Columbia was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They lost 9-3 to the Wayne Valley Indians. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Columbia of the 15-8 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2023.
Reno Spagnoli was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He didn't allow a single hit while striking out nine over 4.1 innings pitched. Spagnoli was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI.
In other pitching news, Columbia got a good showing from Adam Carlucci, who tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
Spagnoli wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Nolan Secor, who went 1-for-1 with a stolen base and an RBI.
Even though they lost, Columbia didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 12 strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wayne Valley only tossed six.
On Wayne Valley's side, Brandon Van Peenen spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up six Ks. Van Peenen has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jacob Gonzalez, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Nick Cavagnaro, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Columbia's loss dropped their record down to 10-14-1. As for Wayne Valley, their win ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 11-13.
Columbia will take on Union at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Columbia is facing Union at the right time seeing as Union is stuck on a five-game losing streak. As for Wayne Valley, they will be staying on the road on Tuesday to face off against Mahwah at 4:15 p.m.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
