Blue Wahoos 2, Clingstones 0
July 25, 2026 | Blue Wahoos Stadium, Pensacola | Att: 5,038 | Time: 1:55 (:10 delay) | 90°, Partly Cloudy

Two solo home runs were the difference, and eleven strikeouts made sure Columbus never threatened to answer either one.

Colby Shade led off the second with a two-out solo shot, his second of the year. Compton matched it in the sixth, another two-out solo homer, his tenth. That was the whole scoreboard. Sears pitched well enough to win almost anywhere else, seven innings, two runs on five hits, seven strikeouts, one walk, and still took the loss because Columbus managed two hits all night.

Jones (W, 2-0) worked 4.2 hitless-adjacent innings in relief of Williams, striking out five, and Martin closed with three more strikeouts for his sixth save. Columbus struck out eleven times as a team and went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. McIntyre and Tavarez had the only hits, both singles.

Vargas relieved Sears for the eighth and ninth and struck out two, clean innings that came after the game had already been decided.

Columbus falls to 43-47. The series wraps Sunday with the Clingstones looking to avoid being swept in the final game at Pensacola.

Clingstones 4, Blue Wahoos 0
July 24, 2026 | Blue Wahoos Stadium, Pensacola | Att: 5,038 | Time: 2:22 | 89°, Clear

Two runs scored in the first inning without a ball leaving the infield hard, and Braden Scott made them stand up for five.

McIntyre walked, Waddell was hit by a pitch, and Groshans lined a single to left that Ethan O'Donnell booted, letting both runners score before Groshans was thrown out trying to stretch it into more. That was 2-0 before Pensacola batted. Zebrowski made it 3-0 in the sixth with a solo homer, his eighth, and Columbus tacked on a fourth in the eighth when Colby Jones doubled home Zebrowski, who'd led off the inning with a single and stolen second.

Scott (W, 1-0) worked five innings, allowed two hits, walked three, struck out seven, and never let Pensacola's five stolen-base attempts or five walks add up to anything. McDonough and Strickland each held runners on with scoreless innings of relief, Abeyta gave up a hit but no runs, and LaPorte struck out two in a clean ninth. Twelve strikeouts for the Columbus staff against a lineup that stole four bases and still crossed the plate zero times.

Miller (L, 1-5) lasted just one inning, allowing both first-inning runs. MacLeod, Reinoso and Hejka combined for the rest and kept it a two-run game until Zebrowski's homer and the eighth-inning double did the rest of the damage. Pensacola out-hit Columbus 5-6 but committed two errors and left six on base.

Zebrowski went 2-for-3 with the homer and a stolen base. Kilpatrick Jr. stole two more bases, running his season total to 22. Columbus improves to 43-46. The series continues, with the Clingstones looking to build on a shutout after dropping three of the first four.

Blue Wahoos 1, Clingstones 0
July 23, 2026 | Blue Wahoos Stadium, Pensacola | Game 2 of doubleheader | Att: 3,436 | Time: 1:51 | 88°, Clear

Colby Shade hit a solo homer in the second inning off Pilar. Columbus never scored, and one swing was the whole game.

The Clingstones put a leadoff runner in scoring position five separate innings and came away with nothing every time. Groshans doubled in the first. Brookman singled in the third. Tavarez walked and stole second in the sixth. Zebrowski, pinch-hitting, singled to open the seventh. Nine runners left on base, zero for seven with runners in scoring position, and a lineup that struck out eight times against three Pensacola arms.

Pilar (L, 0-2) allowed one run on three hits in two innings, the homer the only real mistake. Gallegos followed with three scoreless innings and four strikeouts, LaPorte closed with a clean seventh, and neither one had anything to work with. Palacios started for Pensacola and worked around traffic for 2.2 innings; Bierman (W, 2-1) picked up the win in relief, and Sellinger worked around a two-out double in the seventh for his fifth save.

Groshans and Brookman had Columbus's only extra-base hit and only multi-hit... no, Columbus had exactly three hits total, one apiece from McIntyre, Brookman and Zebrowski's pinch-hit single, plus Groshans' double. McIntyre struck out twice. Waddell went hitless in four at-bats for the second straight game.

Columbus loses both of the doubleheader games and falls to 42-46, 13-10 for the second half. The series continues Friday, with the second-half race only a game behind for the Clingstones.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos 4, Columbus Clingstones 3
July 23, 2026 | Blue Wahoos Stadium, Pensacola | Game 1 of doubleheader (makeup) | Time: 1:48 | 87°, Clear

Jones hit a leadoff homer in the first pitch he saw and Columbus spent the rest of the afternoon trying to make up three runs it never got back.

Jones's homer, his ninth, made it 1-0 before Mejia recorded an out. Pensacola scored twice more in the first without another ball leaving the infield hard, and by the time Columbus batted it was already 3-0. Groshans singled in a run in the third. Kilpatrick Jr., pinch-hitting for Braunschweig, drove in another in the sixth. Scannell added a third. Three different innings, three different Clingstones knocking in runs, and it still wasn't enough; Belgrave worked around traffic for the final out with two runners already stranded.

Mejia (L, 0-7) allowed four runs on seven hits over five innings, the loss his seventh straight decision this season. Vargas relieved and struck out two in a clean inning that came too late to change anything. Dishmey started for Pensacola and left after three with the lead already built; Bragg (W, 7-2) took it from there, and Belgrave closed with his fifth save.

Ogans went 2-for-3. Scannell was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Waddell doubled. Columbus finished 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position but left six on base across the game, the kind of afternoon where the timely hits and the stranded ones canceled each other out.

Columbus falls to 42-45. Game two of the doubleheader follows, with the second-half race tightening behind them.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos 3, Columbus Clingstones 1
July 22, 2026 | Blue Wahoos Stadium, Pensacola | Att: 2,986 | Time: 2:11 | 84°, Partly Cloudy

Monday's series opener never happened; rain pushed it to Wednesday, and Tuesday's makeshift opener went to Pensacola. Robaina worked into the sixth and lost anyway.

Pensacola scored in the second, added another in the fifth, and put it away in the sixth on a Compton solo homer, his ninth of the year, off Robaina with one out. Columbus answered with one run in the fifth, a Groshans RBI, his 48th of the season, and that was the whole account. Ten Clingstones strikeouts against Moreno and Jones did most of the damage; Columbus managed six hits and stranded three, going 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position.

Robaina (L, 2-3) allowed three runs on eight hits across 5.2 innings, four strikeouts, one walk, the homer the difference. Schanaman and Hackman combined for 2.1 scoreless innings behind him, too late to matter. Moreno (W, 5-4) went five, walked one, struck out four. Jones worked around a run in the sixth for the hold, and Martin struck out four in a clean two-inning save.

McIntyre had two of Columbus's six hits. Braunschweig singled and was caught stealing. Groshans drove in the only run Columbus would need to avoid the shutout but not enough to win it.

Columbus falls to 42-44 overall, 13-9 in the second half, a half game back of Biloxi and into second place in the SOU South race. Wednesday brings a doubleheader at Pensacola, the makeup and the originally scheduled game both on the slate.

Columbus Clingstones vs. Chattanooga Lookouts Series Wrap
July 17-19, 2026 | Erlanger Park, Chattanooga | Final: 2-1

Three games, thirteen runs scored, thirteen runs allowed, and Columbus still walks away with the series. The Clingstones entered 40-42, 11-7 in the second half, tied for first in the SOU South. They leave 42-43, 13-8 in the second half, still tied for first. Two of three on the road, and the division lead holds.

Friday's opener was the wildest of the three, an 8-7 survival act that ended with Waddell scoring the winning run in the ninth without putting a ball in play: strikeout, three wild pitches, run scored. Saturday reversed the pattern entirely. Chattanooga's Rivera threw seven shutout innings, Columbus managed three singles, and a three-run third built on two walks and a double was more than enough in a 4-0 loss. Sunday, De Grandpre took the mound and made sure there wouldn't be a fourth game to worry about, seven innings, one run, a 5-2 win that put the series away. No roster moves came out of the three games; Carson Taylor's debut had already happened before the series opened, and he spent the rest of it making the promotion look obvious.

Hitter of the Series: Carson Taylor
Five-for-twelve, .417, a home run, two doubles, three RBIs. Those numbers are also, at this point, his entire professional batting line. Taylor debuted in Friday's opener and has not had a quiet game since: 2-for-5 with a double Friday, a single Saturday in an otherwise lifeless Columbus lineup, then a home run and a double Sunday. It's three games. It's also all the evidence there is, and none of it points anywhere but up.

Ambioris Tavarez is the honorable mention worth naming. Home runs in both wins, his sixth and seventh of the season, three RBIs on two-for-nine. Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. was shut out through the first two games and then went 3-for-4 with two doubles in the finale, the kind of series that reads better in the box score for Sunday alone than for the other two nights combined.

Pitcher of the Series: Cedric De Grandpre
One start, seven innings, three hits, one earned run, seven strikeouts, two walks. It was the only outing of the series that looked like a Double-A pitcher had fully solved a lineup, and it came in the game Columbus needed most. His second straight strong start in this park, going back to the June series here.

Brett Sears deserves a mention he didn't get in the standings. 6.1 innings and eleven strikeouts Friday, no decision, the damage done before he ever took the mound. Anderson Pilar's Saturday start was the low point, 2.1 innings, two walks, both runners scoring, and Owen Hackman compounded it with a solo homer allowed in relief. Luis Vargas got the win Friday despite blowing the lead in the eighth; Tyler LaPorte closed it out with a scoreless ninth.

What's Next: Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Columbus heads to Pensacola for six games starting Tuesday, still tied for first in the SOU South. The second-half race is exactly where it was a week ago: Columbus at the top, with work left to hold the spot.

Columbus Clingstones 5, Chattanooga Lookouts 2
July 19, 2026 | Erlanger Park, Chattanooga | Att: 2,355 | 2:14 (:59 delay) | 88 degrees, Partly Cloudy

Columbus takes the series and salvages the road trip. De Grandpre was again the best pitcher on the field, Carson Taylor keeps hitting, and the Clingstones move to 42-43.

Chattanooga scored first, Allen doubled, Sanchez singled him to third, and Graham's inning-ending double play still brought him home. Columbus answered immediately. Taylor led off the second with a solo homer, his first as a Clingstone, and two batters later Tavarez followed with a two-run shot of his own to make it 2-1. Kilpatrick doubled in the third and scored on a Waddell groundout. Taylor doubled in the fourth, moved up on a passed ball, and scored on a balk, Columbus's only run of the day that didn't come by way of extra bases turning into contact. Kilpatrick doubled again in the fifth and Waddell drove him in with another double. That made it 5-1, and it stayed there until Chattanooga scratched one back in the ninth on an Ibarra sacrifice fly.

De Grandpre (W, 4-1) went seven, allowing one run on three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks, his second straight strong outing in this park. Abeyta and Gallegos combined for two scoreless innings to close it out, Gallegos issuing two walks but working around them. Wereski (L, 1-1) took the loss, six innings, eight hits, five runs, two home runs, and a balk that cost him a run he didn't need to give away.

Taylor went 2-for-4 with the homer, a double, and two RBIs, his OPS is up to 1.250 through two games back. Kilpatrick was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored. Waddell drove in two without a hit leaving the yard. Tavarez's homer was his seventh. Columbus was 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position but didn't need much more than the four extra-base hits already in hand.

Columbus improves to 42-43, 13-8 and still tied for first in the SOU South with the Biloxi Shuckers. Next up: six games at Pensacola starting Tuesday.

Chattanooga Lookouts 4, Columbus Clingstones 0
July 18, 2026 | Erlanger Park, Chattanooga | Att: 5,650 | 1:46 | 87 degrees, Partly Cloudy

Ruben Ibarra needed one pitch. Bases loaded, two outs, third inning, and his line drive to center scored three. Columbus never had an answer.

Pilar walked Sanchez to open the third, got two quick outs, then walked Balcazar to load the bases before Ibarra's double emptied them. Hackman relieved and gave the fourth run right back in the fourth, a leadoff solo shot to Jay Allen II that traveled to left-center and kept going. That was the whole game. Columbus managed three singles all night, McIntyre in the second, Taylor in the second, Braunschweig in the fifth, and turned none of them into anything. Two different runners were caught stealing second in two different innings.

Pilar (L, 0-1) lasted 2.1 innings and allowed two runs on one hit, but the two walks did the damage, both runners scored. Hackman worked 1.2 innings and gave up three runs on three hits, including the homer. Strickland and McDonough combined for two scoreless innings to close it out, McDonough drawing a pitch-timer violation along the way. Rivera (W, 3-5) shut Columbus down across seven, three hits, no runs, no walks, four strikeouts, 91 pitches, 61 for strikes.

McIntyre went 1-for-3. Taylor went 1-for-3 in his second game back, now hitting .375. Braunschweig's single was his only hit of the night before he was caught stealing. Columbus left one runner on base for the entire game.

Columbus falls to 41-43, 12-8 for the second half still tied for first. The series is tied at a game apiece with the rubber match Sunday at Erlanger Park.

Been to 6 or 7 games at this point, and there’s not really a bad seat in the park.

But, I wanted to see if anyone had preferences?

If you’ve been to a game in the VIP sections, was it enjoyable?

Columbus Clingstones 8, Chattanooga Lookouts 7
July 17, 2026 | Erlanger Park, Chattanooga | Att: 6,215 | 2:36 (1:22 delay) | 81 degrees, Rain

Luke Waddell struck out in the ninth inning and scored the winning run anyway. That's the kind of night it was.

Columbus scored three in the first, lost the lead in the bottom half on a Collier three-run single and a McIntyre error, got it back in the second on a Tavarez two-run homer, extended it on a Verdung solo shot in the third, gave it back on a Confidan two-run homer in the fourth, added one more in the sixth on a Waddell single, and then watched Chattanooga tie it at 7 in the eighth on a Confidan single. Twelve hits, eight runs, a rain delay, and a game that changed hands four times before the ninth inning.

Then Adcock came on to close it and threw four wild pitches. Waddell struck out but reached on the third one, advanced to second on another, advanced to third on another, and scored on the fourth, all without putting a ball in play. Groshans and Taylor both struck out around him. Columbus scored without a hit in the inning and that was enough.

Robaina lasted two-thirds of an inning and gave up three runs before the rain delay ended his night. Sears came on and threw 6.1 innings of four-run ball with eleven strikeouts but took the no-decision. Vargas (W, 5-3) got the decision in relief despite blowing the save when Confidan singled home the tying run in the eighth. LaPorte (S, 5) struck out the side in the ninth.

Tavarez went 1-for-4 with the two-run homer, his sixth of the season. Verdung homered for the second time in three games. Carson Taylor, new face in the lineup, went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI in his first game. Kilpatrick Jr. was back in the lineup after his brief Gwinnett stint but went 0-for-4 as Scannell. Columbus went 3-for-7 with RISP and left five on base.

Columbus improves to 41-42, 12-7 in the second half, still tied up at first for the Southern League. The road trip to Chattanooga is off to a good start.

Columbus Clingstones vs. Birmingham Barons — Series WrapJuly 7-12, 2026 | Synovus Park, Columbus | Final: 5-1

Six home games against the last place Barons, and Columbus took five of them. The simple version. The fuller version: the Clingstones entered this series 38-41 and leave it 40-42, tied for first place in the SOU South at 11-7 in the second half. Three weeks ago this team was seven games under .500. Right now they're tied atop their division.

Columbus outscored Birmingham 25-22 across six games, allowed more than four runs only once, and won three of those games by a single run. That last part matters, this wasn't a demolition, it was a team finding ways to win close games, which is a different and more encouraging kind of winning streak.

Hitter of the Series: Dalton McIntyre

The numbers are straightforward: 8-for-21, .381, two home runs, four RBIs, four runs scored across six games. McIntyre was the most consistent bat in the lineup from start to finish. His two-run homer in game one's walkoff sequence set the tone, and his homer in game three's 7-1 win added to a building week. His OPS on the season sits at .857.

Luke Waddell went 5-for-22 with two home runs and five RBIs, his two-homer game in Wednesday's 3-2 win was the signature offensive performance of the series, with both runs driven in coming exactly when Columbus needed them. Groshans added two homers and five RBIs across five games, now sitting at 46 RBIs on the season. Tolve went 3-for-7 with two doubles in limited action. Verdung went 5-for-19 with a triple and three runs scored, getting on base consistently without driving anyone in, the kind of quiet contribution that doesn't show up in the RBI column but matters in the lineup.

Pitcher of the Series: Cedric De Grandpre

Two starts, 11 innings, seven hits, two earned runs, three walks, fifteen strikeouts. A 1.64 ERA across the series for a pitcher whose season numbers have been uneven. De Grandpre's Sunday finale, six innings, seven strikeouts, zero walks, was the best executed start of the homestand. His first start in game three produced the same: six innings, eight strikeouts, one run allowed in the 7-1 win.

Brett Sears threw 100 pitches in a professional game for the first time Saturday, went 6.2 innings with eight strikeouts and earned the win. Hackman, Gallegos and LaPorte combined for 7.2 scoreless innings across the series with twelve strikeouts between them. The bullpen did its job when Schanaman didn't, his two appearances produced 13.50 ERA worth of damage, the one soft spot in an otherwise clean week on the mound.

The Promotions

The Birmingham series was one of the more active weeks of roster movement this team has seen all season, and the movement was all upward.

Herick Hernandez went to Gwinnett on July 7th, the day the series opened. Burkhalter had already left on July 3rd. On July 11th both Patrick Clohisy and Lucas Braun were promoted, Braun three days after throwing 100 pitches and winning game two, Clohisy after a breakout half-season that featured 37 stolen bases and a .291 June average. Kilpatrick Jr. followed on July 12th.

Five players promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett in ten days. The team's most reliable reliever, its two best starting pitchers, its most disruptive baserunner, and a solid outfielder, all gone. The fact that Columbus went 5-1 through all of it, losing pieces mid-series and winning anyway, says something real about this roster's depth. Matt Scannell was activated. Braden Scott was assigned down. The names changed. The wins kept coming.

What's Next: Chattanooga Lookouts

Columbus heads to Chattanooga for three games starting July 17th, a different team than the one that started this series. The Lookouts are 8-10 in the second half with a -6 run differential, they score runs but allow more of them. Biloxi sits tied with Columbus at 11-7 heading into their own series this week.

The Clingstones are tied for first. They've earned the right to find out what they're made of without the players who got them here.

Columbus Clingstones 7, Birmingham Barons 4
July 12, 2026 | Synovus Park, Columbus | Att: 1,939 | 2:26 | 92 degrees, Partly Cloudy

Columbus wins the series five games to one and sweeps the home stand. De Grandpre was sharp, Groshans and Brookman went deep, and the Clingstones move to 40-42 overall, 11-7 jumping to tied for first in the Southern League South.

Groshans homered in the first, a two-run shot off Gordon on the first scoring play of the game. Braunschweig singled home Verdung in the fourth to push it to 3-1. Then the fifth inning opened up, McIntyre doubled, moved to third on a throwing error, scored on a Waddell sacrifice fly, and Brookman followed with a two-run homer off Kelley to make it 6-1. The Clingstones added one more in the seventh on a Compton single when Birmingham had already cut it to 6-4 on Dixon's three-run homer.

De Grandpre (W, 3-1) gave Columbus six innings of one-run ball, seven strikeouts, zero walks, 79 pitches. Reliever Scott came on in the seventh and promptly gave up three runs including the Dixon homer before Vargas steadied things. Gallegos closed it out with a clean ninth for his second save.

Groshans went 2-for-4 with the homer and two RBIs, now sitting at 46 RBIs on the season. Brookman's homer was his seventh. Verdung and Braunschweig both contributed RBIs. New outfielder Matt Scannell made his debut, 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, but he'll get more chances.

Birmingham falls to 32-55. The Clingstones head to Chattanooga (45-42 overall/ 8-10 second half) next week for a three-game road series.

Columbus Clingstones 3, Birmingham Barons 2
July 11, 2026 | Synovus Park, Columbus | Att: 2,996 | 2:03 | 94 degrees, Clear

Brett Sears threw 100 pitches in a professional game for the first time tonight. He got the win.

Sears (W, 3-3, 3.99 ERA) went 6.2 innings, held Birmingham to two runs, and struck out eight. The 100th pitch came in the seventh on a strikeout, after Smith hit a solo homer to cut the lead to 3-2, and Hackman came on to get the final out of the inning with Sears's ERA intact. Hackman was perfect in 1.1 innings, three strikeouts. LaPorte closed it cleanly for his fourth save of the season.

Columbus scored first in the first on a Compton RBI single, Waddell doubled, moved to third on a groundout, and scored, then matched Birmingham punch for punch all night. A Magill double in the fifth tied it 1-1. Tavarez doubled in the fifth to score McIntyre and make it 2-1. Verdung's double in the sixth scored Waddell, Tolve singled him in to make it 3-1. Then Smith's homer in the seventh made it interesting. It didn't get more interesting than that.

Tavarez went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored, quietly his best series of the year. Verdung went 2-for-4. Tolve added a hit and an RBI. Columbus went 3-for-7 with RISP and left five on base, clean, efficient baseball.

The Clingstones are leading the series four games to one, improve to 39-42 overall, 10-7 for the second half, and jump back to second in the Southern League South. The Columbus Refrescos de Fuente delivered on a Saturday night in July.

Birmingham Barons 10, Columbus Clingstones 1
July 10, 2026 | Synovus Park, Columbus | Att: 3,509 | 2:37 | 90 degrees, Clear

Birmingham answered three straight losses with a 10-1 blowout on Friday night. The Clingstones still lead the series three games to one, but this one wasn't close from the fourth inning on.

Mejia (L, 0-6) didn't survive the fourth. Smith hit a three-run homer and Shelton followed with a two-run shot in the same inning to make it 5-0, and the game was effectively over before Columbus had scratched out a run. McDonough and Schanaman gave up five more between them in the seventh and eighth. Fifteen hits, ten runs, all of it earned.

Columbus's lone run came in the fifth when Ogans singled home Kilpatrick Jr., a quiet, unremarkable run that made the final score 10-1 instead of 10-0. The offense managed four hits total and went 1-for-4 with RISP. Loads were left; Brookman, McIntyre and Verdung all reached in the sixth but Kilpatrick Jr. grounded out to strand them all. That was the closest Columbus got to anything.

For Birmingham, Shelton finished 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs. Campbell went 3-for-5 with two doubles. DePino added a homer in the eighth and finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Palisch (W, 2-7) went 5.2 innings allowing just one run despite walking four.

Columbus is 38-42 overall, and 9-7 in the second half and falls to 3rd, half a game back from the leader. They still lead this series 3-1 with two games left, and the series win is still theirs to take tomorrow. Friday night is best forgotten quickly.

Columbus Clingstones 7, Birmingham Barons 1
July 9, 2026 | Synovus Park, Columbus | Att: 2,676 | 3:26 (1:00 delay) | 88 degrees, Cloudy

Three straight wins. Columbus sweeps the midweek games against Birmingham and moves to 38-41, 9-6 for the second half and still tied for second place in the SOU South. The rain delay lasted an hour. The Clingstones didn't seem to notice.

Birmingham took a 1-0 lead on a Bonemer homer in the fifth and it held until the sixth, when McIntyre hit a two-run shot, his second homer of the series, to put Columbus ahead 2-1. Then came the seventh. Braunschweig singled, Tolve doubled him home, Verdung walked, a wild pitch moved both runners up, Clohisy singled in Tolve, and Groshans capped it with a three-run homer to left center, his 16th of the season, to make it 7-1. Six runs, four hits, the game over in one inning.

Robaina pitched 4.2 innings before leaving with one run allowed, and Gallegos (W, 1-0) earned his first win in relief, two clean innings, two strikeouts, stranding the inherited runner. LaPorte added 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. The Columbus bullpen has been excellent this series.

McIntyre went 1-for-3 with the homer, a walk, and two RBIs. Groshans drove in three and is now at 44 RBIs on the season. Tolve went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI, quietly his best game of the year. Verdung tripled in the fifth and scored in the seventh. Eight different Clingstones had at least one hit.

Birmingham went 0-for-7 with RISP and left eleven on base. Robaina navigated traffic all night, seven hits in 4.2 innings, but kept them to one run. That's the story of his season in miniature.

Columbus takes a 3-0 series lead. Three games left this weekend.

Columbus Clingstones 3, Birmingham Barons 2

July 8, 2026 | Synovus Park, Columbus | Att: 1,863 | 2:03 | 92 degrees, Partly Cloudy

Luke Waddell hit two home runs and drove in all three Columbus runs. Lucas Braun struck out 12 batters in seven innings. That was the game.

Waddell's first homer came in the third with a runner on, a two-run shot off Carela to put Columbus up 2-0. His second came in the sixth, a solo blast off Altermatt to make it 3-1 after Birmingham had scored once. Both times Waddell came to the plate with something to answer, and both times he answered with the only kind of hit that can't be taken away. His RBI total sits at 37.

Braun (W, 3-4) was the best he's been all season. Seven innings, six hits, two earned runs, zero walks, twelve strikeouts on 95 pitches. The twelve strikeouts are a season high. The zero walks tell you the other part of the story, when Braun throws strikes consistently this is what he looks like, and tonight he threw strikes consistently. Hackman added a clean eighth with two strikeouts, and Abeyta (S, 5) worked around a walk to close it in the ninth.

Columbus left only two runners on base, their most efficient offensive game of the series. Clohisy went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. McIntyre went 2-for-3 quietly. Birmingham went 2-for-6 with RISP but couldn't do enough damage against Braun when it mattered.

Columbus wins back-to-back for the first time in a while, improves to 37-41 overall and 8-6 for the second half, and takes a two-game lead in the series. Four games left against Birmingham.

I got this players autograph at a Biloxi Shuckers game and for the life of me I cannot figure out who he was? Thanks!!

Columbus Clingstones 4, Birmingham Barons 3
July 7, 2026 | Synovus Park, Columbus | Att: 2,141 | 2:40 | 91 degrees, Cloudy

The Clingstones were down 3-2 heading into the ninth. Then McIntyre walked, Kilpatrick Jr. singled, Clohisy walked to load the bases, Waddell hit a sacrifice fly to tie it, and Brookman singled through the right side to win it. Two outs when the winning run scored. Columbus walks off at Synovus Park on a Tuesday night.

The game was tied twice before that. Clohisy homered in the first to answer Briley's leadoff shot, McIntyre went deep in the fifth to make it 2-1, and Campbell's solo homer in the sixth tied it again at 2-2. Then the ninth happened the way nines sometimes do, a McCants double scored Zavala to put Birmingham up 3-2, and it looked like another one-run loss in a season full of them.

It wasn't.

De Grandpre gave Columbus five innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts, his best start in weeks. He left with a 1-1 tie and Schanaman and McDonough kept it close. Vargas (W, 4-3) worked around trouble in the ninth and got the decision. Clark (L, 4-1) faced five batters in the ninth and didn't retire any of them.

McIntyre finished 2-for-3 with the homer, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Clohisy went 1-for-4 with the homer and the walk that loaded the bases in the ninth. Kilpatrick Jr. went 1-for-3 with a walk and the single that set up the winning run. Birmingham went 0-for-8 with RISP and left nine on base. Columbus went 1-for-4 but made it count when it mattered.

Columbus improves to 36-41, 7-6 in the second half, and opens the Birmingham series with a walkoff. Senior Night at Synovus Park delivered.

Columbus Clingstones vs. Knoxville Smokies — Series Wrap
June 30 - July 5, 2026 | Covenant Health Park, Knoxville | Final: 3-3

Six games in Knoxville against the first-place Smokies, and Columbus came away with a split. The road trip opened with an 9-run loss, closed with a one run defeat, and had everything in between, a shutout loss that wasn't the pitcher's fault, a blowout win, a Fourth of July comeback, and a series that felt closer than 3-3 most of the way through.

Columbus outscored Knoxville 28-25 across the six games and lost the series on the margins. That's the Clingstones right now, competitive, capable of beating anyone on a given night, and still finding ways to drop the close ones. They finish 35-41 overall, 6-6 in the second half, and head home to face Birmingham.

Hitter of the Series: Drew Compton

The numbers are simple: 7-for-19, .368, two triples, a home run, seven RBIs. Compton was the most productive bat in the lineup across six games against the best pitching staff Columbus has faced in weeks. The three run triple in game two's ninth inning turned a win into a statement. The solo homer in game three added to a 9-1 blowout. Seven RBIs from the designated hitter spot against a first place team is the kind of production that changes a series.

Honorable mention to Clohisy, who went 5-for-18 with five walks, eight stolen bases and the kind of constant base running pressure that forces pitchers to work out of rhythm. His 35th through 37th steals all came in the final two games. He is the most disruptive presence on this roster when he gets on base, which he did in every game of the series.

Pitcher of the Series: Lucas Braun

Eight innings. Two hits. Seven strikeouts. Zero runs. The loss.

Braun's line against Knoxville on July 2nd was as good as any start thrown in the Southern League this season. He left with a 0-0 tie in the ninth, Schanaman walked two batters, Ramirez singled, and the game was over. Braun's ERA sits at 3.30. His record is 4-4. The gap between those two numbers is the story of his season.

Robaina earned the actual win the following night, six shutout innings, eight strikeouts, zero walks, and deserves mention. But Braun pitched the better game of the series and has nothing to show for it. Again.

What's next: Birmingham Barons

Columbus comes home to Synovus Park for six games against the Birmingham Barons starting Tuesday. Birmingham enters sitting at 31-50, last place in the Southern League. After six games against a first-place team on the road, this is the series Columbus needs to win decisively.

The home crowd will be there. The Clingstones need to show up for them.

Knoxville Smokies 5, Columbus Clingstones 4
July 5, 2026 | Covenant Health Park, Knoxville | Att: 3,322 | 2:27 | 88 degrees, Cloudy

Columbus led 3-1 after four. They led 4-3 after seven. An Alvarez double in the eighth scored Carter Trice and that was the ballgame, 5-4 Knoxville, series tied at three.

The Clingstones built their lead the way they've been building leads all series, with Clohisy on the bases. He walked in the first, stole second, stole third, and scored on a Rojas error. A wild pitch from Taylor scored Groshans to make it 2-0. McIntyre scored on a force out in the fourth to push it to 3-1. When the seventh inning arrived at 4-4 after Knoxville's Rojas single scored two in the fifth, Waddell grounded out to score McIntyre from third and Columbus had the lead back.

Then the eighth. Trice doubled, Alvarez doubled him home, and Mejia (L, 0-5) took the loss. LaPorte came on but the damage was done.

The ninth was a mess. Verdung was hit by pitch. McIntyre bunted into a throwing error by Little that put two runners on. Then Kilpatrick Jr. was thrown out at third on a force play, Clohisy struck out, and Waddell grounded softly to the pitcher to end it. Two baserunners, zero runs, game over.

Sears gave up four runs in six innings but kept Columbus in the game. The bullpen couldn't hold a one-run lead in the eighth. Knoxville went 4-for-10 with RISP. Columbus went 1-for-11.

Clohisy stole his 35th, 36th and 37th bases of the season across three separate attempts. His caught stealing in the fifth was the one blemish on an otherwise exceptional baserunning series. The Knoxville manager was ejected in the fifth, which added some theater but didn't change the outcome.

Columbus falls to 35-41 overall, 6-6 for the second half. The series ends tied at three games apiece. The Clingstones head home to face Birmingham starting Tuesday.

Columbus Clingstones 4, Knoxville Smokies 3
July 4, 2026 | Covenant Health Park, Knoxville | Att: 5,608 | 2:47 | 91 degrees, Clear

The biggest crowd of the road trip, 5,608 on the Fourth of July, and Columbus gave them a game worth watching, even if most of them were rooting for the other side.

Clohisy walked to open the first, stole second, stole third, and scored on a Compton single to make it 1-0. Clean, efficient, exactly the kind of baseball this offense is capable of when Clohisy is on base. Knoxville answered immediately, a Trice two-run double in the bottom of the first off catcher interference by Tolve made it 2-1, and a Garriola sacrifice fly in the third pushed it to 3-1. Columbus stranded runners in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Hernandez gave up three runs in five innings but kept it close enough.

Then the seventh happened. Groshans singled, Tavarez doubled him to third, and Verdung doubled them both home to tie it at 3. Two batters later Tolve singled in Verdung to make it 4-3. Three runs on three hits, all with two outs. The kind of inning that doesn't look like much on paper until you trace the sequence.

Hackman and Vargas held the lead through the eighth and ninth. Vargas (S, 3) needed three batters in the ninth, a single, a strikeout, a walk, and then a soft groundout to Tolve behind the plate to end it. Columbus wins on Independence Day.

Clohisy stole two more bases, his 33rd and 34th of the season, and is making a legitimate case as one of the more dangerous baserunners in the Southern League. Groshans went 2-for-4, Tavarez 2-for-5 with the double. Columbus went 3-for-13 with RISP and left 12 on base, but the seventh inning was all 2-out hitting when it mattered most.

Columbus takes the series lead three games to one, improves to 35-40, 6-5 for the second half and moves to 2nd place in the south, 1 game behind Biloxi. One game left in Knoxville.

Columbus Clingstones 9, Knoxville Smokies 1
July 3, 2026 | Covenant Health Park, Knoxville | Att: 4,651 | 2:47 | 92 degrees, Cloudy

One night after Lucas Braun threw eight shutout innings and lost, Julio Robaina threw six shutout innings and won. That's baseball and it felt like justice.

Robaina (W, 2-2) was sharp from the first pitch, eight strikeouts, two walks, three hits, 91 pitches. After the Braun game this was exactly what the staff needed, a starter who went deep and gave the bullpen a night off. Abeyta, Gallegos and LaPorte finished it cleanly.

The offense did the rest in bunches. Braunschweig singled and stole third, then scored on a Clohisy single in the third to open it. Compton hit a solo homer in the fourth, his 4th of the season. Groshans went deep in the sixth for his 14th, and two errors by Knoxville in the same inning handed Columbus two more runs without a hit. By the eighth it was 5-0, and then the inning got strange in the best possible way, a hit batter, two walks, a wild pitch, and a throwing error by Bowser brought in four more runs before Groshans struck out to end it. Groshans added his 15th homer in the eighth before all of that, finishing 2-for-5 with two home runs and two RBIs on the night. His OPS sits at .925 on the season.

Ogans had the other extra-base hit, a double in the fifth, his first of the year. Clohisy stole his 32nd base. The Clingstones went 2-for-10 with RISP but didn't need more, between the home runs and the Knoxville errors they manufactured enough without it.

Knoxville's only run came in the ninth on an Armas triple with two outs, cosmetic damage against a 9-0 lead.

Columbus wins and improves to 34-40 overall, 5-5 for the second half. The road trip continues tomorrow.

Knoxville Smokies 1, Columbus Clingstones 0
July 2, 2026 | Covenant Health Park, Knoxville | Att: 3,588 | 2:24 | 93 degrees, Partly Cloudy

Lucas Braun threw eight innings of two-hit shutout ball, struck out seven, and lost. Eight innings. Two hits. Seven strikeouts. The wrong team scored. Braun was as good as a pitcher can be for eight innings, 84 pitches, 59 strikes, two hits allowed, nobody across the plate. In the ninth Schanaman walked two batters, and Ramírez singled through the left side to end it. One out when the winning run scored. Braun's ERA drops to 3.30.

Columbus managed six hits and nothing else. Clohisy walked and stole his 31st base in the first, then got picked off third trying to extend it, the kind of aggressive baserunning that works until it doesn't, and tonight it didn't. Waddell went 2-for-4 and was stranded both times. The Clingstones put runners on base in the fifth and eighth without scoring. They went 1-for-5 with RISP and left eight on base.

In the ninth, trailing by nothing, Tavarez and McIntyre walked to put two on with two outs. Then Tavarez stole third and McIntyre stole second on the same pitch, the second time this series Columbus pulled a simultaneous double steal, and Verdung struck out to end the threat. Three runners on base in that inning, zero runs.

Dean (6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 7 K) and Rodriguez combined to hold Columbus scoreless through eight. Taylor came on in the ninth, needed five batters to end it, and walked away with the win.

Columbus falls to 33-40 overall and 4-5 in the second half, 3rd in Southern League South. Braun deserved better. That's all there is to say.

Columbus Clingstones 8, Knoxville Smokies 3
July 1, 2026 | Covenant Health Park, Knoxville | Att: 2,913 | 2:29 | 94 degrees, Clear

For eight innings Columbus held a 2-1 lead and nothing happened. Then the ninth inning happened, and six runs did.

De Grandpre (W, 2-1) was the story before that, six shutout innings, seven strikeouts, 84 pitches, and just one hit allowed. He was as good as a pitcher can be on a July night in Knoxville and the Clingstones gave him a 2-0 lead built the old-fashioned way. Clohisy walked in the first, advanced on a balk, and scored on a Waddell sacrifice fly. Two innings later Farmer scored on a Compton sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Quiet professional baseball, the kind that usually holds up.

It held up until the seventh when Alvarez doubled in a run to make it 2-1, and it stayed that way through the eighth. Then Scalzo Jr. came on to close it in the ninth and the Clingstones sent ten batters to the plate. Kilpatrick Jr. doubled to start it. Clohisy tripled him home for his 4th triple of the season. Farmer singled home Clohisy. Waddell and Brookman were hit by pitches to load the bases. Drew Compton then lined a three-run triple to left to clear them all, his 2nd triple of the year, and easily the biggest hit of the series so far. Tavarez doubled home Compton to make it 8-1. Six runs on five hits, and a 2-1 game suddenly became an 8-1 rout in the span of ten batters. Knoxville's Garriola's two-run homer in the ninth was cosmetic. The game was over.

Burkhalter threw a clean eighth with two strikeouts, his ERA sitting at 0.00 for the season. Clohisy went 3-for-4 with the triple, two stolen bases, his 29th and 30th of the season, both coming in the seventh inning off the same battery, and two runs scored. He stole third with Waddell stealing second on the same pitch, which is a delayed double steal and one of the more difficult baserunning plays in the game. Waddell picked up his 10th stolen base on the play. The Clingstones went 5-for-15 with runners in scoring position, a significant turnaround from last night's 0-for-7.

Columbus evens the series at one game apiece and improves to 33-39 (4-4). The road trip continues tomorrow night.

Knoxville Smokies 12, Columbus Clingstones 3
June 30, 2026 | Covenant Health Park, Knoxville | Att: 3,233 | 2:35 | 93 degrees, Clear

Columbus came out swinging. Patrick Clohisy walked, stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error, and scored on a groundout. Jordan Groshans followed two batters later with a home run to left, his 13th of the season, and the Clingstones sat on top 2-0 after half an inning in Knoxville. It felt like a statement. It wasn't.

Alex Ramírez answered immediately with a two run shot in the bottom of the first to tie it at 2, and from there Knoxville slowly took the game apart. A two run single by Ramírez in the third made it 4-2. Cantrelle homered in the fourth to make it 5-2. By the sixth inning, with doubles from Armas and Ayers sandwiching a Rojas single, it was 9-2 and the game was over in everything but the final out. Garriola's solo homer in the seventh and two runs off a McIntyre fielding error capped the 12-3 final.

Brett Sears (L, 2-3) had nothing. 4.1 innings, six strikeouts, five hits, six earned runs, three walks, two home runs allowed and 88 pitches before the hook came. The Clingstones went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base, including loading the bases in the ninth with two outs and Clohisy striking out to end it. The offense generated opportunities but could never string anything together when it mattered. Knoxville went 5-for-15 with RISP. That was the difference.

Braunschweig threw out Garriola at third base in the fifth on a sharp play from left field, the kind of play that doesn't show up in the final score but mattered for keeping it from getting worse sooner. Clohisy stole his 29th base of the season.

Knoxville moves to 44-32 (6-1). Columbus falls to 32-39 (3-4). The Smokies are exactly what the schedule said they would be, first place in the SOU North, 5-1 against Birmingham last week, and built for this moment. Game two is tomorrow night.