The Stuart W. Cramer Storm will head out on the road to take on the Highland Tech Rams at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Stuart W. Cramer has struggled recently with five defeats in a row, while Highland Tech will arrive with four straight victories.
Bessemer City hit Stuart W. Cramer with a four-run third inning on Friday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Storm lost 9-1 to the Yellow Jackets.
Brinley Womack was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off ten hits. Womack was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one home run and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Highland Tech). They put the hurt on Shelby with a sharp 22-1 win on Monday. The Rams might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matchups by six runs or more this season.
Like Stuart W. Cramer, Highland Tech also got a great game from a two-way player: Makaylee Gantt. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). Gantt has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Jaelyn Motley was a standout: she went a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three doubles. Another player making a difference was Prudence Hammond, who went 3-for-4 with five RBI, three runs, and one triple.
Highland Tech always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .686. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Highland Tech's record now sits at 4-0. As for Stuart W. Cramer, their loss dropped their record down to 0-3.
Stuart W. Cramer came out on top in a nail-biter against Highland Tech when the teams last played back in April of 2018, sneaking past 9-8. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Storm since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
