Preview: South Columbus Stallions vs. Pender Patriots
South Columbus is 4-0 against Pender since March of 2022, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The South Columbus Stallions will look to defend their home field against the Pender Patriots at 7:00 p.m. South Columbus will be strutting in after a win while Pender will be coming in after a defeat.
On Monday, South Columbus sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 victory over West Bladen.
Rowen Simpson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just zero earned (and four unearned) runs on three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't pitched less than six innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, South Columbus got a big performance out of Walker Sullivan, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2. Sullivan has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played. Easton McPherson was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Pender was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They wound up on the wrong side of a rough 11-5 walloping at the hands of Hobbton.
Tyler Conger led a balanced group of hitters, scoring a run and stealing three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Darius Bowen, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Even though they lost, Pender was hitting in the alleys and finished the game with three doubles. That's the most doubles they've managed all season.
South Columbus now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Pender, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. South Columbus has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pender struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2 strikeouts per game. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went South Columbus' way against Pender when the teams last played back in March of 2023 as South Columbus made off with an 11-0 win. Does South Columbus have another victory up their sleeve, or will Pender turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
