It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Clay had no problem doing just that on Friday. They never let the Escambia Gators get on the board and left with a 5-0 win. Give the Blue Devils' pitching crew some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
Rylan McMahan made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over 5.1 innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one double and one RBI.

Clayton Hickey
| 05/01/26 vs Escambia | 2 |
| 03/05/26 vs Tocoi Creek | 1 |
| 02/25/26 vs Oakleaf | 1 |
| 02/13/26 @ Baker County | 1 |
| 04/08/25 @ Ridgeview | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Clayton Hickey, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Caleb Ainsworth was another key player, earning one run and three stolen bases.
Clay's record now sits at 16-13. As for Escambia, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 16-13.
Clay will have a chance to go back-to-back against the Gators: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps