Columbia City has gone 9-1 against West Noble recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Eagles will be playing at home against the Chargers at 11:00 a.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Columbia City and Manchester, and Columbia City kept the tradition alive. The Eagles put the hurt on the Squires with a sharp 16-1 win on Friday. The Eagles' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Grayson Bradberry made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Bradberry was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2024.
Carter Wilkinson
| 04/25/25 vs Manchester | 3 |
| 04/16/25 vs Churubusco | 3 |
| 04/23/25 vs Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Wawasee | 2 |
| 04/01/25 vs Carroll | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
In other batting news, Columbia City let Henry Kneller and Carter Wilkinson run wild. Kneller went 3-for-4 with two triples, two RBI, and one run, while Wilkinson went 2-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Wilkinson has become a key player for Columbia City: the team is 5-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-2 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Lukus Schmitt, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three RBI and one double.
Columbia City was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .519. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for West Noble, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Churubusco a 7-0 shutout on Thursday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Chargers as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Not much got past Brooks Ruisard, who gave up just three hits and racked up nine Ks to keep Churubusco off the board. Ruisard has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Trevor Steele was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and one RBI. Trey Shisler was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Columbia City is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for West Noble, their victory bumped their record up to 6-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Columbia City has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like West Noble struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Columbia City took their win against West Noble in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 16-4 score. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Chargers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
