Area baseball, softball teams advance to district championship games | AREA ROUNDUP

At least a couple district tournaments have set themselves up to be rivalry games in the championship matchup.

Highlighted by a dual-rivalry night between Jay and Northview in the District 1-1A title game on Thursday, both teams claimed exciting victories on Tuesday to advance to the championship. Elsewhere, Pace flag football is moving on to the state quarterfinals and Gulf Breeze boys volleyball is still alive in its district tourney.

Here's a roundup of area contests that occurred on Tuesday, April 30.

See your team's scores or stats missing? Be sure to update MaxPreps regularly, or report scores to sports reporter Ben Grieco at bgrieco@gannett.com. This will be updated as more results are posted.

Baseball

Escambia 9, Booker T. Washington 2: As long as Clayton Sanders is on the mound, Escambia head coach Tracey King knows the Gators have a good shot at winning.

As was the case in the District 1-5A semifinals, with Escambia topping Booker T. Washington at home. Sanders threw five scoreless innings, surrendering just four walks and four hits. That included getting out of a bases-loaded jam right out of the gate in the first inning, striking out the sixth batter of the inning to prevent any damage.

"(Sanders) gets on the mound and competes. Any time a kid believes in himself, gets on the mound and competes, you’ve got a chance no matter what," King said. "We’re very proud of him. … Being only a sophomore, I’m very excited to see what Clayton can do.”

Escambia plated a run in the first inning and two more in the second before a five-run third inning to essentially put the game out of reach. The Gators scored one more in the fifth inning to round out their scoring.

The Wildcats started to claw back in the sixth and seventh frames, plating a run in both innings, ultimately stranding the bases loaded and Escambia claimed victory.

Christian Stone led Escambia with a pair of doubles and a single, tacking on two runs and two RBIs. Jonathan Edgar and Marcus Days both added a single and a double with two runs and an RBI. Ethan Pardue singled twice with a run. Caleb Bates tacked on a double with an RBI.

Anthony Hall had a hit, a run and an RBI. Jordan Luckie singled with an RBI. Kylar Russell also plated a run.

Outside of Sanders on the mound, Caleb Lipscomb threw one inning, striking out a batter. He surrendered three hits, two runs (one earned) and a walk. Pardue, also in an inning, struck out a batter and allowed a walk.

"It feels great to keep an inning going. It just makes you feel like you can’t be beat," Sanders said of the third inning where the Gators did some damage with two outs. "As long as I kept throwing strikes, there was nothing Washington could’ve done, I feel, to beat our defense.”

Silas Schrimsher tripled for Booker T. with a run. Jonathan Wallin and Nick Freeman both singled with an RBI. Jasean Mobley, J.R. Riley, Davis Sherman, Ricky Bucco and J.J. Startzel all posted a single. Donovan Camacho plated a run.

Sherman threw five innings for the Wildcats, striking out three batters. He allowed 11 hits, nine runs (six earned) and two walks. Bucco, in relief, struck out a batter in one inning, allowing a walk.

Booker T.'s season ends with a 7-18 overall record. It was a bittersweet ending for head coach Justin O'Quinn, who told the PNJ earlier this year that the 2024 season would be his last.

O'Quinn began coaching in the area as an assistant coach at Woodham High, joining in the early 2000s before taking over as head coach a few years later. He took the helm of Booker T. in 2021.

"I’m gonna miss it, man. I’ve been here my whole life. I’ve been around these guys for three years – some of them longer, because I coached some of these guys when they were little kids," O'Quinn said, who got to coach his son, Drew, who was a sophomore for the Wildcats. "It’ll be a big change. But I’ll miss it for sure."

"Justin used to work here with us at Escambia. We actually met when we both coached Little League. We both compete on the field – we’ll go head to head now – but the bottom line is, when the last out is over, whoever wins or loses – whether it’s little league, travel ball or varsity – you’ve got to be friends," King said of O'Quinn. "Like I just told his son, I’ll do anything I can for that family. I wish them the best of luck.”

Escambia (19-7) advances to the District 1-5A championship on Thursday against the winner of the Fort Walton Beach-Choctaw game, which got pushed to Wednesday due to weather.

"I’m very excited for this program. We’ve worked hard. It’s been a great season," King said. "We’ve been preaching it and we’re going to get after it Thursday night.”

“You’ve got to put this game behind you. This game is in the past now. We won," Sanders said. "But now we have to play our heart out on Thursday.”

Jay 11, Baker 1: The Royals picked up a mercy-rule victory after five innings in the District 1-1A semifinals over Baker.

Jay put up three runs in the first inning, before Baker responded with its lone run of the game in the second frame. From there, it was all Royals. Jay plated two runs in the third, five runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth to secure the 10-run rule.

Nick Baxley led Jay with a pair of hits, adding four RBIs and a run. Landon Golden tacked on two hits with three RBIs. Hayden Morris and Ethan McDonald both singled with two runs. Wyatt Peaden also had a hit.

Brady Godwin (3), Jax Lowery (2) and Jacob Cannon all plated runs.

McDonald threw a complete game for the Royals, striking out a pair of batters. He surrendered three hits, one run and a walk.

Jay (14-10) takes on Northview on Thursday in the District 1-1A championship at Northview.

Northview 11, Central 1: The Chiefs pulled off an upset in the semifinals over the Jaguars.

Northview struck first with two runs in the first inning, then the Jags scored their lone run of the game in the third frame. The Chiefs posted two more runs in the fourth.

With three runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh, followed by a scoreless bottom half of the inning, Northview earned the win.

Dane King led Northview with three hits, including two doubles, with two runs and four RBIs. Brady Smith posted two hits with two runs. Jayden White recorded a pair of hits with a run an and an RBI. Jase Portwood tallied a single with three RBIs. Wyatt Scruggs had a hit with two runs. Jackson Bridges tacked on a hit and an RBI.

Robbie Bodiford (3) and Grayson Sheffield both plated runs.

Portwood also threw a complete game on the mound, striking out eight batters in seven innings. He allowed two hits, one unearned run and a walk.

Dylen Houk led the Jaguars with a hit and an RBI. Quincy Wilson, Kaden Ellison and Brayden Faust all singled in the game. Justin Smarr plated Central's lone run in the game.

Smarr recorded the loss on the mound, striking out 11 batters in five innings. He surrendered two hits, four runs (one earned) and two walks. Houk, in two innings, struck out a pair of batters in two innings. He allowed eight hits, seven runs and a walk.

Central (21-3), the top team in Region 1-1A entering the district tournament, still has a likely shot at an at-large bid into the region tournament. Northview (11-14) hosts Jay in the District 1-1A championship on Thursday.

Pensacola Catholic 2, Maclay 0: The Crusaders had a narrow victory over Maclay in the District 1-3A semifinals.

Pensacola Catholic plated a run in the second inning and another in the fifth to round out its scoring.

Vaughn Howard led Pensacola Catholic with a pair of hits, including a double, tacking on a run. Gavin Howard crushed a home run with a run and an RBI. Chris Rembert also doubled in the game. Jalen Moton added a single. Parker Granse recorded an RBI.

Jackson Kohr threw a complete game for the Crusaders, striking out seven batters in seven innings. He allowed three hits in the contest.

Pensacola Catholic (25-1) plays seventh-seeded North Bay Haven Academy in the District 1-3A championship game on Thursday.

Gulf Breeze 3, Tate 2: An extra-inning affair saw the Dolphins advance to the District 1-6A championship game.

Tate struck first with a run in the first inning before Gulf Breeze tallied two runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Aggies tied the game up in the top of the sixth to push extra innings.

Gulf Breeze scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Tommy Regan led Gulf Breeze with three hits, including a double. Roman Jackson tacked on a single with two RBIs and a run. Carter Hoeft singled with an RBI. Gavin Quenneville doubled in the contest.

Kade Rollins, Battle Alberson and Bryson Rouillier all posted a hit. Kerrigan Hale and Carter McIlwain both plated a run.

Jacob Thorn threw five innings on the mound, striking out six batters. He surrendered seven hits, one run and four walks. In three innings, Alberson fanned two batters, allowing three hits, one run and three walks.

Ketch King recorded a trio of hits for Tate. Clif Quiggins tacked on two hits and an RBI. Conner Hassell also had two hits. Bray Touchstone crushed a home run with an RBI and a run. Madox Land and Trey Rebber both singled.

Kaleb Posta plated a run.

Neal Croom threw five innings on the mound for Tate with four strikeouts, allowing five hits, two unearned runs and two walks. Zane Warrington, in two innings, allowed four hits, one run and three walks.

Tate's season ends with an 11-14 overall record. Gulf Breeze (14-11) will play in the District 1-6A championship on Thursday at Pace.

Pace 4, Navarre 1: The Patriots won a low-scoring game in the District 1-6A semifinals over county rival Navarre.

Inning-by-inning scores were not reported. Individual stats were not available.

Navarre's season ends with an 8-16 overall record. Pace (18-6) hosts Gulf Breeze in the District 1-6A championship on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Softball

Jay 11, Baker 0: The Royals earned a mercy-rule win after five innings in the District 1-1A semifinals.

Jay scored four runs in both the first and second innings, before plating another run in the third. With two runs in the fourth and a scoreless fifth, Jay enforced the run rule.

Ella Nelson had three hits, including a triple and a home run, adding three RBIs and two runs. Audrey Barnes also had a three-hit night. Morgan Barrow, with a single and a home run, added three runs and an RBI. Carleigh Baker racked on two hits with a double, tacking on two RBIs. Brooklyn Sorrells posted a double with a run and an RBI.

Brett Watson tallied a hit with two runs and an RBI. Layne Lowry contributed a single and a run. Kiley Samford singled with an RBI. Kylei Martinez plated two runs.

Cadee Carroll threw a complete game, striking out six batters in five innings. She allowed just two hits and two walks.

Jay (13-9) plays Northview in the District 1-1A championship game on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Northview 15, Paxton 0: The top-seeded Chiefs dominated their way into the championship game after a mercy-rule win over Paxton in the District 1-1A semifinals.

Northview plated two runs in the second inning and four runs in the third. Then the Chiefs went on a 10-run tear in the fourth inning to end the game, 16-0.

Riley Brooks recorded two hits, a double and a triple, with three runs and three RBIs for the Chiefs. Jamison Gilman tacked on a single and a double with a run and three RBIs. Mikayla McAnnally singled and doubled, posting two runs and two RBIs. Bailey Burkette had two singles with an RBI.

Kylee Langham had a hit, a run and an RBI. Avery Stuckey added a hit, an RBI and two runs. Davionna Randolph, Braylon Shelley (3), Mayson Edwards, Keeli Knoghten and Makayla Golson all plated runs. Mary Clayton Dawson, Edwards, Knoghten and Golson all tallied RBIs.

McAnnally threw a no-hitter, striking out 10 batters in four innings.

Northview (21-3) plays Jay on Thursday in the District 1-1A championship game.

West Florida 5, Arnold 1: A late burst of offense put the Jaguars on top in the District 1-4A semifinals.

West Florida opened the scoring with a run in the fourth and fifth innings. Arnold erased the shutout with a run in the top of the sixth. But West Florida plated three runs in the seventh frame to secure the 5-1 win.

Stats for West Florida were not reported.

West Florida (16-10) takes on top-seeded Wakulla in the District 1-4A championship game on Thursday.

Pace 10, Navarre 0: The Patriots got back in the win column with a mercy-rule win over the Raiders in the District 1-6A semifinals.

Pace got off to a quick start with two runs in the first inning, four runs in the second and three more in the third. Adding another run in the bottom of the fifth inning enforced the 10-run mercy rule.

Shelby McKenzie had two hits, both of which were home runs, adding three runs and six RBIs in the process. Jayden Heavener also went yard, adding two RBIs and a run. Kamryn Pierce tacked on a hit with two runs. Britten Kettler singled with two runs and an RBI.

Shelby Crooks and Emma Hicks both plated a run, while Mallory Baker recorded an RBI.

Heavener threw four innings with nine strikeouts for Pace, allowing just a walk. Baker, in relief, struck out a batter in one inning.

Stats for Navarre were not reported.

Navarre (9-15) still has an outside shot at the region tournament, ranked eighth in Region 1-6A heading into the district tournament. Pace (22-2) will play the winner of Milton and Tate on Thursday in the District 1-6A championship. The Milton-Tate contest got postponed to Wednesday due to weather.

Flag football

Pace 31, Fletcher 13: The Patriots' season continues after topping Fletcher in the Region 1-2A finals.

Quarter-by-quarter scores were not reported.

Amaya Pablo was responsible for all five of the Patriots' touchdowns, throwing for 266 yards in the process. She added 16 yards on the ground on three carries.

Pablo connected with Aisley Shields four times for 85 yards and three touchdowns. Kenna Pacitti also hauled in a touchdown with four receptions (23 yards). Maci McGinnis caught three passes for 55 yards, scoring a touchdown. Cadence Wermers (5 receptions, 85 yards), Emma Sutton (2 receptions, 4 yards) and Emma Turner (2 receptions, 14 yards) all caught passes as well.

Pablo led the defense with five tackles on the night. Emily Good added a sack. Berkley Lutz (2 yards returned) and Shields (11 yards returned) both recorded an interceptions.

Pace (15-5) goes to Timber Creek (Orlando), the top team from Region 2, for the state quarterfinals on Friday at 7 p.m.

Boys volleyball

Gulf Breeze 3, Tocoi Creek 0: The Dolphins have claimed their first district tournament win in program history.

The Dolphins won by set scores of 25-13, 25-17 and 25-18. Individual stats were not reported.

Gulf Breeze (10-1), the third seed in the District 1-1A tournament, plays against No. 2 Bartram Trail in the semifinals on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Girls lacrosse

Episcopal School of Jacksonville 20, Pensacola Catholic 8: The Crusaders' season came to a close in the Region 1-1A semifinals.

Quarter-by-quarter scores were not reported. Individual stats for the Crusaders were not provided.

Pensacola Catholic's season comes to a close with a 20-3 overall record and a third consecutive District 1-1A championship.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Northview and Jay baseball, softball to both meet in district championships