The Navarre Raiders are taking a road trip to face off against the Choctawhatchee Indians at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Choctawhatchee took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Navarre, who comes in off a win.
Navarre will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Friday, then bounced right back against Crestview on Monday. The Raiders blew past the Bulldogs 15-5. The result was nothing new for the Raiders, who have now won five contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Renee Hester
| 04/07/25 @ Crestview | 4 |
| 04/01/25 vs Pace | 2 |
| 03/13/25 vs Tate | 2 |
| 03/21/24 vs Milton | 2 |
| 03/15/24 vs George County | 2 |
Renee Hester was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Karsyn Riddle, who scored three runs while going 3-for-5.
Navarre was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .457. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Choctawhatchee fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against South Walton on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 9-6 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Seahawks.
AnnMarie Gilbert spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and three unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Gabbi Barnowsky made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored three runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Alivia Vaughan, who scored a run while going 2-for-5.
Choctawhatchee has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.8 runs over those games. As for Navarre, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-6.
Choctawhatchee's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Navarre has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9 hits per game. It's a different story for Choctawhatchee, though, as they've been averaging 8.8 hits. Given Navarre's sizable advantage in that area, the Indians will need to find a way to close that gap.
Navarre took their win against Choctawhatchee in their previous matchup back in February by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Raiders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
