The Escambia Gators will face off against the Pine Forest Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Escambia is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Escambia lost 9-2 to Tate on Wednesday.
Escambia saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Morgan Stancliff, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and Pine Forest had no trouble coming through when it counted. They put the hurt on Booker T. Washington with a sharp 17-2 win on Tuesday. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten games by ten runs or more this season.
Kelsey Bumgarner was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. Bumgarner was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, four RBI, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mary Brockett, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with five stolen bases and four runs. Those five stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kimaya Jones, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base.
Pine Forest was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Pine Forest is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.6 runs over those games. As for Escambia, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 14-8 record this season.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Escambia has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .524. However, it's not like Pine Forest struggles in that department as they've averaged .496. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Escambia's way against Pine Forest in their previous matchup on April 2nd, as Escambia made off with an 11-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Gators since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
