The Choctawhatchee Indians will head out to square off against the Escambia Gators at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Choctawhatchee is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let Fort Walton Beach get on the board and left with a 13-0 win. The Indians haven't had any issues with the Vikings recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Carson Appleton
| 04/07/25 vs Lafayette | 6 |
| 04/01/25 vs Hopkinsville | 4 |
| 03/04/25 vs Niceville | 4 |
| 02/11/25 @ Holmes County | 3 |
| 02/25/25 vs Destin | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
Carson Appleton tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Choctawhatchee is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 10-11 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Aaron Rowell was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Jordan Figueroa, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Choctawhatchee was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .435. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Escambia came tearing into Tuesday's game with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.1 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by a 9-2 margin over the Wildcats.
Escambia also got a great performance from Parker Zareck as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over six innings pitched. Zareck has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Clayton Sanders, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Christian Stone was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-4.
Choctawhatchee's record now sits at 15-11. As for Escambia, their record is now 20-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Choctawhatchee has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Escambia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
