Northview hasn't had much luck against Escambia recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Northview Chiefs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Escambia Gators at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Monday, Northview was able to grind out a solid win over W.S. Neal, taking the game 6-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Chiefs.
Braynt Mason
| 02/17/25 @ W.S. Neal | 2 |
| 02/13/25 vs Milton | 2 |
| 02/11/25 vs South Walton | 1 |
Braynt Mason spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up ten Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Brady Smith was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Jase Portwood, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Escambia, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They came out on top against Fort Walton Beach by a score of 9-5 on Tuesday. The Gators haven't had any issues with the Vikings recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Colin Hanks made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Hanks was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Marcus Days was a standout: he scored three runs while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in runs. Xavier Taylor was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Escambia always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Fort Walton Beach only posted an OBP of .323.
Escambia's win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 2-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs over those games. As for Northview, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Northview has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Escambia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
