The Fort Walton Beach Vikings will take on the Arnold Marlins at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Fort Walton Beach is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They skirted past Columbia 4-3. Winning may never get old, but the Vikings sure are getting used to it with their sixth in a row.
Rilyn Douglas spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Alyx Hall, who went 1-for-4 with one home run. Another player making a difference was Meredith Miller, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Fort Walton Beach kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 14-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Arnold sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 win over Baker County on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Marlins.
The result came thanks to Bre Clark's shutout, as she gave up just three hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Arnold's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Hayley Sexton, who went 1-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Fort Walton Beach pushed their record up to 20-8 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Arnold, their win bumped their record up to 19-8.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Fort Walton Beach hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .352. However, it's not like Arnold struggles in that department as they've averaged .346. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Fort Walton Beach came out on top in a nail-biter against Arnold when the teams last played two weeks ago, sneaking past 5-4. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Marlins turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
