The Columbia Raiders will head out on the road to take on the Firelands Falcons at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Columbia will roll into the match after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Thursday, then bounced right back against Brookside on Friday. The Raiders blew past the Cardinals 11-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Raiders have posted against the Cardinals since April 18, 2018.
Alina Jones
| 05/09/25 @ Brookside | 8 |
| 05/07/25 vs Keystone | 6 |
| 04/28/25 vs Black River | 5 |
| 04/22/25 @ Oberlin | 8 |
Alina Jones spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Natalie Miller, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Grace Anderson, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Columbia kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 11-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, while Firelands put up plenty of runs on Monday, the same can't be said for Wellington. The Falcons put the hurt on the Dukes with a sharp 14-0 victory. The Falcons haven't had any issues with the Dukes recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Jeanette Crawford made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. Crawford was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Sarah Blankenship was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three stolen bases, and three RBI. Lexi Schrader was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Columbia's record now sits at 13-7. As for Firelands, their record is now 9-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Columbia has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Firelands struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Columbia couldn't quite finish off Firelands in their previous meeting back in April and fell 5-3. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
