Staff photo / Preston Byers Columbiana celebrates at home plate following a three-run home run by Ella Dota against Boardman on Friday.

BOARDMAN — In a clash of softball programs trending in different directions, Columbiana continued its run of dominance Friday with a 10-1 road victory over Boardman, which lost its fourth consecutive game and fifth in the last six.

The Clippers, who arrived in Boardman with an 18-3 record, had scored double-digit runs in each of their previous six games. They nearly fell short of extending that streak on Friday, though, until a seventh-inning Mackenzi Gamble RBI single scored Columbiana’s 10th run. Shortly thereafter, Gamble finished off a complete-game gem in the circle.

After the win, Columbiana head coach Daryl Kurtz said his team accomplished their goals immediately Friday with its three-run first inning.

“We were the away team today and we wanted to come out and put up a crooked number. We got three. That’s crooked enough for me. And then we got three big defensive outs in the bottom. That kind of set the tone,” Kurtz said.

With two outs in the top of the first inning, Cameron Perkins, Ava Davanzo and Alivia Bell each recorded RBI singles in consecutive at-bats to build a 3-0 lead.

Boardman stopped the proverbial bleeding in the second inning, as Leah Habeger singled on a bunt that allowed Mikayla Rivera to advance to not only third but race home for the Spartans’ first, and unfortunately for them, their only run of the game.

Other than that run, Gamble dominated in the circle against Boardman’s batters. In seven innings, Gamble surrendered just four hits, one run, one walk and struck out seven.

The Spartans’ pitching situation was not nearly as smooth and orderly as Columbiana’s; Boardman starter Addie Kowacich endured some rough innings in the circle and was replaced during the fourth inning by Tori Strines, who moved in from center field.

Strines, who was hit by a fastball from Austintown Fitch pitcher Sydnie Watts earlier in the week, exited the game before the seventh inning due to the injury, which seemed to aggravate while pitching. During her relatively brief pitching performance, Strines allowed a three-run Ella Dota home run in the top of the fifth.

Kowacich returned to the circle to replace Strines before the seventh and allowed the 10th run of the game when Gamble singled to right field, driving in Dota from second base.

Having won each of its last six games by at least 13 runs, Friday’s victory was relatively tight for Columbiana. With how wide the margins of victory have been, Kurtz has preached to his team the importance of never overlooking the opponent.

“It just so happened this week that we played some teams that are still building their programs up a little bit,” Kurtz said. “Obviously, I tell the girls — I’m a football coach as well — you have to show up, you have to play the games because on any given day, you can get beat. So that’s kind of our message that we send to our girls. We have to show up.”

For Boardman, the recent stretch of its schedule has been brutal. The Spartans began the week with a back-to-back against Austintown Fitch, one of the best teams in the state, which topped Boardman with a combined score of 24-2. Boardman then lost 20-6 to Poland on Thursday before its 10-1 defeat at the hands of Columbiana.

After the home loss to the Clippers, Spartans coach Fred Mootz and his team had a more than 10-minute conversation in the outfield. Mootz said he addressed seemingly mounting injuries and the rough results as of late.

“Right now, it just feels like we’re up against everything with the way we’ve played lately,” Mootz said. “We got to right the ship, and it doesn’t get any easier. We play Lakeview (today). So it’s tough and hopefully, these next couple of weeks, we can get healthy maybe and make a run in the playoffs here.”

Mootz said that while he anticipated potential losses, considering how difficult of a schedule the Spartans had in front of them, injuries to the likes of Strines and Gabi Sferra have made it even tougher.

Unlike its Friday opponent, Columbiana (19-3) will have the weekend to rest before attempting to extend its win streak to 10 on Monday against Hanoverton United. Boardman (8-11) continues its stiff schedule with a home doubleheader vs. Lakeview and Cardinal Mooney today.

Have an interesting story? Contact Preston Byers by email at pbyers@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @PresByers.