Baseball Game Preview: Purnell Swett Rams vs. East Columbus Gators

The Purnell Swett Rams will take on the East Columbus Gators in a tournament on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Purnell Swett barely beat Hoke County the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Rams put the hurt on the Bucks with a sharp 13-3 victory on Wednesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Rams.

Jaythan Locklear looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.

Joseden Oxendine

Hits (Career)

04/16/25 vs Hoke County	3
04/02/25 vs Douglas Byrd	2
03/04/25 vs Gray's Creek	2
04/01/25 vs Cape Fear	1
03/26/25 @ Seventy-First	1

At the plate, Joseden Oxendine was a standout: he scored two runs while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Grayson Brooks, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-1.

Purnell Swett kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.9 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matchups they've averaged 11.2.

Meanwhile, East Columbus entered their tilt with Heide Trask on Wednesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They blew past the Titans 11-4.

Gauge Simmons and Braylon Waddell did most of the damage at the plate: Simmons went 3-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Waddell scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-5. Simmons is becoming a predictor of East Columbus' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 5-6 when he doesn't). Kamden Coker was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.

Purnell Swett now has a winning record of 10-9. As for East Columbus, their record is now 10-6.