The Black River Pirates will square off against the Columbia Raiders at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Black River will be strutting in after a victory while Columbia will be coming in after a loss.
Columbia will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Black River extended their winning streak to three on Thursday. The Pirates were the clear victors by a 10-4 margin over Wellington. The result was nothing new for the Pirates, who have now won five games by six runs or more so far this season.
Abbey Kiser
| 04/17/25 @ Wellington | 6 |
| 04/16/25 vs Firelands | 6 |
| 04/14/25 @ Keystone | 10 |
Abbey Kiser made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one double. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mallory Eckert, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Madelyn Stief was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Black River kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wellington only managed three hits.
Meanwhile, Columbia entered their matchup against Firelands on Thursday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. The Raiders fell just short of the Falcons by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Raiders have suffered since May 7, 2024.
Alina Jones spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned runs on eight hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, Columbia saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Natalie Miller, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
Columbia's loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 8-2. As for Black River, their win bumped their record up to 7-5.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Black River hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .365. However, it's not like Columbia struggles in that department as they've averaged .429. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Black River took their victory against Columbia when the teams last played back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 9-2 score. Will the Pirates repeat their success, or do the Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
