Jay and Northview are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2022, but likely not for long. Jay will square off against Northview at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Jay is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
Jay barely beat Walton the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Jay was the clear victor by a 9-1 margin over Walton on Thursday. The Royals haven't had any issues with the Braves recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Bridger Hebb
| 03/03/25 @ South Walton | 6 |
| 03/25/25 @ Milton | 4 |
| 03/07/25 vs West Florida | 3 |
| 03/14/25 vs Destin | 2 |
| 03/27/25 vs Walton | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
Bridger Hebb looked comfortable as he pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He is becoming a predictor of Jay's success: when he allows at most one hit the team is 4-1 (and 5-6 when he doesn't).
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Grayson Shehan, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. He has become a key player for Jay: the team is 5-1 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 4-6 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Jax Lowery, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Northview came up short against Escambia on Tuesday and fell 4-1. The Chiefs have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Jackson Bridges was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Northview saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cole Davis, who went 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI. Jase Portwood also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Jay's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-7. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Northview, their loss dropped their record down to 7-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Jay has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Northview struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Jay was able to grind out a solid win over Northview when the teams last played on March 6th, winning 9-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for Jay since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
