It may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but West Orange ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out the Belleville Buccaneers 4-3. That's more bragging rights for the Mountaineers, who also won the pair's last head-to-head.
Jay Stevenson and Shep Stevenson made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Stevenson kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out ten over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Shep tossed five innings while giving up just two earned runs off eight hits. Jay has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in four consecutive appearances. At bat, Stevenson went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run, while Shep went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Aidan Ackermann
| 04/22/26 @ Belleville | 3 |
| 04/08/26 vs Nutley | 2 |
| 04/15/26 @ Caldwell | 1 |
| 04/13/26 vs Caldwell | 1 |
| 04/11/26 @ Hoboken | 1 |
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Aidan Ackermann, who went 3-for-4 with one RBI. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Jordan Rothseid also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
The victory made it two in a row for West Orange and bumps their season record up to 8-4. That said, the team wasn't facing the toughest opposition over that stretch, as it included 3-8 St. Benedict's Prep and 5-8 Belleville. As for Belleville, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-8.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. West Orange will square off against Kearny at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. As for Belleville, they will take on St. Benedict's Prep at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
