vs
| 03/18/22 - Home | 10-0 W |
| 03/16/22 - Away | 10-0 W |
| 03/26/21 - Away | 14-0 W |
| 03/24/21 - Home | 8-1 W |
| 04/02/19 - Home | 16-3 W |
| + 5 more games |
Columbus has gone 8-2 against Hardaway recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Columbus Blue Devils will host the Hardaway Hawks at 5:30 p.m. This will be Columbus' first chance to prove their worth in the conference.
Columbus is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They fell just short of St. Anne-Pacelli by a score of 9-7 on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Blue Devils have suffered since March 18, 2024.
Michael Nottleman made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Jamari Blackmon was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
While Hardaway didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-14-1), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victor by a 21-3 margin over Kendrick on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Hawks, who have now won six matches by ten runs or more so far this season.
Gabriel Ruiz looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in March of 2024.
On the hitting side, Ryan Rodriguez and Bobby Gary did most of the damage at the plate: Rodriguez scored three runs and stole five bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances, while Gary went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That home run was Gary's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Keshaun Davis, who scored a run and stole five bases while getting on base in both of his plate appearances.
Hardaway always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .844. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The win made it two in a row for Hardaway and bumps their season record up to 7-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs over those games. As for Columbus, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-5 record this season.
Columbus took their victory against Hardaway when the teams last played back in March of 2022 by a conclusive 10-0. Does Columbus have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hardaway turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
