The Columbia Blue Devils will venture away from home to challenge the Shaker Bison at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Columbia took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They never let Bethlehem Central get on the board and left with an 8-0 victory. While the Blue Devils didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-12), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Joseph (JJ) Miller
| 04/22/26 vs Bethlehem Central | 1 |
| 04/20/26 @ Bethlehem Central | 1 |
| 04/15/26 vs Niskayuna | 1 |
Columbia got a great performance from Joseph (JJ) Miller as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over six innings pitched. Miller has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Braydon Griffin, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI. That double marked the first that he has hit this season. Sean Boniface was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Columbia kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bethlehem Central only managed one.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last matchup, Shaker made sure to put some runs up on the board against Shenendehowa on Wednesday. The Bison blew past the High School 10-4. The result was nothing new for the Bison, who have now won four games by six runs or more so far this season.
Griffin Durant was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Durant was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Daniel Cioffi was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kiran Casey, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Columbia is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.4 runs over those games. As for Shaker, their record is now 7-1.
Columbia suffered a grim 9-0 defeat to Shaker when the teams last played back in May of 2025. Can the Blue Devils avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
