Bethlehem Central and Columbia are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2018, but likely not for long. The Eagles will be playing in front of their home fans against the Blue Devils at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Bethlehem Central turned things around against La Salle Institute on Friday. They blew past the Cadets 13-3. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Eagles considering their one-run performance the matchup before.

Tate Kindlon looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.

Scott Hutton

04/17/26 @ La Salle Institute304/06/26 vs Albany103/25/26 vs Maple Hill105/14/25 @ Saratoga Springs105/06/25 @ Niskayuna1

At the plate, Scott Hutton was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Daniel Leach was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two RBI, one run, and one double.

Bethlehem Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .382. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as La Salle Institute only posted a batting average of .120.

While Columbia didn’t have the best season last year (they finished 9-12), it’s starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victors by a 13-4 margin over Mamaroneck on Saturday. With that win, the Blue Devils brought their scoring average up to 6.9 runs per game.

Matthew Burek made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed six innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Burek was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ascher Melino, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Jackson Stilson, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI.

Bethlehem Central’s victory bumped their record up to 3-4-1. As for Columbia, their win bumped their record up to 5-2.

Bethlehem Central’s speedy runners might be the difference in Monday’s game. The Eagles have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. It’s a different story for Columbia, though, as they’ve been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Bethlehem Central continue to outrun the ball?

Bethlehem Central couldn’t quite finish off Columbia in their previous meeting back in May of 2025 and fell 5-3. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.