The Destin Sharks are taking a road trip to square off against the Cottondale Hornets at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Cottondale took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Destin, who comes in off a win.
Destin made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Walton, but still couldn't quite topple them. Destin was the clear victors by an 11-2 margin over Walton on Wednesday.
Brody Ray
| 02/26/25 @ Walton | 3 |
| 02/20/24 @ L.E.A.D. Academy | 2 |
| 02/25/25 @ Choctawhatchee | 1 |
| 04/11/24 vs L.E.A.D. Academy | 1 |
| 04/02/24 @ Lighthouse Private Christian Academy | 1 |
Brody Ray and Vance Kirby did most of the damage at the plate: Ray scored a run while going 2-for-4, while Kirby scored three runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave Ray a new career-high in RBI (three). Landon Ullrich was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Meanwhile, Cottondale fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Jay on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Royals by a score of 10-9. That's two games in a row now that the Hornets have lost by just one run.
Cottondale saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Conner Barton, who got on base in all six of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Barton also got three hits, which is notable because Cottondale is 2-1 when he posts at least three hits, but 0-3 otherwise. Another was Barry Scott, who scored two runs while going 3-for-5.
Even though they lost, Cottondale kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Jay only managed six hits.
Cottondale is on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-4. As for Destin, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Destin has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .436. However, it's not like Cottondale struggles in that department as they've averaged .435. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Destin might still be hurting after the 9-1 loss they got from Cottondale in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Can Destin avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
