The Milton Panthers will face off against the Escambia Gators at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Milton turned things around against Navarre on Monday. They walked away with a 7-4 victory over the Raiders. The game was the first time the Panthers have beaten the Raiders on their field since April 28, 2022.
The team relied heavily on Brayden Barrow, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-3. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in stolen bases. The team also got some help courtesy of Brayden Sidelinger, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Escambia, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They blew past West Florida 8-1 on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Gators, who have now won seven games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Clayton Sanders made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
Sanders wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Caleb Bates, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and one double.
Escambia's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-2. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for Milton, their victory bumped their record up to 7-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Milton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Escambia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Milton came up short against Escambia in their previous matchup back in March of 2023, falling 7-3. Can Milton avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
