The Suwannee Bulldogs will take on the Wakulla War Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Suwannee is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Gadsden County with a sharp 16-0 win. The Bulldogs' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Emalyn Watley made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Maylee Gabey was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Gabby Rodriguez, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Suwannee always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .962. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Wakulla gave up the first runs last Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They skirted past Franklin County 4-2. The War Eagles haven't had any issues with the Seahawks recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Charley Butler spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on seven hits and racked up 12 Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Brianna Stephens, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Cylie Long was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Wakulla pushed their record up to 18-4-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Suwannee, they now have a winning record of 11-10.
Suwannee skirted past Wakulla 4-3 in their previous matchup back in April of 2015. Do the Bulldogs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the War Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
