The spring high school baseball season can move as swift as a fastball down the middle when the weather cooperates. 

Such is the case for most local teams, and some have certainly fared better than others. 

Columbia (12-4) won four of five recent outings.

On Monday, the Eagles won 15-0 at Red Bud. Cash Bailey went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Brady Mathews also homered for Columbia, which got a five-inning complete game one-hitter from Sam Donald.

On Tuesday, Columbia lost 3-1 to Roxana. The Shells rallied with all three runs in the top of the seventh inning.

On Thursday, it was a 4-2 victory over Freeburg for the Eagles. Columbia scored twice each in the first and second innings and made its lead hold up.

Last Thursday, Columbia posted a 17-1 victory over Wood River. Matthew Maue went 2-for-2 with three RBIs. Brody Landgraf, Micah James and Bailey each drove in two runs. 

Last Wednesday, the Eagles bombed Piasa Southwestern to the tune of 11-1. James went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Sully Bonaldi drove in two runs and scored three more. 

Columbia plays Saturday at Belleville East and Monday at Marquette.

Ben Simmons leads the Eagles in hitting at .500 with 10 RBIs, followed by James at .455 with 10 RBIs. 

Lucas Riebeling, a righty, has four home runs and 12 RBIs in addition to his 3-1 mound record and 2.02 ERA.  Mathews, a lefty, is 3-1 with a 0.71 ERA. 

Waterloo (8-4) lost 4-0 at Mascoutah on Monday. The Bulldogs struck out 15 times on the day and were held to just three hits – two of those coming from Caleb Papenberg. 

On Tuesday, it was a 4-2 loss for the ‘Dogs at home to Mascoutah. Waterloo got two hits each from Patrick O’Donnell and Koby Osterhage.

On Saturday, the ‘Dogs enjoyed a doubleheader sweep of Gibault. Waterloo won 10-0 and 11-2. In game one, Nate Phillips threw a complete game one-hitter and struck out 14. Jack Roessler was the offensive star, going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. In game two, O’Donnell went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs to pace the Waterloo offense.

Waterloo does battle with Jacksonville at Busch Stadium this Saturday afternoon. On Monday, the ‘Dogs play at Triad. On Tuesday, Waterloo faces Mt. Vernon at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget. 

O’Donnell leads the ‘Dogs in hitting at .400 with 13 runs. Osterhage is hitting .357 with 10 stolen bases.

Phillips is the ace of Waterloo’s pitching staff at 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 22 innings.

Nolan Veto is also pitching well at 3-0 with a 2.80 ERA and 24 punchouts in 15 innings. 

Valmeyer (9-4) picked up a 15-1 win at Dupo on Tuesday. Landon Roy went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs for the Pirates. Luke Blackwell picked up the pitching win.

The Pirates lost 14-4 at Steeleville this past Friday. Chase Snyder had a home run and three RBIs. 

Last Thursday, Valmeyer lost 12-0 to Valley Park. Blackwell, Kye Holbrook and Roy collected the team’s only three hits on the day. 

Valmeyer hosts Bunker Hill on Friday, the St. Louis Patriots on Monday and plays Tuesday at New Athens. 

Blackwell and Roy are tied for the team lead in hitting at .405. Blackwell has nine extra-base hits and 20 RBIs. Roy has 12 stolen bases and 20 runs.

Blackwell, a sophomore righty, is the leader on the mound, going 3-0 with a 1.58 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 12-plus innings pitched.

Gibault (3-14) has lost nine straight games. 

On Monday, the Hawks lost 8-0 at Belleville West. Ty Frierdich collected Gibault’s only hit in the game.

In Saturday’s doubleheader loss to Waterloo, Jack Keeven collected two hits in game one, and Robert Pierpont and Nolan Snell had the only two hits in game two.

On Friday, Gibault lost 12-2 to Father McGivney. 

Last Wednesday, it was a 9-2 loss for the Hawks against Althoff at Grizzlies Ballpark in Sauget. Ty Frierdich and Tyler Frierdich collected two hits each. 

Tyler Frierdich leads Gibault on offense this season at .356 with 10 stolen bases. 

Brady Biffar, a lefty, is hitting .313 with 14 runs and is also the pitching ace with a 3.16 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 24-plus innings. 

Gibault hosts Red Bud on Friday, Okawville for a doubleheader on Saturday and Sparta on Monday. 

Dupo (2-4) picked up a 7-2 win at Lebanon on March 28. 

Deegan Prater struck out 11 and surrendered just one earned run over five innings for the mound victory. He also went 1-for-2 at the plate with a pair of RBIs.

Dupo played Tuesday at home against Valmeyer, falling 15-1. On Wednesday, it was a 16-1 loss at Roxana.

Prater is hitting .400 with five runs and is 2-0 with a 0.70 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 10 innings pitched.