The Escambia Gators will challenge the Clay Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Escambia sitting on 12 straight victories and Clay on six.
Escambia is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Wakulla, sneaking past 4-2.
Carter Mills looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances.
Taivyn Anderson
| 04/22/25 vs Wakulla | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs Pine Forest | 1 |
| 02/28/25 @ Foley | 1 |
| 04/23/24 vs Fort Walton Beach | 1 |
At the plate, Taivyn Anderson was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Clay and Bishop Kenny, and Clay kept the tradition alive. The Blue Devils blew past the Crusaders 9-1 on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Blue Devils, who have now won 11 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Gabriel Barker looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on JC Rosette, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Merrick Rapoza, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Clay always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bishop Kenny only posted an OBP of .222.
Escambia pushed their record up to 23-5 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.9 runs on average over those games. As for Clay, their record is now 20-9.
Escambia might still be hurting after the 11-5 loss they got from Clay when the teams last played back in May of 2023. Can the Gators avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
