Gulf Breeze had lost five straight at home, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 11-12 to make it six. They took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Niceville Eagles. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Eagles this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 2-1 back in March.
Jacey Reed spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on ten hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Gulf Breeze saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ariana Mercado, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base.
As for Niceville, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games.
On Niceville's side, Briana Noles was incredible, firing off two home runs and one double while going 3-for-4. Those two home runs gave Noles a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Krissa Troutman, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Gulf Breeze will face off against Fort Walton Beach at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Niceville, they will square off against Choctawhatchee at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The Eagles are facing the Indians at the right time seeing as the Indians are stuck on a six-game losing streak.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
