The Fort Walton Beach Vikings will head out to challenge the Gulf Breeze Dolphins at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Fort Walton Beach is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Fort Walton Beach lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Tate, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Monday's game. The Vikings put the hurt on the Aggies with a sharp 14-4 victory on Monday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Vikings needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Rilyn Douglas made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched six innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. Douglas was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Fort Walton Beach got a massive performance out of Hannah Isham, who went 4-for-5 with three runs and one RBI. That's the most hits Isham has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Anna Beyhl, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with three runs and two RBI.
Fort Walton Beach always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Tate only posted an OBP of .333.
Meanwhile, Gulf Breeze fell victim to Niceville and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Eagles. The Dolphins have struggled against the Eagles recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Jacey Reed spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on ten hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Gulf Breeze saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ariana Mercado, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base.
Fort Walton Beach's record now sits at 15-8. As for Gulf Breeze, they now have a losing record of 11-12.
Fort Walton Beach skirted past Gulf Breeze 3-2 in their previous meeting back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
