The Destin Sharks will take on the Pensacola Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Destin is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.1 runs per game this season.
Destin made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Central, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Destin blew past Central 13-3 on Tuesday. While the Sharks didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Aspen Benscoter made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Benscoter was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing Three bases. while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
Keelie Ellis
| 03/11/25 @ Central | 1 |
| 03/10/25 vs Holmes County | 2 |
| 03/06/25 @ Lighthouse Private Christian Academy | 3 |
In other batting news, Keelie Ellis and Anita Palmer did most of the damage at the plate: Ellis scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while Palmer scored two runs and stole Two bases. while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Ellis is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Laurel Churchill, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Pensacola ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They won by a run and slipped past Lighthouse Private Christian Academy 9-8.
Like Destin, Pensacola also got a great game from a two-way player: Alexiah Federico. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over eight innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off five hits. Those hits marked the first that Federico allowed this season. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sydney Jauncey, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-3.
Destin pushed their record up to 7-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Pensacola, their victory ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-6.
Pensacola's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Destin has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.9 hits per game. It's a different story for Pensacola, though, as they've been averaging 12 hits. Given Destin's sizable advantage in that area, Pensacola will need to find a way to close that gap.
Destin took their win against Pensacola when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 18-0. Will Destin repeat their success, or does Pensacola have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
