The Arnold Marlins will face off against the Wakulla War Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Arnold is coming into the contest hot, having won their last seven games.
Arnold is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over Godby. The Marlins might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight games by six runs or more this season.
Gage Williams and Nico Landavazo dominated on the mound. Williams pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits, while Landavazo tossed four innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits. Williams has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Josh Lindsey was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-3. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024. Mason Laymon was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.
Arnold always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .613. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Godby only posted an OBP of .381.
Meanwhile, Wakulla got themselves on the board against Rickards on Tuesday, but Rickards never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Raiders with a sharp 11-0 victory. The War Eagles not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since February 21st.
Gavin Estep made a splash while hitting and pitching. He pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Wakulla is 6-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 8-9 otherwise. Estep was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other pitching news, Fletcher Brown looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Sam Bruce, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. He has become a key player for Wakulla: the team is 6-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 8-9 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Owen Klees, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Wakulla is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-10 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Arnold, their victory bumped their record up to 20-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Arnold has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Wakulla struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Arnold was able to grind out a solid win over Wakulla when the teams last played back in May of 2024, winning 5-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Marlins since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
