United is 2-8 against Columbiana since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Golden Eagles will look to defend their home field against the Clippers at 5:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (United has six straight victories, Columbiana has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
United is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 17-1 margin over Wellsville on Friday. The Golden Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Quentin Taylor made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, United got a massive performance out of Wyatt Swanson, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Another player making a difference was Jason Pratt, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
United always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .704. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Columbiana fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Western Reserve on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Blue Devils by a score of 9-8. Clippers fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Blue Devils since on Saturday.
Columbiana got a massive performance out of Max Conway, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. The Clippers are 7-1 when Conway posts two or more runs, but 3-11 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Avery Young, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
United's win was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 17-5. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Columbiana, their loss dropped their record down to 10-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. United has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Columbiana struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
United might still be hurting after the 7-0 defeat they got from Columbiana when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will the Golden Eagles have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
