The North Marion Colts will face off against the Dunnellon Tigers at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
North Marion took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Columbia 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Colts have posted since April 12, 2024.
Ayden Gonzalez spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up 12 Ks. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single walk, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, North Marion's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Tucker Jones, who went 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last matchup, Dunnellon made sure to put some runs up on the board against West Port on Friday. Dunnellon was the clear victor by a 16-1 margin over West Port. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Wolf Pack recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Weston Payne looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Dunnellon let Jacob Fontanez and Draven White run wild. Fontanez got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI, while White went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Fontanez is becoming a predictor of Dunnellon's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 5-12 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Wyatt West, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Dunnellon kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 3-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
North Marion has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-10 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. Dunnellon's victory bumped their record up to 8-12.
North Marion couldn't quite finish off Dunnellon in their previous meeting back in February and fell 3-1. Will North Marion have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
