The Niceville Eagles got everything the Beachside Barracudas had to offer in a 3-2 playoff win, advancing to the Sweet 16 thanks to a clutch sixth-inning rally.
- Deacon Avery struck first with a solo home run, giving the Eagles an early lead.
“Deacon’s always been able to turn it up to another notch in the playoffs and help the team,” Niceville Head Coach Justin Bruce said. “He stayed through the pitch and didn’t try to pull off of it, and that was something that we talked about all week.”
Niceville’s offense went quiet after Avery’s blast, but Ethan Thomas kept the Eagles in front with strong work on the mound. The Eagles finally added an insurance run in the fifth. Colton Cook was hit by a pitch, Avery drew a walk, and an error by Beachside third baseman Fabian Madriz allowed Remington Crum to reach first and brought Cook home to make it 2-0.
The Barracudas answered in the sixth after Aahron Geleta relieved Thomas. Derek Ochoa singled, Jonathan Alvarez followed with an RBI single to cut the lead to 2-1, and a Jason Gillespie double tied the game at 2. Sean Britton came on in relief of Geleta to stop the rally.
Niceville responded right away.
Jake Morvay singled, Thomas doubled, and Cook walked to load the bases. A Lincoln Broussard walk forced in Morvay with the go-ahead run, and the Eagles closed out the final three outs to secure the win.
“I’m just so happy for these kids right now,” Bruce said. “It’s easy to get caught up in trying to make it as deep as you can, but for these kids to continue to keep playing and have more baseball in front of them, and I’m proud for them to have the opportunity to be able to show up in practice now and the season extended into May.”
Niceville hosts Mosley in the Sweet 16 next week. The Dolphins recently defeated Columbia 5-2. The two teams met in February, with Niceville letting a 5-0 first-inning lead slip away in a 6-5 loss.
“I’m excited for the chance to play them again,” Bruce said. “It’s going to be a battle from the first pitch until the end.”
