Baseball Game Preview: Bellaire Big Reds vs. Union Local Jets

The Bellaire Big Reds will challenge the Union Local Jets at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Bellaire's hitters haven't had much luck over their past six matchups, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Bellaire took a ten-run loss the last time they faced off against Martins Ferry, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Big Reds came out on top in a nail-biter against the Purple Riders on Thursday, sneaking past 2-1. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Big Reds as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.

Brae Schmidli

Base on Balls Against

04/17/25 vs Martins Ferry	0
04/11/25 vs Barnesville	2
04/07/25 @ Martins Ferry	1

Brae Schmidli spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Bellaire saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hunter Watson, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Union Local fell victim to Martins Ferry and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They came up short against the Purple Riders, falling 12-0. The contest marked the first time this year in which the Jets were not able to get on the board.

Union Local's defeat dropped their record down to 5-5. As for Bellaire, the victory was their first at home , bumping their record up to 2-6.

Bellaire was able to grind out a solid win over Union Local when the teams last played back in April of 2023, winning 7-2. Will the Big Reds repeat their success, or do the Jets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.