Columbus has gone 10-0 against Hardaway recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Columbus Blue Devils will stay at home for another game and welcome the Hardaway Hawks at 5:30 p.m. Columbus is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.2 runs per game this season.
Last Thursday, Columbus made easy work of Sumter County and carried off a 13-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Blue Devils, who have now won nine matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Emmie Jones made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Jones was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Bethany Smith and Claire Beeler did most of the damage at the plate: Smith scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Beeler went 1-for-2 with three RBI, a triple, and a run. That's the most hits Smith has posted since back in September of 2023. Another player making a difference was Jayla Lockhart, who went 1-for-2 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Columbus hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most four strikeouts in 14 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Hardaway lost 11-3 to Shaw on Tuesday.
Hardaway saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Shelby Huff, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. Huff is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last three games she's played dating back to last season.
Columbus pushed their record up to 12-4 with that win, which was their seventh straight at home. As for Hardaway, their defeat ended a six-game streak of away wins and brought them to 8-6.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Columbus hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Hardaway struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Columbus took their victory against Hardaway in their previous meeting back in August by a conclusive 15-0. Will Columbus repeat their success, or does Hardaway have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
