The Columbia Central Lions will take on the Independence Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Columbia Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.4 runs per game this season.
Columbia Central fell victim to Coffee County Central and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Red Raiders. Having soared to a lofty 17 runs in the game before, the Lions' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Bailey Lovell
| 04/10/25 vs Coffee County Central | 7 |
| 04/08/25 @ Spring Hill | 7 |
| 04/07/25 vs Summit | 6 |
| 04/03/25 @ Lincoln County | 9 |
| 04/01/25 @ Shelbyville Central | 9 |
Bailey Lovell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
Independence not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since March 24th. They blew past Franklin 8-2. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Admirals recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Independence also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Brylie Waechter gave up two runs (both of which were unearned) on three hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Piper Johnson was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, four RBI, and one run. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kerrigan Riebe, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Independence hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Franklin struck out eight times.
Columbia Central's loss dropped their record down to 11-6. As for Independence, they now have a winning record of 10-9.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Columbia Central hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Independence struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.7 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Columbia Central came out on top in a nail-biter against Independence in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 1-0. Will the Lions repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
