Prep action heats up in heart of seasons

Action is heating up on the baseball and softball diamond, but all eyes Friday were on Milton High School.

The Lady Panthers were hosting the Pace Lady Patriots and the deciding factor was a single run as Milton held on to a 1-0 win over its rivals from the west side of Santa Rosa County.

Milton scored the only run it needed in the first inning as Mikey Dirnkard went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in the only run of the game.

In the circle it was Katie Worley going seven innings and scattering three hits while fanning three as she improved to 6-1 on the year.

Hannah Cutright allowed only four hits while the Lady Patriots committed two errors. Cutright finished the night with five strikeouts.

With the win Milton improves to 9-4 on the year and 4-2 in District 1-5A action while Pace falls to 6-5 and 3-2 in district play.

In Allentown Central stopped Bethlehem 4-1 as the Lady Jags improve to 4-3 on the year and 4-0 in district play.

After falling behind 1-0, Central rallied to score the next four runs of the game for the win.

Megan Donald got the win going seven inning and scattering two hits, while striking out two.

Kaitlyn Campbell led Central at the plate going 2-for-3 with two RBIs as she had a double and triple on the day.

Donald also helped her cause as she went 2-for-3 as well while scoring two runs.

On Thursday Central defeated Laurel Hill at home 18-8.

Megan McDonald got the win as she went five innings for the win as Central scored 11 runs in the fifth inning to end the game.

Daysha Enfinger drove home two with a home run while Campbell drove three with a 2-for-3 performance from the plate.

Also having multiple hit nights were Hannah Enfinger, Makayla Morgan, and Sara Forsythe.

In baseball Jay’s Zach Gavin punched out Ponce de Leon with a no-hitter as the Royals romped 14-0.

The Royals are now 4-1 on the season and have two no-hitters in the book as Jay jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings then in the fourth added seven more.

Rush Hendricks went 2-for-2 with two doubles, Hunter Brown went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Dakota Smith and Sawyer Gandy each went 1-for-2 with an RBI as Jay pounded out 10 hits and took advantage of three errors.

Gavin walked three in the win while striking out seven.

Milton saw one get away at home on Friday as they fell to Tate 6-5.

Leading 5-2, Milton gave up four runs to the Aggies in the top of the seventh inning.

Jordan Martin took the loss in less than a third of an inning of work as he surrendered three hits.

Devon Whitby homered for Milton as he went 2-for-4 with two RBI’s, while Brandon Allen went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs.

Thursday Milton defeated Navarre 3-2 as Charles Jimenez doubled to start the seventh and later score on a throwing error.

Jeremy Barnes got the win by working less than two innings, while Tyler Johnson, Craig Walsingham and Whitby each finished the night with a hit.

At Pace Friday the Patriots pounded the Raiders 6-1.

C.T. Bradford worked seven innings for the win as he scattered two hits and struck out 13 while hitting two batters as well.

Pace scored it first run in the bottom of the first and it took Navarre until the fifth inning to tie it up at 1-1.

Then in the bottom of the sixth Pace exploded for five runs.

Bradford went 2-for4, while Chris Desposito went 2-for-3 on the night.

On Thursday Pace blasted Pine Forest 17-0 in five innings.

Aaron Allen got the win as he struck out eight in his first career no-hitter.

Josh Reeves doubled home three runs for Pace while Desposito also drove in three with his only hit of the game.