Consistency is the key to success in baseball, as in most sports.

Local squads are seeking that consistency as the season reaches its midway point.

The Columbia High School baseball squad used a recent five-game winning streak to get above .500.

Last Wednesday, the Eagles topped rival Gibault at home, 9-6. A seven-run third inning propelled Columbia to victory. The Hawks committed four errors on the day. Matt Howard and Adam Wibbenmeyer led Columbia’s offense with two hits and three RBIs each.

Last Thursday, Columbia defeated Althoff, 13-10. Sam Bonaldi hit three doubles and scored four runs. Howard added three hits. Logan Mueller had a triple and three RBIs.

Last Friday, the Eagles posted a 9-1 victory at Breese Central. 

The winning streak came to an end Saturday, however, with a 4-3 loss Saturday at Mascoutah. The Indians plated three runs in the sixth inning to emerge victorious.

Columbia (8-7) returned to the win column Monday, blanking Carlyle at home, 12-0. Wibbenmeyer threw a five-inning no-hitter, striking out six and walking just one. Howard went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

On Tuesday, the Eagles lost 11-9 to Roxana. Columbia rallied with four runs in the seventh inning, but it wasn’t enough.

Jackson Holmes threw a five-inning perfect game Wednesday as the Eagles won 13-0 over Carlyle. Holmes, a Saint Louis University commit, struck out eight. Jonah James went 2-for-2 with three RBIs, with Howard and Dom Voegele and adding two hits each.

Bonaldi leads the Eagles in hitting at .438 with 11 runs, followed by Howard at .382 with 12 RBIs. Wibbenmeyer is 2-2 with a 3.05 ERA on the mound and is hitting .364.

Gibault (7-8) is getting back to winning baseball following a losing streak.

After losses to Columbia and Jerseyville last Wednesday and Thursday, the Hawks won 10-3 on Saturday at Marquette. Ryan Bollinger pitched six and two-thirds innings with eight strikeouts and Ian Bollinger had a hit and three RBIs.

On Monday, Gibault won 15-5 at home over Chester. Eli Garcia went 2-for-4 with a double and five RBIs. Hudson Blank and Ian Bollinger added two hits each. Monday’s win was head coach Andy Skaer’s 250th victory at Gibault. 

On Wednesday, the Hawks blasted Cahokia, 19-3, scoring 14 runs in the first inning. Chase Schrader went 3-for-3 with four RBIs. Garcia and Nick Chambers had three RBIs each.

Ian Bollinger is hitting .324 with nine RBIs, followed by Garcia at .333 with 11 RBIs and 11 runs and Brayden Sabo at .318 with nine runs.

Ryan Bollinger is 2-2 with a 1.71 ERA on the mound and three complete games.

The Hawks host Valmeyer on Friday.

Valmeyer (7-6) split a Saturday doubleheader against Red Bud, winning 5-0 and losing 3-1. Jacob Rowold threw a complete game one-hitter with 13 strikeouts and had two hits in the game one win. 

Red Bud plated two runs in the seventh and held the Pirates to just two hits in game two.

On Tuesday, Valmeyer won, 9-8, in eight innings vs. Dupo, with Clay Juelfs getting the walk-off hit. Rowold went 2-for-2 with a triple and two runs.

On Thursday, the Pirates rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to slip past Lebanon at home, 4-3. Henry Weber went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

Valmeyer won 9-5 at Lebanon last Wednesday. Juelfs went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Weber went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for the Pirates.

Last Thursday, the Pirates lost 17-14 to Carlyle in a windy affair. Rowold had three hits and Jacob Kempfer added two hits and three RBIs.

Rowold is hitting .441 with a .620 on base percentage, 15 runs and five triples to lead Valmeyer. He’s also 3-2 on the mound with a 3.44 ERA. Weber is hitting .333 with 11 RBIs.

Waterloo (4-14) lost 5-0 to Triad on Monday and were no-hit by the same team on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the ‘Dogs lost 5-4 at Belleville West. Waterloo scored all of its runs in the seventh inning.

Last Friday, the Bulldogs lost 7-3 to Granite City despite two hits each from Evan Davis and Marcus Heusohn and two RBIs from Adam Yount. 

Waterloo picked up a Mississippi Valley Conference victory at home last Wednesday, 1-0 over Mascoutah. Logan Hopfinger was the star of the day for the Bulldogs, pitching a complete game six-hit shutout and driving in the game’s only run.

Hopfinger is 2-0 with a 0.58 ERA for Waterloo, which plays host to Highland on Monday.

Dupo (1-7) picked up its first win of the spring on Monday, 7-2 over Red Bud. Camden Biggs pitched a complete game and went 1-for-3 with a run scored. A six-run sixth propelled the Tigers to victory.

On Thursday, the Tigers lost 10-3 at Chester. Camden Biggs went 3-for-4 with a run.

Last Thursday, the Tigers lost 10-0 at Steeleville. Dupo only had one hit in the game.

Dupo lost 10-3 to Gillespie at GCS Ballpark in Sauget last Wednesday. The Tigers were held to three hits.

Nathan Ticer leads Dupo in hitting at .360 with a .500 on base percentage.

The Tigers play Friday at Wood River.