The Columbia Blue Devils will take on the Bethlehem Central Eagles at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Columbia will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
While Columbia's victory against Saratoga Springs wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Blue Devils sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over the Blue Streaks on Friday. That's two games straight that the Blue Devils have won by exactly two runs.
Sophia Galligan
| 04/17/26 @ Saratoga Springs | 9 |
| 04/10/26 vs Colonie Central | 12 |
| 04/06/26 @ Bethlehem Central | 15 |
Sophia Galligan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Columbia saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jill Sousa, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run and one RBI. Bryce Stark also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Bethlehem Central). They put the hurt on Kellenberg Memorial with a sharp 14-5 victory on Saturday.
Emma Hanlon was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). Hanlon was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and one double. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2025.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Julianna Doemel, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Molly Campbell, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
Bethlehem Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .452. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Bethlehem Central now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Columbia, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Bethlehem Central's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Columbia hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .316. It's a different story for Bethlehem Central, though, as they've only averaged .247. Will they be able to contain Columbia's hitters?
Columbia came out on top in a nail-biter against Bethlehem Central when the teams last played two weeks ago, sneaking past 2-0. Do the Blue Devils have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
