Softball Game Preview: Pensacola Catholic Crusaders vs. Escambia Gators

The Pensacola Catholic Crusaders will challenge the Escambia Gators at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Pensacola Catholic comes in still looking for their first win of the season.

On Wednesday, Pensacola Catholic came up short against Baker and fell 9-4.

Regan Thornhill spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and six unearned) runs on ten hits.

At the plate, Morgan Smith made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Angel Purifoy, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Meanwhile, Escambia also suffered a loss in their last game, falling to Elberta by a score of 11-7. The Gators have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Abbie Freeman put in work while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over six innings while giving up five earned (and six unearned) runs off six hits. Freeman was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.

In other batting news, Amber Markham was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Lacey Weinrich was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.

Pensacola Catholic's loss dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Escambia, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-4.

Pensacola Catholic took their win against Escambia in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 8-1. Will Pensacola Catholic repeat their success, or does Escambia have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.