Columbus is 9-1 against South Dade since March of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Columbus Explorers will face off against the South Dade Buccaneers at 6:30 p.m. Columbus is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
Columbus fell victim to Springstead and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They fell just short of the Eagles by a score of 2-0. The contest marked the first time this year in which the Explorers were not able to get on the board.
Samuel Alonso
| 03/20/25 vs Springstead | 8 |
| 03/12/25 vs Hialeah Educational Academy | 10 |
| 03/05/25 vs Ferguson | 7 |
| 02/27/25 @ Southwest | 9 |
| 02/14/25 @ Florida Christian | 8 |
Samuel Alonso was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. He has been consistent : he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Columbus saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mario Magana, who went 1-for-4 with one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask South Dade). They were the clear victor by a 17-0 margin over Sports Leadership & Management on Wednesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Buccaneers with their most commanding win of the season.
South Dade got a massive performance out of Kevin Cappacetti, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was Cappacetti's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Fabian Orama, who scored two runs while going 1-for-1.
South Dade was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April of 2024.
South Dade pushed their record up to 7-8 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 4.6 runs across that stretch. As for Columbus, their loss dropped their record down to 12-4.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Columbus has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .433. However, it's not like South Dade struggles in that department as they've averaged .433. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Columbus beat South Dade 6-1 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Columbus since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
