The Grafton Bearcats will head out on the road to challenge the St. Marys Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Grafton is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Grafton needed a bit of extra time to put away Preston. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-8 win over the Knights. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bearcats have posted since April 18th.
Carter Gillespie
| 04/29/25 vs Preston | 4 |
| 04/19/25 vs Doddridge County | 4 |
| 04/28/25 @ Williamstown | 3 |
| 04/16/25 @ East Fairmont | 3 |
| 04/15/25 vs Robert C. Byrd | 2 |
| + 14 more games |
The team relied heavily on Carter Gillespie, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs and two doubles. He is becoming a predictor of Grafton's success: when he posts at least three hits the team is 3-1 (and 10-12 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Chace Kinsey, who went 1-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Grafton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, St. Marys can bid farewell to their five-game losing streak thanks to their game on Tuesday. They walked away with a 7-2 win over Webster County.
Casey Burkhammer made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. Burkhammer was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Desmond Parks and Kyle Bullman did most of the damage at the plate: Parks went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run, while Bullman went 3-for-5 with four stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. That's the most hits Bullman has posted over his last 11 matchups. Daniel Winland was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
The victory got Grafton back to even at 13-13. As for St. Marys, their record now sits at 7-16-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Grafton has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like St. Marys struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
