The Clay Blue Devils are taking a road trip to challenge the Episcopal School of Jacksonville Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Clay will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Clay took a six-run defeat the last time they faced off against Ridgeview, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Clay had just enough and edged out Ridgeview 3-1. While the Blue Devils didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Sadie Russo
| 02/27/25 @ Orange Park | 1 |
| 03/05/25 vs Keystone Heights | 2 |
| 02/18/25 @ Bradford | 3 |
| 02/25/25 vs Ponte Vedra | 3 |
| 03/07/25 vs Palatka | 4 |
Sadie Russo spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up eight Ks. Those eight strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
At the plate, Clay's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Yarianis Gonzalex, who went 1-for-2 with one triple and one run. That triple marked the first that Gonzalex hit this season.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 12 runs the game before, Episcopal School of Jacksonville was a bit more limited in their game last Friday. They fell 7-2 to Atlantic Coast. The Eagles' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Episcopal School of Jacksonville also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Riley Valent gave up six earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up eight Ks.
Clay pushed their record up to 7-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Episcopal School of Jacksonville, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-3.
Episcopal School of Jacksonville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Clay hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. It's a different story for Episcopal School of Jacksonville, though, as they've only averaged .257. Will they be able to contain Clay's hitters?
Clay suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Episcopal School of Jacksonville when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can Clay avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
