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Pensacola High Spring Sports Recap: Top Performances May 5-10

Here's a roundup of Pensacola-area high school sporting events for the week of May 5-10.

Don't see your team's results? Have your coach email a brief summary to bgrieco@gannett.com, along with score, statistics and notable performers.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7

Baseball

Pace 11, Buchholz 4: The Patriots emerged victorious in the inaugural match of the Region 1-6A playoffs held at the Bobcats stadium.

Pace took control of the game with a seven-run outburst in the second inning, fueled by a grand slam from Madox Land within that same period. Buchholz responded with a run in the bottom half of the second. Both sides then each added three runs in the fifth inning. Pace sealed their victory with an additional score in the top of the sixth.

Grant Walters topped Pace’s performance with a three-hit game, including one home run, scoring two runs, and driving in three RBIs. Cam Lee contributed significantly by getting three singles along with two RBIs. Nash Pires delivered strong plays as well, doubling twice. Braiden Cheshire was notable for his two hits and two scored runs. Land made a significant impact with both a homerun and four RBIs plus another run added. Glenn Brooks managed to score two runs and bring in one RBI through a single hit. Bryce Hatton also recorded an RBI via a base knock. Additionally, Dax Brooks brought across a teammate for a run.

Tucker Ricks earned the win on the mound with seven strikeouts in six innings, allowing four earned runs. Gavin Rivenbark closed out the game with one inning on the mound.

At a pace of (25-4) with their winning streak reaching 12 consecutive games, Pace will face Buchholz on May 8 at 6 p.m., seeking to conclude the series in Game 2.

TUESDAY, MAY 6

Boys Volleyball

Gulf Breeze 3, Menendez 0: The Dolphins secured their inaugural regional tournament victory by sweeping the Falcons.

Gulf Breeze won with set scores of 25-12, 25-17 and 25-22. Individual stats were not reported from the game.

The Dolphins (14-5), the No. 2 seed in the Region 1-2A tournament, stay home and host third-seeded St. Augustine on May 9 at 7 p.m. for the region semifinals.

"The performance was solid. Clearly better than what we saw last year when we went to Creekside and came away with a loss. Although we weren’t at our peak today, we managed to secure a clean win. I’m consistently impressed by this group," Head Coach Jackson Arnold stated. "Having home court is incredibly beneficial. When you examine high school volleyball, many surprising outcomes occur because teams have to travel. The environment plays a significant role. We’re excited about welcoming St. Augustine next," he added.

Softball

Columbia 16, Escambia 0: The Gators lost to the third-seeded Tigers in the Region 1-4A quarterfinals.

Statistics have not been reported as of now.

Escambia's campaign concludes with a 15-9 overall record following their victory in the district title game.

Jay 9, Chipley 1: The Royals made a strong comeback against the Tigers in dominating form during the Region 1-Rural semifinals.

In the second inning, Jay scored a run, which was matched by Chipley in the top of the fourth. Following this, the Royals extended their lead by scoring five times in the bottom of the fourth, adding two more in the fifth, and sealing the game with an additional run in the sixth.

Kiley Samford topped Jay’s performance with three hits, two RBIs, and one run. Miley McGee contributed significantly as well, securing two hits, two RBIs, and scoring once. Carleigh Baker delivered a double along with driving in three runs and crossing home plate herself. Morgan Barrow added another double for her team and scored a run too. Presley Hawthorne got a single under her belt and made it across home plate. Kaylee Gilbreath managed to get a hit. Daisy Johnson was responsible for bringing in a runner from base. Kylei Martinez rounded out the scoreboard with an additional RBI.

At the pitcher's mound, Layna Lowry secured the victory with six strikeout performances over seven innings, conceding only one run.

Jay (21-3) welcomes Northview on May 13 at 6 p.m. for the Region 1-Rural title match, which is a rerun of their District 1 finals encounter.

Northview 1, Holmes County 0: The Chiefs secured their victory over the Blue Devils in the Region 1-Rural semifinals.

The pitchers were locked in a tight duel for the first six-and-a-half innings until Daviona Randolph got to first base due to a dropped third-strike wild pitch. She subsequently stole second and moved to third when an additional pitch went awry.

Mikayla McAnally executed a sacrifice bunt allowing Randolph to cross home plate and seal the victory.

McAnally also registered a hit and drove in the run during the game. Avery Stuckney got a single.

At the circle, McAnally struck out 13 batters in seven innings, allowing just one hit and one walk.

Northview (20-6) is set to head to Jay for the Region 1-Rural final, which is slated for May 13 at 7 p.m. This matchup will be a repeat of the District 1 title game.

West Florida won with a score of 2, while Yulee scored 1. The Jaguars secured a victory in an additional-innings nail-biter against the Hornets during the Region 1-3A quarterfinals.

In the top of the first inning, Yulee scored a run, but West Florida equalized in the bottom of the second. The pitchers dominated until the bottom of the eighth, where West Florida secured the winning score.

The stats for the Jaguars have not been reported as of now.

West Florida (15-12) will face an as-yet-unspecified team from either Wakulla or Bishop Kenny. This match is scheduled for May 7 at 7 p.m.

Baseball

Holmes County 3, Jay 1: The Royals' attempt to defend their 2024 state title did not succeed.

Jay lost in Game 2 of the Region 1-Rural championship to the top-seeded Holmes County team, allowing the Blue Devils to complete the series sweep against the Royals.

It took until the bottom of the fifth for either team to plate a run, with Holmes County scoring thrice in the frame. Jay got one run back in the top of the seventh after Bryson Morris scored on a passed ball. After that, Jay had runners on second and third, but the rally fell short.

Jax Lowery recorded two hits for Jay. Grayson Shehan and Morris bot tallied singles.

In the defeat, Landon Golden pitched five innings and struck out four batters while giving up three runs (two earned). Hayden Morris, pitching for just one inning, recorded three strikeouts.

Jay's campaign concludes with an 17-13 overall record.

Beach Volleyball

Gulf Breeze 3, Chiles 2: The Dolphins have returned to the state semifinals.

Gulf Breeze pulled off an upset against top-seeded Chiles in the Region 1-2A finals, securing a spot at Florida State University for the state Final Four. This opens up another opportunity for the Dolphins to defend their state title.

Gulf Breeze emerged victorious with pairings scoring 1-2, 2-0, 2-0, 1-2, and 2-1. Details on individual performances have not been released as of now.

Gulf Breeze (19-3), ranked second across all of Class 2A—only behind Chiles—is set to enter the state Final Four starting May 9. A reseeding will occur before the semifinals among the four regional champions, yet Gulf Breeze is expected to secure the highest seed.

MONDAY, MAY 5

Baseball

Holmes County 10, Jay 5: The Royals stumbled in the latter part of Game 1 of the Region 1-Rural finals at the Blue Devils stadium.

Jay led 2-1 after the first inning, and then 5-2 after the third. From there, Holmes County plated four runs in the fourth, one in the third and another three in the sixth to close out the game.

The statistics for Jay haven't been released yet.

The Royals (17-12) will return to Holmes County on May 6 at 7 p.m. for Game 2 of the series, to try to split the first two games.

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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola High School Sports Update: Results from May 5-10 for Local Spring Athletics

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