The Niceville Eagles will take on the Gulf Breeze Dolphins at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Niceville gave up the first runs last Thursday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 6-1 victory over West Florida.
Chloe Bailey spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single earned run any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Niceville let Natalie Miller and Anabelle Shackelford run wild. Miller went 1-for-4 with three RBI and one double, while Shackelford scored two runs while going 2-for-4. That's the most RBI Miller has posted since back in April of 2024.
Niceville hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most three strikeouts every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Gulf Breeze). They never let Pine Forest get on the board and left with a 21-0 win on Friday. With that victory, the Dolphins brought their scoring average up to 7.8 runs per game.
Sydney Hersom made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Hersom was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kylie Reed, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Those stolen bases marked the first that she stole this season. Ariana Mercado was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Niceville pushed their record up to 2-1 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Gulf Breeze, their victory bumped their record up to 5-1.
Niceville was able to grind out a solid win over Gulf Breeze when the teams last played back in March of 2016, winning 4-0. Does Niceville have another victory up their sleeve, or will Gulf Breeze turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
