrick Didder solo homer in the sixth and two-run Norel González single in the seventh stretched the Pensacola lead to 5-1. Josh Simpson, Eli Villalobos and Colton Hock struck out six batters over 4.0 hitless innings of relief to lock down the win.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Montgomery Biscuits on Friday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos