It may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but Marianna ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They skirted past the Cottondale Hornets 5-4. That's the second time they've managed to beat them this season, as they also won 14-1 back in February.

Cody Byrd
| 03/20/26 @ Cottondale | 2 |
| 03/10/26 @ Holmes County | 2 |
| 03/05/26 @ Rutherford | 2 |
| 02/26/26 vs Cottondale | 2 |
| 03/17/26 vs Blountstown | 1 |
| + 8 more games |
Cody Byrd made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. He has become a key player for Marianna: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 5-9 otherwise.
In other batting news, Aiden Smith was excellent, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. Riley Adkison was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run.
The win got Marianna back to even at 9-9. As for Cottondale, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-8.
Coming up, Marianna will venture away from home to take on Arnold at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The Bulldogs are facing the Marlins at the right time seeing as the Marlins are stuck on a three-game losing streak. As for Cottondale, they will look to defend their home field on Monday against Vernon at 6:00 p.m. The Hornets' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Yellowjackets have averaged an impressive 10.3 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps