The Columbia Tigers will head out to challenge the Niceville Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Columbia is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They never let Mosley get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Dolphins: they've now won three in a row.
Bynton Edge was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. Edge was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February.
Edge wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Tison McCray, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most hits McCray has posted since back in February. Trayce McKenzie was another, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one run.
Columbia always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .577. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mosley only posted an OBP of .222.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Niceville and Milton, and Niceville kept the tradition alive. The Eagles blew past the Panthers 9-1 on Thursday. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 games by seven runs or more this season.
Jake Morvay looked comfortable as he tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Jackson Marquardt and Deacon Avery did most of the damage at the plate: Marquardt went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI, while Avery went 2-for-3 with two runs.
Niceville is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 25-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Columbia, their record now sits at 17-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Columbia has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Niceville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
