The Stuart W. Cramer Storm will be taking part in a tournament against the Bessemer City Yellow Jackets at 11:00 a.m. on Monday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Stuart W. Cramer has eight straight wins, Bessemer City has six straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Thursday, Stuart W. Cramer beat Forestview 10-7.
Kenan Helton and Aydan Bradley did most of the damage at the plate: Helton went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Bradley went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Chris Wurster was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Stuart W. Cramer kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 9.8.
Meanwhile, Bessemer City fell victim to Cherryville and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They lost 10-0 to the Ironmen.
Stuart W. Cramer's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-5. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Bessemer City, their loss dropped their record down to 5-14.
Bessemer City's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Stuart W. Cramer has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .444. It's a different story for Bessemer City, though, as they've only averaged .344. Will they be able to contain Stuart W. Cramer's hitters?
Stuart W. Cramer took their victory against Bessemer City in their previous meeting back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 19-1 score. Do the Storm have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Yellow Jackets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
