East Noble hasn't had much luck against Columbia City recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Knights will square off against the Eagles at 5:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
East Noble gave up the first runs on Saturday, but they didn't let that get them down. They blew past Angola 11-1. The win continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Hornets: they've now won three in a row.
Shaye Ritchie was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. That's the most doubles she has posted over her last 12 matchups. Another player making a difference was Bri Bortner, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Columbia City waltzed into their game on Wednesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They were the clear victors by a 13-2 margin over the Bulldogs.
Emma Hiss made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Madelyn Brady, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Olive Hyde also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Columbia City always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .583. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as New Haven only posted an OBP of .211.
Columbia City's victory was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-3. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for East Noble, their record now sits at 12-5.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. East Noble hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Columbia City struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
East Noble couldn't quite get it done against Columbia City in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 as they fell 5-0. Can the Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
