Softball Game Preview: Escambia Gators vs. Destin Sharks

The Escambia Gators will square off against the Destin Sharks at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.

Destin will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Escambia extended their winning streak to four on Thursday. The Gators came out on top against Central by a score of 12-7.

Madelynn Ladner made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Ladner was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-5.

Morgan Stancliff

Stolen Base (Career)

04/10/25 @ Central	3
03/14/25 vs Booker T. Washington	2
02/27/24 vs Booker T. Washington	2
02/20/24 @ Pensacola	2
04/02/25 vs Pine Forest	1

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

Meanwhile, Destin won against Pensacola Catholic on Friday with 15 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Monday. The Sharks' pitcher stepped up to hand Booker T. Washington a 15-0 shutout. The Sharks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten games by ten runs or more this season.

Keelie Ellis was incredible, going 1-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Anita Palmer was another key player, scoring four runs while going 1-for-3.

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.

Destin is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Escambia, they pushed their record up to 12-5 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road.

Escambia couldn't quite finish off Destin when the teams last played back in March and fell 6-4. Will the Gators have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.