The Choctawhatchee Indians will head out on the road to square off against the Gulf Breeze Dolphins at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Choctawhatchee took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over Bozeman. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Indians have posted since April 25, 2024.
AnnMarie Gilbert spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and two unearned) runs on ten hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
Abigail Santos-Ruiz
| 03/12/25 vs Bozeman | 2 |
| 03/05/25 @ Pensacola | 1 |
| 03/03/25 vs Fort Walton Beach | 1 |
| 02/24/25 @ Bethlehem | 1 |
| 03/14/24 @ Northview | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Abigail Santos-Ruiz, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two doubles. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Gabbi Barnowsky was another key player, scoring a run while going 4-for-4.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Gulf Breeze ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They put the hurt on West Florida with a sharp 15-9 victory. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Dolphins considering their two-run performance the game before.
Jessica Jagar made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Jagar was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-6. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Kylie Reed was a standout: she went 4-for-6 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run. Another player making a difference was Sally Alberson, who scored three runs while going 3-for-5.
The win snapped Gulf Breeze's losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 6-4 record. That patch can't be blamed on the team's pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Choctawhatchee, the victory was their first at home , bumping their record up to 3-5.
Choctawhatchee might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Gulf Breeze when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can Choctawhatchee avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
