They weren’t supposed to meet this season. But when the baseball version of “The Game” landed on the district semifinal bracket, Choctaw and Fort Walton Beach delivered the kind of atmosphere that made the unexpected matchup worth the wait.
- The Indians came away with a 6-4 win to advance to Friday’s district championship.
“It’s a rivalry. We got a chance to play each other, the atmosphere was really good, it was a fun, electric atmosphere,” Choctaw head coach David Weber said. “Coach Stevens coaches his tail off, and they’re a well coached team. When you play a well coached team, you’re going to have to fight for it, it’s not going to be given to you.”
The first three and a half innings played out as a pitchers’ duel between Choctaw’s Jack Marracco and Fort Walton Beach’s Caden Job. The stalemate broke in the bottom of the fourth, when Isaiah Rohn led off with a home run to give Choctaw a 1-0 lead.
“It popped the bubble,” Weber said. “We felt a little bit of pressure and when Isaiah hit that ball out, it gave us a shot in the arm that we needed.”
- The Indians kept the inning going. Maddox Gentry singled, Carter Marracco walked, and Jack Marracco followed with a double that scored both runners to make it 3-0.
Fort Walton Beach answered in the top of the fifth. Carmelo Thomas opened with a single, and Griffin Cann reached on a fielder’s choice that retired Thomas. Jacob Salley drew a walk, and Cannon Wilbur lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Cann to put the Vikings on the board.
Choctaw responded immediately. Jordan Figueroa singled, Rohn was hit by a pitch, and John Brown walked to load the bases. Gentry’s sacrifice fly scored Figueroa, and a series of Fort Walton Beach errors allowed Rohn and Brown to come around as well, pushing the lead to 6-1.
The Vikings nearly pulled off a seventh-inning comeback. Cann led off with a single. After a strikeout from Lavin McDaniel, Salley walked and Wilbur singled to score Cann. Will Wortman walked, and Caden Job ripped a hit that nearly cleared the fence, falling for a single that scored Salley and Wilbur. Choctaw cut down Wortman trying to advance to third, and Connor Job struck out to end it.
Choctaw (21-5) hosts Escambia in the district championship at home Friday night. A win would secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, as the Indians have already clinched the region’s No. 1 seed.
Fort Walton Beach (8-18) sees its season come to a close. Cann projects to be the only core returner the Vikings will lose from this group.
