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KESSLER BATS 6/6 AS STURGIS SHUTS OUT KNICK
ORANGE RULES THE DAY AT ELYSIAN FIELDS IN DOUBLE-DIGIT VICTORY

MANHATTAN (July 16, 1874) - Orange B.B.C. needed a win at Knickerbocker to stay at least three games ahead of American & Gotham in the Metropolitan Conference standings, and they took a dominant win at the Elysian Fields:

It was a close game for the first six innings, but three multiple-run rallies over the final three innings saw Orange exit with an extremely impressive eleven-run win.

One batsman had six of Orange’s seventeen base hits, and it was legendary 1B Samuel Kessler:

• T1: 1-run Single past 2B off P. Daly (R)
• T3: Leadoff Single to CF off P. Daly
• T5: Infield Single off P. Daly (SB, R)
• T7: Single past 2B off P. Daly (R)
• T8: 1-run Single past 1B off P. Daly (R)
• T9: 2-run Double to LCF off M. Munson
• TOTAL: 6/6, 2B, 4 R, 4 RBI, SB, 104 GMSC

Kessler’s 104 Game Score was the highest by an APBL batsman so far this season. The 6/6 outing raised Kessler’s average to .336 with a .793 OPS, both marks within points of where he finished last season. Kessler has 51 RBI through 63 games, and has a decent chance to make All-Star Game #16 for his incredible career.

The man who pitched the Shutout for Orange was new #1 George Sturgis, who they imported from the NBBO’s Oceanic B.C. over the winter:

• TOTAL: CG SHUTOUT, 3 HA, 0 BB, 1 K

The Shutout improved Sturgis’ record to 14-15 so far in his maiden APBL season with a 3.46 ERA and 3.0 WAR, all fine marks for a first-year APBL pitcher.

The victory kept Orange three games ahead of Gotham, while a loss by American saw them fall to four games behind the leaders of the Metropolitan Conference.