Columbian hasn't had much luck against Calvert recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Tornadoes will face off against the Senecas at 1:30 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Monday.
Columbian took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. Everything went their way against Willard as they made off with a 7-1 victory.
Kyle Hepp made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Columbian is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 5-14 otherwise. Hepp was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
Conner Reese
| 05/21/26 vs Willard | 3 |
| 05/14/26 @ Clyde | 1 |
| 04/27/26 @ Shelby | 1 |
| 04/06/26 @ Lexington | 1 |
| 05/15/25 @ Norwalk | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Conner Reese, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Braden Egbert was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and two RBI.
Meanwhile, while Calvert put up plenty of runs on Friday, the same can't be said for Cardinal Stritch. The Senecas put the hurt on the Cardinals with a sharp 17-0 win. Considering the Senecas have won 16 games by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Columbian, Calvert also got a great game from a two-way player: Logan Ritzler. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Ritzler has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Tucker Coleman and Vincenzo Lyons did most of the damage at the plate: Coleman went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Lyons went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Landon King, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Columbian's record is now 7-15. As for Calvert, their record now sits at 21-2-1.
Columbian suffered a grim 8-2 defeat to Calvert in their previous meeting back in May of 2025. Can the Tornadoes avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
