The Escambia Gators will face off against the Choctawhatchee Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Escambia is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They walked away with an 8-4 victory over Booker T. Washington.
Caleb Bates was excellent, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one double and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Eli Wilbanks, who went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Escambia kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Choctawhatchee came tearing into Wednesday's matchup with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They skirted past the Vikings 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Indians have posted since March 24th.
Jack Marracco was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Isaiah Rohn, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
Choctawhatchee's victory bumped their record up to 21-5. As for Escambia, their win bumped their record up to 15-11.
Escambia might still be hurting after the 7-1 loss they got from Choctawhatchee in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Gators avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
