Weston Jets @ Yeovil Whirlwinds

Last Sunday, due to a fixture clash, the Yeovil Whirlwinds travelled to Weston-Super-Mare for their “home” game against the Weston Jets in the latest round of the 2025 South Wales & West Baseball League season. Following the change in league this year, the Jets became the sixth and final new team faced this season.

Blistering heat greeted both teams as David Cheetham took the mound for Yeovil, his eighth pitching outing this year. During the first inning, Yeovil’s Third Baseman Aidan Johnson worked overtime on defence. He secured all three outs for his side with two throw outs to first base and a force out at his own base but not before the Jets could notch up 3 runs.

Yeovil matched that tally in their first at bat, helped by a deep hit double by Tom Poole which was initially incorrectly signalled a home run.

A pivotal moment then came with two outs and one run scored in Weston’s second at bat. A close call at first went in favour of Weston and the extended inning allowed the North Somerset side to score a further 4 runs. The Jets carried this momentum into their defensive inning, shutting out the Whirlwinds for a 8 – 3 Jets lead.

With the heat now producing small errors in the field for Yeovil, the third inning produced a similar 5 runs to nil tally in favour of Weston. A much better fourth inning saw Yeovil claw a run back however 6 runs in the Jets final inning set too high a target and the game ended with Yeovil losing 19 runs to 4.

Ed Blades was Yeovil’s Pitcher for game 2 however the game started as game 1 ended with Weston in the ascendency. The Jets scored 6 runs in their first two innings, the damage limited by an excellent double play from First Baseman Stefan Grabbe, taking an excellent high catch then throwing out the runner heading for home plate.

In reply the Whirlwinds offence had a very sluggish start. Solid pitching from Weston asked questions that Yeovil’s batters struggled to answer and they failed to register a run in either of their first two innings.

Weston kept their foot on the gas through inning 3 scoring a further 5 runs before Yeovil finally posted a score. Ed Blades’ single to left field brought in an on-base runner then Stefan Grabbe grounded out at first but not before another base runner made it home.

Inning 4 started with the Whirlwinds facing a mountain to climb, trailing 11 runs to 2. Another double play, this time from Short Stop Jonny Foster (catch and throw out at second base) limited Weston to a solitary run in their final inning. In their at bat, Whirlwind Outfielders Rob Martin and Chris Spurway hit in a run apiece but ultimately the game was lost 12 runs to 4.

The Whirlwinds now have 10 wins and 10 losses and will look for instant revenge, making the same journey next Sunday to face Weston in the return leg.

By Chris Spurway