Gaskin's Four RBIs and Tapper's Dominance on the Mound Propel Raiders to Another Double-Digit Victory

NICEVILLE, Fla. — Northwest Florida State secured a decisive 10-0 victory over Pensacola State on Thursday, led by Cayden Gaskin's impressive performance at the plate. Gaskin drove in four runs on three hits, including a home run to left field in the first inning that brought in two runs, followed by a key single in the third inning, driving in two more. Gaskin has hit homers in back-to-back games and has now hit safely in six of his last seven games. 

The Raiders wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Gaskin's first-inning homer set the tone for the game. They continued their offensive onslaught with two more runs in the second inning, highlighted by Qrey Lott's solo home run and Colby Jones's RBI single. In the third inning, Northwest Florida extended their lead with three additional runs, thanks to RBI singles from Chase Williams and Gaskin.

Brock Tapper delivered a stellar performance on the mound, pitching six shutout innings, allowing only three hits while striking out five and walking two. Tapper's season ERA now sits at 1.97 as he picks up his fourth win on the year. On the opposing side, Mlodzinski took the loss for the Pirates, giving up seven runs on eight hits over three innings.

The Raiders' offense was firing on all cylinders, amassing a total of 11 hits during the game. Gaskin, Lott and Cade Sadler stood out with multiple hits each, while Kendrey Maduro showcased a keen eye at the plate, drawing two walks. The team demonstrated disciplined batting, earning a total of seven walks. Northwest Florida's offense been extremely hot as of late. The team has produced ten or more runs in seven of their last ten games, and five runs or more in 11 of their last 15, boasting a 10-15 record in those contest. 

For Pensacola, Murdock led the offensive effort with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Despite their efforts, the Pirates couldn't capitalize, turning two double plays and committing no errors in the field, with Clay leading defensively with five chances.

UP NEXT

The Raiders will close out the regular season and the series on the road Saturday as they are scheduled to play two seven inning games back-to-back in Pensacola starting at 1:00 PM. The Raiders need to win one game to clinch a top-two spot in the conference, but if they win both, they will secure their second consecutive Panhandle Conference Title.