After both having extra time off, the Pine Forest Eagles and the Escambia Gators will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
While Pine Forest didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-10), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. Everything went their way against Pensacola two weeks ago as Pine Forest made off with a 17-7 victory. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Tigers recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Jayonna Hillman spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and six unearned) runs on seven hits.
Ranya Preyer
| 03/11/25 @ Pensacola | 3 |
| 03/07/25 @ Pensacola Catholic | 2 |
| 02/21/25 vs Pensacola | 2 |
| 02/18/25 vs Lighthouse Private Christian Academy | 2 |
| 03/06/25 vs Booker T. Washington | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ranya Preyer, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Mary Brockett, who scored a run.
While Escambia didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over Booker T. Washington last Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Gators.
Abbie Freeman made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Escambia got a massive performance out of Morgan Stancliff, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Allie Helton, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Escambia always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .581. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Booker T. Washington only posted an OBP of .364.
Pine Forest pushed their record up to 6-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing 8.67 hits in those games compared to only 5.4 in the others. As for Escambia, their win bumped their record up to 6-4.
Tuesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Pine Forest has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .551. However, it's not like Escambia struggles in that department as they've averaged .540. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pine Forest came up short against Escambia in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, falling 6-3. Will Pine Forest have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
