Baseball Preview: Columbia Wildcats vs. Loyd Star Hornets
The Columbia Wildcats will head out on the road to take on the Loyd Star Hornets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Columbia was handed a two-point defeat in their last match, but they sure didn't let that happen against Florence on Tuesday. Columbia blew past Florence 12-2. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Columbia considering their two-run performance the matchup before.
MT Breland made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Breland has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances. Breland was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Naji Cain, who went 2-for-4 with five RBI and a run. Another player making a difference was Mac McDaniel, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Loyd Star waltzed into their game on Tuesday with four straight wins... but they left with five. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Bears a 10-0 shutout. That's two games straight that Loyd Star has won by exactly ten runs.
Like Columbia, Loyd Star also got a great game from a two-way player: Nathan Mills. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (he also didn't allow any walks). Mills was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Conner Cunningham was incredible, going 3-for-3 with six RBI, a stolen base, and a run. Caleb Smith was another key contributor, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
Columbia has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 14-9 record this season. As for Loyd Star, they pushed their record up to 19-5 with that victory, which was their 12th straight at home.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Columbia has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Loyd Star struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.8. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Columbia skirted past Loyd Star 3-1 in their previous matchup back in February. The rematch might be a little tougher for Columbia since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
