Baseball Recap: Vernon Gets the Win

Vernon proved they can win big on Friday (they won by 11) and on Monday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over the Bethlehem Wildcats. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Yellowjackets have posted since March 14, 2025.

Patrick Zurawski

Batters Struck Out (Career)

03/16/26 vs Bethlehem	10
03/05/26 vs Laurel Hill	9
03/04/25 vs Poplar Springs	8
02/10/26 vs Malone	6
03/14/25 vs Altha	6

Patrick Zurawski looked comfortable as he struck out ten batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Russel Smith, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. He has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Caiden Coltrane, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI.

Vernon has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Bethlehem, their defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 5-2.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Vernon will host Blountstown at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Yellowjackets' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Tigers have averaged an impressive 9.2 runs per game this season. As for Bethlehem, they will welcome Ponce De Leon at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Pirates have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 12.36 runs per game on average), something the Wildcats will no doubt try to take advantage of.