Hanover-Horton has gone a perfect 3-0 against Columbia Central recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Comets are taking a road trip to square off against the Golden Eagles at 4:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Hanover-Horton comes in on three and Columbia Central on four.
On Monday, Hanover-Horton needed a bit of extra time to put away Manchester. They won by a run and slipped past the Flying Dutchmen 2-1.
Luke Soper spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on one hit and racked up 14 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances.
Lukas NaDell
| 05/12/25 vs Manchester | 2 |
| 04/26/25 vs Lumen Christi Catholic | 1 |
| 04/17/25 @ Addison | 1 |
| 04/14/25 @ Leslie | 1 |
| 04/11/25 vs Homer | 1 |
On the hitting side, Lukas NaDell was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.
Meanwhile, Columbia Central beat Michigan Center 8-5 on Monday.
Noah Dankert made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Dankert was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nick Wilding, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Lukas Calhoun was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Columbia Central hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in three consecutive matches.
Columbia Central's victory was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Hanover-Horton, their record is now 17-9.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hanover-Horton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .362. However, it's not like Columbia Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .319. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hanover-Horton came out on top in a nail-biter against Columbia Central when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 2-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Comets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
