Suwannee baseball set for final showdown with Bolles

Published 1:00 pm Friday, May 11, 2018

LIVE OAK, Fla. — This time, it’s for all the marbles.

After meeting three times this season, Suwannee and Bolles will square off Tuesday in the playoffs. The regional semifinal game will played at 7 p.m. at Booster Field in Live Oak.

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Bolles has the better record — 21-5 compared to Suwannee’s 16-11 mark. Bolles has won eight state baseball championships — including back-to-back Class 5A state titles in 2016 and 2017 — while Suwannee is searching for the first in school history.

But there isn’t a clear favorite heading into Tuesday.

SHS has taken two out of the three games this season, outscoring Bolles 17-5 in the process. And Suwannee won the last matchup, securing a 5-1 home victory on May 3 for the district championship.


What to look for

Pitching

Suwannee has given up two total runs in the last three games with Hueston Morrill and Bo Bonds leading the way.

In his last seven starts (39 innings pitched), Morrill has ceded just two earned runs total. He’s struck out 60 hitters during that period. Bonds got the win against Bolles the last time out, throwing four shutout innings in the district title game.

Bolles also has a lethal 1-2 pitching combo in Virginia commit Hunter Barco and Dartmouth College signee Nathan Skinner.

Who gets the key hit?

The top of Suwannee’s order has been producing. Morrill leads the Bulldogs with six home runs for the season. Bonds is on an 11-game hitting streak and hitting a team-best .398 for the year. Trett Wadford is swinging a hot bat and Marquis Jones has hit safely in the last six games while moving up in the order.

Both teams will have to fight for runs, and it might come down to which squad gets production from the bottom of the order.