Sumter County hasn't had much luck against Columbus recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Panthers will host the Blue Devils at 5:30 p.m. Sumter County has given up an average of 14.5 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Sumter County lost 15-3 to Hardaway on Tuesday.
Sumter County saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Wayne Harvey, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. Vincent Kearse was another, getting on base in both of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Columbus). They blew past Spencer 17-2 on Tuesday. The Blue Devils might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 matchups by seven runs or more this season.
The team relied heavily on Jamari Blackmon, who went 3-for-4 with two triples, three runs, and two RBI. Those two triples gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was David Vega, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and one stolen base.
Columbus always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.
Columbus' win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-10. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Sumter County, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-17.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Sumter County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Columbus struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Sumter County might still be hurting after the 12-2 loss they got from Columbus when the teams last played back in March. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
