Softball Preview: Columbus Blue Devils vs. Northside Patriots
Columbus hasn't had much luck against Northside recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Columbus Blue Devils will take on the Northside Patriots at 5:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Columbus comes in on three and Northside on 21.
On Thursday, everything went Columbus' way against Hardaway as Columbus made off with a 13-1 win. The Blue Devils might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Columbus got a massive performance out of Bethany Smith, who went 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Maya Bagsby, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Columbus lost a few balls and finished the game with four home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since the start of last season.
Meanwhile, everything went Northside's way against Jonesboro on Thursday as Northside made off with an 18-2 victory. Considering the Patriots have won 18 games by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Lily Bravo made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in hits. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with an RBI.
In other batting news, Northside got a massive performance out of Addie Renner, who scored three runs while going 1-for-2. Another player making a difference was Laci Martinez, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Columbus is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 12 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 19-7 record this season. As for Northside, their win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 24-2.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Columbus has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of 0. However, it's not like Northside struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Columbus might still be hurting after the 15-2 defeat they got from Northside in their previous meeting on Saturday. Will Columbus have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
