Columbia Central is 1-9 against Lincoln County since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Lions will square off against the Falcons at 5:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Columbia Central 2.8, Lincoln County 3.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Columbia Central's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Shelbyville Central with a sharp 11-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Golden Eagles: they've now won eight in a row.
Bailey Lovell made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Lovell was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Molly Underwood, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Gabby Bolton, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Columbia Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .562. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Shelbyville Central only posted an OBP of .318.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lincoln County, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over Coffee County Central on Tuesday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Like Columbia Central, Lincoln County also got a great game from a two-way player: Brenna Edwards. She pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits. Edwards was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI.
Edwards wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Brinley Moran, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Columbia Central's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-3. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.7 runs over those games. As for Lincoln County, their record is now 10-5-2.
Columbia Central's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. The Lions have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Lincoln County, though, as they've been averaging only 0.7 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Columbia Central continue to outrun the ball?
Columbia Central came up short against Lincoln County when the teams last played two weeks ago, falling 4-0. Can the Lions avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
