Columbus is 9-1 against Coral Gables since March of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Explorers will square off against the Cavaliers at 3:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Columbus comes in on three and Coral Gables on five.
Columbus is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Miami a 10-0 shutout. Considering the Explorers have won 11 contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Samuel Alonso
| 04/15/25 vs Miami | 8 |
| 04/11/25 vs Stony Brook | 0 |
| 04/02/25 vs Southwest | 6 |
| 03/28/25 vs St. Brendan | 1 |
| 03/20/25 vs Springstead | 8 |
Columbus got a great performance from Samuel Alonso as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Alonso has posted since back in March.
At the plate, Maximus Alvarez and Rafael Diaz did most of the damage at the plate: Alvarez scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances, while Diaz scored two runs while going 2-for-2. That's the most runs Alvarez has posted since back in March. Mario Magana was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
Columbus always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Miami only posted an OBP of .190.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Coral Gables and Ferguson meet (six straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Tuesday. The Cavaliers narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Falcons 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Cavaliers have posted against the Falcons since February 20, 2018.
The team relied heavily on Timothy Negron, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Brian Santana, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Columbus' win bumped their record up to 22-5. As for Coral Gables, they now have a winning record of 12-11-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Columbus has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Coral Gables struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Columbus' way against Coral Gables in their previous meeting back in February, as Columbus made off with a 14-1 victory. Do the Explorers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cavaliers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
