vs
| 04/20/24 - Away | 10-5 W |
| 04/02/22 - Away | 8-6 W |
| 04/02/22 - Away | 14-0 W |
Hopewell-Loudon is a perfect 3-0 against Columbian since April of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Chieftains will be playing in front of their home fans against the Tornadoes at 11:00 a.m. Hopewell-Loudon is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.3 runs per game this season.
Hopewell-Loudon is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Gibsonburg just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Thursday. They took an 8-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Golden Bears. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since May 13, 2023, but that streak is no more.
Araceli Velasquez put in work no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, AnneMarie Berg made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with one triple and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Columbian got the win against Willard on Tuesday by a conclusive 13-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Tornadoes.
Like Hopewell-Loudon, Columbian also got a great game from a two-way player: Maizie Mellott. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave Mellott a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
In other batting news, Columbian got a massive performance out of Olyvia Steinmetz, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave Steinmetz a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Camryn Haman, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one run.
Columbian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Columbian's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-8. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Hopewell-Loudon, their loss dropped their record down to 10-6.
Columbian's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hopewell-Loudon has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.3 hits per game. It's a different story for Columbian, though, as they've been averaging 8.8 hits. Given Hopewell-Loudon's sizable advantage in that area, the Tornadoes will need to find a way to close that gap.
Hopewell-Loudon beat Columbian 10-5 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Chieftains repeat their success, or do the Tornadoes have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
