The Choctawhatchee Indians are taking a road trip to challenge the Fort Walton Beach Vikings at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Choctawhatchee is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Choctawhatchee earned a 9-4 victory over Navarre. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Indians.
Aaron Rowell made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Choctawhatchee got a great performance from Carson Appleton as he tossed 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Appleton has become a key player for Choctawhatchee: the team is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 5-6 otherwise.
Jordan Figueroa
| 03/18/25 vs Navarre | 4 |
| 03/11/25 @ Booker T. Washington | 2 |
| 03/07/25 vs Fort Walton Beach | 2 |
| 04/05/24 vs Sayre | 2 |
| 03/03/25 vs Rocky Bayou Christian | 1 |
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Jordan Figueroa, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and one run. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Isaiah Rohn, who scored a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Choctawhatchee always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Fort Walton Beach, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They walked away with a 10-5 win over Bay on Saturday.
Cannon Wilbur was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs. That home run was his first of the season. Jacob Salley was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Fort Walton Beach pushed their record up to 6-8 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.6 runs over those games. As for Choctawhatchee, their record now sits at 8-6.
Fort Walton Beach's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Choctawhatchee hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. It's a different story for Fort Walton Beach, though, as they've only averaged .253. Will they be able to contain Choctawhatchee's hitters?
Choctawhatchee was able to grind out a solid win over Fort Walton Beach in their previous meeting two weeks ago, winning 9-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for Choctawhatchee since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
