The Columbus North Bull Dogs will head out on the road to take on the Terre Haute South Vigo Braves at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Columbus North has struggled recently with five losses in a row, while Terre Haute South Vigo will arrive with seven straight victories.
Columbus North fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Southport on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Cardinals by a score of 3-2. Bull Dogs fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Cardinals since on Thursday.
Javier Uscanga was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Columbus North saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jack Whaley, who went 2-for-4 with one double.
Terre Haute South Vigo came out on top against Clay City on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run seventh inning. The Braves skirted past the Eels 7-6.
Terre Haute South Vigo also got a great performance from Austin Semmler as he struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Those eight strikeouts gave Semmler a new career-high.
At the plate, Mckade Griese was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Matthew Ewing, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Terre Haute South Vigo pushed their record up to 12-10 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.2 runs over those games. As for Columbus North, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-13.
Columbus North beat Terre Haute South Vigo 7-2 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bull Dogs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
