JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Paxon Eagles and Baldwin Indians will compete for a shot at the 2024 Gateway Conference Softball championship after convincingly defeating their semifinal opponents.
Baldwin dominated Atlantic Coast 18-0 in just three innings in the first semifinal.
Paxon followed suit with a 14-2 victory in five innings over Mandarin in the second semifinal.
Four batters into the game, Eagles catcher Jaela Palmer smashed a grand slam, and pitcher Haley Hinds added a two-run home run three batters later in the first inning, as Mandarin was never able to overcome the early deficit.
Paxon will seek to dethrone the defending champions as Baldwin aims for its fourth consecutive Gateway Conference title.