Baseball Game Preview: Columbus Cougars vs. Laurel Locomotives

After both having extra time off, the Columbus Cougars and the Laurel Locomotives will shake off the rust and duke it out at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Columbus will be strutting in after a win while Laurel will be coming in after a defeat.

Columbus came out on top against Watford City last Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run seventh inning. The Cougars sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-6 victory over the Wolves.

Koleman Garriett made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Garriett was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two RBI, one run, and one double.

In other batting news, Ethan West was excellent, going 1-for-4 with two runs and one triple. Another player making a difference was Graycen Waltner, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.

Butte Central Catholic hit Laurel with a five-run seventh inning last Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Locomotives took a 13-10 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Maroons.

Laurel's loss dropped their record down to 1-1. As for Columbus, their record now sits at 2-0.