.gif)
The Columbus varsity baseball team has turned things around offensively since scoring just two runs against Hallettsville in just their second district loss of the season. The Cards have won four-straight games following the defeat, scoring into double digits in three of their four matchups. Not only have the Cards been able to outhit their recent opponents by a significant margin, but their work on the basepaths has also been at a high level as they brought in plenty of runs last week in a big win against Palacios to start and a shutout victory against Yoakum at the end of the week.
Vs Palacios, W, 10-6
Interestingly enough, the Cards were actually outhit by the Sharks despite building up a 9-1 lead through the first four innings of the game. The Sharks had nine hits to Columbus’ five in the game, but Palacios managed just one run in the first inning before being held scoreless until their 3-run fifth inning. The Sharks picked up two more runs in the top of the seventh, but the Cards had a firm grasp on the lead even while having more errors (3) than their opponents (2).
The deciding factor was in how many walks each team conceded. Cardinal pitchers James Janek and Trevor Berger did not give up many free bases as they combined to give up just four walks to the Palacios hitters. Conversely, the Cards stayed disciplined at the plate and drew 13 total walks from opposing pitchers. Ryan Carter and Conner Geisler each drew a team-high three walks while adding a hit each. Ryan Lewis brought in a couple of scores with team-leading two RBIs.
Vs Yoakum, W, 11-0
The Cards reestablished their hitting advantage against the Bulldogs with a strong performance at the plate, as well as defensively. Columbus scored double-digit runs on seven hits while holding Yoakum to just three hits from the plate. The Cards held a 1-0 lead after the first inning and a scoreless second inning from both teams. They broke the game open in the third inning with five runs including a solo homer by Ryan Lewis. The Cards scored another five combined runs from the fifth and the sixth innings to push the game to its final margin and completed the shutout win with another scoreless inning by their opponents in the seventh.
Nathan Beane was effective at the plate in this game, picking up hits in three of his four at-bats to lead the team. Josh Everett also had a team-leading performance with three RBIs for the offense. Kaleb Kuhn and Trevor Berger combined their efforts on the mound to help keep the Bulldogs to the shutout. Kuhn had a strong day in just over four innings of work, throwing nine strikeouts as he kept Yoakum guessing at the plate.
