Choctawhatchee was the 5-3 winner over Niceville when they last played one another back in April of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. The Choctawhatchee Indians fell just short of the Niceville Eagles by a score of 6-5 on Tuesday. Choctawhatchee's defeat continues a trend for the team, making it three in a row.
Ellie Long was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, she struck out 15 batters over ten innings while giving up three earned runs off 12 hits. Long was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI.
In other batting news, Gabbi Barnowsky made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4.
Like Choctawhatchee, Niceville also got a great game from a two-way player: Chloe Bailey. She didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out 14 over 5.1 innings pitched. Bailey has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive pitching appearances. Bailey was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Bailey wasn't the only one making solid contact as seven players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was McKenzie Toth, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Another player making a difference was Macey Kidder, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Choctawhatchee's loss dropped their record down to 8-11. As for Niceville, they pushed their record up to 10-8 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home.
Choctawhatchee will be staying on the road on Tuesday to face off against South Walton at 6:30 p.m. South Walton's pitching crew has only allowed 3.9 runs per game this season, so Choctawhatchee's hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Niceville, they will head out on the road to challenge Fort Walton Beach at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Fort Walton Beach is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
