The Columbia Raiders will square off against the Firelands Falcons at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Columbia will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
While Columbia didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-9), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. Everything went their way against Cuyahoga Heights on Wednesday as they made off with a 19-8 victory. The result was nothing new for the Raiders, who have now won six matches by 11 runs or more so far this season.
Sadie Schulke made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Schulke was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Kenzie Shackelton was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and three RBI. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. Bree Heidecker was another key player, going 3-for-5 with three runs, three doubles, and two RBI.
Columbia always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .643. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cuyahoga Heights only posted an OBP of .444.
Meanwhile, Firelands didn't have quite enough to beat Black River on Wednesday and fell 6-5.
Lexi Schrader made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored three runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-3. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged two or more in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Aubrynn Reichle, who went 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Columbia's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.3 runs over those games. As for Firelands, their loss dropped their record down to 4-6.
Firelands' hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Columbia has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Firelands, though, as they've been averaging only 3.7 strikeouts. Will Columbia keep running through batters, or will the Falcons buck the trend?
Columbia came out on top in a nail-biter against Firelands in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 5-4. Do the Raiders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Falcons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
