The Arnold Marlins will venture away from home to square off against the Holmes County Blue Devils at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Arnold: 2.8, Holmes County: 3.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
If Arnold beats Holmes County with seven runs on Tuesday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. Arnold came out on top against Cottondale by a score of 7-2 on Monday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Marlins.
Carter Campbell looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Arnold let Austin Hendrix and Nathan Neeley run wild. Hendrix went 1-for-3 with one triple and one run, while Neeley scored a run and stole Two bases. while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances. That triple was Hendrix's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Josh Lindsey, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Holmes County and Marianna meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Monday. Holmes County put the hurt on Marianna with a sharp 14-6 win. The result was nothing new for the Blue Devils, who have now won three matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Lyndan Flanary and Bryant Mathis made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Flanary pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Mathis struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). At the plate, Flanary scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-5, while Mathis went 3-for-4 with three RBI. The dominant performance gave Mathis a new career-high in hits.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tristan King, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-5. The team also got some help courtesy of Egan Segers, who scored a run and stole Three bases. while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Holmes County was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .484. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive contests.
Holmes County pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for Arnold, their record now sits at 7-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Arnold has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Holmes County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Arnold took their win against Holmes County when the teams last played back in February by a conclusive 8-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Arnold since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
