Sumter County is 0-5 against Columbus since March of 2017 but things could change on Tuesday. The Sumter County Panthers will welcome the Columbus Blue Devils at 5:30 p.m. Sumter County has given up an average of 18.1 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.
Sumter County came up short against Hardaway on Friday, falling 17-6.
Kaeden Jones
| 03/14/25 vs Hardaway | 2 |
| 03/12/25 @ Kendrick | 1 |
| 03/11/25 @ Kendrick | 3 |
| 03/07/25 vs Jordan | 1 |
Kaeden Jones made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-4. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played. Jordan Minter was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Columbus). They put the hurt on Spencer with a sharp 16-1 win on Friday. The Blue Devils haven't had any issues with the Greenwave recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Martin Heim made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Columbus is 2-1 when Heim allowstwo or fewer hits, but 6-7 otherwise. Heim was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, Michael Nottleman was a standout: he went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Jamari Blackmon, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Columbus always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .750. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
The win got Columbus back to even at 8-8. As for Sumter County, their loss dropped their record down to 5-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Sumter County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Columbus struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Sumter County suffered a grim 20-1 defeat to Columbus when the teams last played back in February of 2020. Will Sumter County have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
