NICEVILLE — Chloe Bailey is human, after all.
After tossing a perfect game against Gulf Breeze to lead top-seeded Niceville softball (21-7) to a District 1-5A championship, Bailey no-hit eighth-seeded Fleming Island (14-9) with 13 strikeouts compared to one walk in a 3-0 region quarterfinal win at home.
It was Bailey’s third no-hitter of the season, the right-handed ace possessing some of the best metrics in the Sunshine State. Her ERA sits at 1.26, opposing batters are hitting .155 with a .212 on-base percentage, and she has 211 strikeouts in 144 2/3 innings for a 17-6 record. The junior’s lone blemish Wednesday was a walk to Fleming Island’s Emily Williams, just one of two Fleming Island batters to not strike out.
The 2025 state runner-up offense backed her up by outhitting Fleming Island eight-nothing, getting a pair of base knocks from Carnley Summerlin and Quinn Graham. Summerlin, who’s hitting .408, drove in a pair in a 2-for-3 effort and Graham scored two runs and also went 2 for 3 to pad her team-leading .456 batting average and 34 runs. Briana Noles scored the other run as she, Anabelle Shackelford, Sydney Hann and Krissa Troutman had the other hits.
Now the Eagles await the winner of fourth-seeded Gulf Breeze and fifth-seeded Ponte Vedra, who play Thursday night, for a Sweet 16 date Tuesday in Niceville. Winners of four straight, the Eagles split the season series with Gulf Breeze ended ended their season, 5-0, in last year’s region quarterfinals. They have not played Ponte Vedra this season.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Chloe Bailey no-hits Fleming Island, Niceville softball in Sweet 16
Reporting by Seth Stringer, Northwest Florida Daily News / Northwest Florida Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
