Pensacola Catholic baseball wins low-scoring game over Central in grudge match | AREA ROUNDUP

We enter the last week of the regular season for area baseball and softball teams. While seedings have already been determined for district tournaments, teams will look to gain some momentum entering postseason play.

Here's a roundup of area contests that happened on Monday, April 22.

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

Pensacola Catholic 3, Central 0: It was a much closer fight in Round 2 of the Pensacola Catholic-Central season series.

In an old-fashioned pitcher's duel, it took until the fourth inning for the Crusaders to hit the scoreboard. They scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning, before plating one more in the fifth.

Brock Clayton led Pensacola Catholic with two hits, including a home run, with a run and an RBI. Gavin Howard added a pair of hits with a run. Parker Granse tacked on two doubles with a run. Rhyland Richards singled and knocked in two RBIs.

Colton Guillot earned the win on the mound with 5.2 innings pitched, striking out 10 batters. He surrendered just one hit. In 1.1 innings, Presley Moseley struck out a trio of batters.

Central's lone hit of the game came off the bat of Kaden Ellison.

Gavin Schmidt nearly pitched a complete game, striking out seven batters in 6.2 innings. He allowed seven hits, three runs and three walks. Carson Baxley recorded the last 0.1 innings.

Central (20-2) closes out its regular season at Booker T. Washington on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Pensacola Catholic (22-1) hosts Pace on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Choctaw 9, Jay 8: The Royals fell in a nail-biter that went into extra innings.

Choctaw got on the board first with two runs in the first inning. Jay responded with a run in the fifth and five more in the sixth to take a 6-2 advantage. After another two runs for the Royals in the seventh, Choctaw tied the game in the bottom of the seventh.

Eventually, the Indians found the game-winning run in the eighth frame.

Stats for the Royals were not reported.

Jay (11-10) hosts Baker on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Pine Forest 7, Lighthouse Private Christian Academy 2: The Pine Forest players leaped from the home team dugout at Blue Wahoos Stadium, high-fiving and embracing teammates in celebratory joy.

Their senior night was made complete.

The Eagles scored runs in five of their six turns at-bat Monday in a 7-2 victory against Lighthouse Private Christian Academy in a specially-arranged game at the bayfront ballpark.

When Pine Forest’s Clyde McSwain Memorial Field was damaged April 10 by a tornado, it left the team without a home field the remainder of the season.

Monday, however, at Blue Wahoos Stadium created a unforgettable moment for both teams, who gathered in a prayer together behind the pitchers’ mound following the game.

“Just being able to play on this field is great,” said Eagles first-year coach Marty Lister, who took Northview in 2015 to its first state final four trip. “It’s the best place around.

“We wish we could play here every night,” said Lister, whose youthful team has endured a tough season. “It’s beautiful and such a great thing for the Blue Wahoos to involve us.”

The game was played on the only night free between two homestands for the Blue Wahoos.

Monday’s prep game featured quality pitching from both teams’ starters and some highlight defensive plays. It appeared as if these teams had played on this field every day.

The Eagles’ Colton Swiers, one of five seniors honored before the game, tossed a three-hitter in six innings of work. Lighthouse Christian starter Braylon Nelson, a 6-foot-6 sophomore who has committed to the Florida Gators, pitched out of jams the entire way before being lifted in the fifth inning.

Lister was able to get all of his seniors, including three non-starters, into the game. Senior Connor Baer, contributed to the Eagles run production and finished the game on the mound in the seventh to record the final out.

Pine Forest (6-16) will finish their 2024 regular season at West Florida High on Thursday. Lighthouse Christian (9-9), which recently won the Class 3A Sunshine State Athletic Association state title, finishes its season Tuesday against Atmore Christian.

—Bill Vilona

Softball

West Florida Baptist Academy 12, Central 7: The Jaguars closed their regular season with a loss.

WFBA plated a run in the first inning before the Jags responded with a run of their own in the second. A six-spot in the third frame gave the Conquerors some breathing room.

Central chipped away, however, with a run in the third and three runs in the fourth. But at the same time, WFBA plated a run in the fourth, three in the fifth and another in the seventh. The Jags could only muster one run in the fifth and sixth innings.

Bri Martin led the Jaguars with a trio of hits, including a double, adding an RBI. Chloe Lowery tacked on two hits with an RBI and a run. Gracie Jernigan singled with with an RBI and a run. Addie Grace Holland posted two hits and plated tow runs.

Natalie Blair had a single with two runs. Kylie Goodale also recorded a hit. Brooklynne Caraway tallied a run, while Shelby Zigler added an RBI.

At the pitcher's circle, Tenley Smarr threw four innings, striking out four batters. She allowed nine hits and five runs (two earned). Zigler, in three innings, fanned three batters. She allowed two hits, seven runs (three earned) and four walks.

Central (13-7) will wait for district tournaments beginning next week.

Niceville 3, Navarre 2: The Raiders fell in a close, one-run game at home.

The Eagles scored first in the opening frame, before Navarre tallied both of its runs in the bottom of the third. Niceville scored the game-tying and game-winning runs in the top of the sixth.

Eight players recorded a hit for the Raiders. Kayden Riddle and Renee Hester both recorded a hit with an RBI. Taylor Jefferson singled and plated a run. Calyn Rounsaville, Karsyn Riddle, Libby Lewis, Nadia Rivers and Lily Weaver all had a hit as well. Natalia Taylor plated a run.

Kayden Riddle threw a complete game, striking out six batters in seven innings. She allowed six hits, three runs (one earned) and two walks.

Navarre (9-12) hosts Pace on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

Northview 11, Blacksher (Alabama) 0: The Chiefs earned a no-hit, run-rule win in five innings over the Bulldogs.

The Chiefs scored a run in the second inning, adding three runs in the third and fourth frames. They added four more in the fifth, holding Blacksher scoreless in the bottom of the frame, to end the game early.

Jamison Gilman led Northview with three hits, three runs and two RBIs. Mary Clayton Dawson posted two doubles with two RBIs and a run. Riley Brooks recorded two singles with two RBIs. Chloe Ragsdale tacked on a hit with two runs and an RBI. Mikayla McAnnally singled with two runs. Avery Stuckey posted a hit and an RBI.

Davionna Randolph and Kylee Langham (2) plated runs, while Makayla Golson and Mayson Edwards each tallied an RBI.

Gilman threw a complete game, striking out four batters.

Northview (18-3) goes to Booker T. Washington on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Catholic baseball shuts out Central in low-scoring game