The Navarre Raiders are taking a road trip to take on the Escambia Gators at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Navarre has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Escambia will arrive with five straight wins.
Navarre lost 10-3 to Jay on Friday.
Gavin Gray was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Navarre saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Garrett Gilbert, who scored a run while going 2-for-2. Logan Hand was another, going 1-for-2 with three RBI.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Escambia and Foley meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. Everything went Escambia's way against Foley as Escambia made off with a 14-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Gators, who have now won three matches by nine runs or more so far this season.
Christian Stone made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Stone was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while getting on base in four of his six plate appearances.
In other pitching news, Clayton Sanders tossed a big game, striking out 14 batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits (and only one walk). The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in strikeouts.
Back at the plate, Marcus Days was incredible, scoring three runs while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (two). Taivyn Anderson also deserves some recognition as he stole his first stolen base of the season.
Escambia always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .522. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Foley only posted an OBP of .286.
Navarre's defeat dropped their record down to 2-7. As for Escambia, their record now sits at 6-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Navarre has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Escambia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Navarre came up short against Escambia in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, falling 7-3. Can Navarre avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
