The Cromwell Cardinals will venture away from home to square off against the Barnum Bombers at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Cromwell has given up an average of 7.2 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Cromwell will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Tuesday, then bounced right back against Cook County on Thursday. The Cardinals came out on top against the Vikings by a score of 15-12. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Cardinals' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Barnum came out on top against Carlton on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run third inning. The Bombers' pitchers stepped up to hand the Bulldogs a 10-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Bombers, who have now won four games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Landen Oetterer and Conner Blake were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Oetterer tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Blake didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. At bat, Oetterer got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base, while Blake went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. That home run was Oetterer's first of the season.
In other batting news, Sean Strandberg and Eli Gilbertson did most of the damage at the plate: Strandberg got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Gilbertson went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. That double marked the first that Gilbertson has hit this season.
Cromwell's record now sits at 2-3-1. As for Barnum, their record is now 7-3.
Cromwell came out on top in a nail-biter against Barnum in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, sneaking past 10-9. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cardinals since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
