Baseball Game Preview: Horizon Christian Hawks vs. Rainier Columbians

Horizon Christian has gone a perfect 7-0 against Rainier recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Hawks are taking a road trip to take on the Columbians at 4:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Horizon Christian took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 10-3 margin over Valley Catholic. The high-scoring effort was just what the Hawks needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.

Meanwhile, Rainier posted their closest victory since April 17, 2024 on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out Neah-Kah-Nie 9-8. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Columbians.

James Watkins looked comfortable as he tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Angel Becerra and Easton Marsh did most of the damage at the plate: Becerra went 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base, while Marsh got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and two RBI. Those three hits gave Becerra a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Q Jackson, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI and one run.

Rainier was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .419. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.

Horizon Christian's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-5. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Rainier, their record is now 4-12.

Horizon Christian took their win against Rainier in their previous meeting back in April by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.