Softball Game Preview: Destin Sharks vs. Escambia Gators

The Destin Sharks are taking a road trip to challenge the Escambia Gators at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Destin is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.9 runs per game this season.

If Destin beats Escambia with 15 runs on Friday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. The Sharks blew past Booker T. Washington 15-0 on Monday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Sharks.

Keelie Ellis was incredible, going 1-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Aspen Benscoter was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.

Destin always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .533. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Meanwhile, Escambia waltzed into their contest on Thursday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They walked away with a 12-7 win over the Jaguars.

Madelynn Ladner made a big impact no matter where she played. She tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Ladner was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-5.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Morgan Stancliff, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Lacey Weinrich, who scored three runs while going 1-for-3.

Escambia pushed their record up to 12-5 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Destin, their record is now 12-6.

Destin came out on top in a nail-biter against Escambia when the teams last played back in March, sneaking past 6-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Sharks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.