Southern is 0-10 against Columbiana since May of 2018 but things could change on Monday. The Indians will face off against the Clippers at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Southern took a ten-run loss the last time they faced off against Wellsville, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Indians came out on top in a nail-biter against the Tigers on Wednesday, sneaking past 6-5. The win was some much needed relief for the Indians as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Zac Mayfield
| 04/23/25 vs Wellsville | 2 |
| 04/21/25 @ Wellsville | 1 |
| 04/16/25 @ Leetonia | 1 |
| 04/14/25 vs Leetonia | 3 |
| 04/11/25 vs Chaney | 1 |
| 04/08/25 @ Conotton Valley | 1 |
The team relied heavily on Zac Mayfield, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. He has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last six times he's played. Ethan Richards also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Columbiana not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since April 11th (when they won 11-0). They blew past Beaver Local 11-2. The Clippers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by eight runs or more this season.
Avery Young made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. He has become a key player for Columbiana: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-9 otherwise.
In other batting news, Columbiana got a massive performance out of Max Conway, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most runs Conway has posted over his last 11 matches. Sam Inboden was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Columbiana was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
The victory made it two in a row for Columbiana and bumps their season record up to 7-9. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Southern, their victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-5 and their overall record up to 2-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Southern has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Columbiana struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Southern suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Columbiana in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Indians avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
