Explorers
| 03/04/26 @ Flanagan | 4 |
| 03/02/26 vs Westminster Christian | 10 |
| 02/26/26 @ Mater Academy Charter | 4 |
| 02/24/26 vs South Dade | 13 |
| 02/20/26 vs Stoneman Douglas | 3 |
| + 4 more games |
Columbus has gone 8-2 against Southwest recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Explorers will host the Eagles at 2:00 p.m. Columbus is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
Columbus proved they can win big on Monday (they won by seven) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over Flanagan. The Explorers haven't had any issues with the Falcons recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
The team relied heavily on Juan Jacome, who went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI. That double was his first of the season. Robbie Oyarzun was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Southwest was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They took an 8-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of Palmetto.
Southwest also got a good showing from Euclides Alvarez, who struck out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits (and only one walk). Alvarez has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Orisjoe Valdes was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. Southwest is 2-1 when Valdes posts two or more runs, but 2-3 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Anthony Reyes, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Southwest's loss dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Columbus, their win bumped their record up to 8-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Columbus has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Southwest struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Columbus' way against Southwest in their previous matchup back in April of 2025, as Columbus made off with a 9-0 victory. Do the Explorers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
