Stuttgart shortstop Hayden Foley grabs a throw from home plate while Kaiserslautern's Lucas Sullivan steals second base during the second game of a doubleheader on March 22, 2025, at Pulaski Park in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – Logan Bell walked onto the baseball diamond at Pulaski Park on Saturday looking to change his story against Stuttgart.

Across football, basketball and basketball, not once had the Kaiserslautern senior been on the winning end. When the Raiders defeated the Panthers during the football regular season, Bell missed the game with a broken thumb.

He did return to the field in time for the football semifinal loss, however.

“I’ve had a rough record against Stuttgart across all sports,” Bell said. “So, I came out with the mindset of, ‘I’m going to get this win today.’”

He got to ring the victory bell Saturday – twice. The Raiders swept a doubleheader against the Panthers with wins of 6-4 and 14-3.

Bell played a key role across both games.

The senior took the mound in the opener, going five innings while allowing four runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and five walks. He mentioned the debut of his curveball, which added to his arsenal of a fastball and slider, as a major reason for his success.

His work on the mound paled in comparison to his performance at the plate, though.

Bell went 4 for 5 with seven RBI and three runs scored across both games. He produced two doubles, one of which cleared the bases in the second inning of the afternoon game when he launched the first pitch he saw into left field.

That hit sparked an offensive explosion in the second game, as the Raiders (2-1, 2-1) scored 10 runs in the second and third innings combined.

Rueben Todman also put starred at the plate during the later game, going 3 for 4 with a double to center field in the second inning that scored Bell – one of two RBI for the Kaiserslautern senior.

“I was seeing the ball really well,” Bell said of his performance at the plate. “We worked on velocity this week a lot at practice. It helped me a lot.”

That hitting gave Kaiserslautern’s second starter, Bryant Lokey, more than enough support.

Not that he needed much. Over five innings of work, the junior hurler fanned 11 Panthers (0-4, 0-4) while giving up just two hits.

The Raiders didn’t need to go dip into their rotation on Saturday, as both Bell and Lokey pitched complete games. Still, that depth will be necessary for the team to reach their goals this season, Lokey said.

“We’ve got six pitchers that can go in there and get the job done,” he said. “For Euros, you have to have a lot of pitchers, so we have to make sure we can save arms for that last game.”

Stuttgart, meanwhile, rued miscues across both games. The Panthers committed 12 errors.

Kaiserslautern’s Logan Bell pitches during the first game of a doubleheader against Stuttgart on March 22, 2025, at Pulaski Park in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

From left, Kaiserslautern’s Rueben Todman, coach Justin Bates and Logan Bell talk along the third base line during a Stuttgart mound visit in the second game of a doubleheader on March 22, 2025, at Pulaski Park in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern's Rueben Todman hits the ball while Stuttgart's Declan Mack squats behind the plate during the first game of a doubleheader on March 22, 2025, at Pulaski Park in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart pitcher Jaxin Schneiders throws from the mound during the second game of a doubleheader against Kaiserslautern on March 22, 2025, at Pulaski Park in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart’s Jaxin Schneiders rounds third while Kaiserslautern’s Logan Bell follows the ball in the distance during the second game of a doubleheader on March 22, 2025, at Pulaski Park in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Assistant coach Kiefer Schellhase pointed to those fielding mistakes as hampering first-game starter Hayden Foley, especially. The senior struck out seven and allowed seven hits, but those errors extended innings and kept the pitcher on the mound longer.

It also overrode Foley’s day at the plate. He went 4 for 5 with three doubles and four RBI across both games.

“It’s the little things that add up into big changes against the team,” Schellhase said. “We need to be able to field groundballs; we need to be able to make throws – very basic pieces to support the pitcher.

“But in the end, if bats aren’t working, none of that matters, too. So, we’ve got some work to do.”

After defeating one of the two squads that have played in the last three Division I championship games, Kaiserslautern laid bare its title aspirations.

Bell extolled the team’s chemistry, with most of the roster’s core being together for a third straight year. That will play a role in the team’s success, he said.

“I feel like we have the best team chemistry among any team out there by far,” Bell said. “A lot of us are really close friends. We have been for three years. We usually all play the same sports, so we’re with each other all year, almost all day, and we just love each other. That’s one of our biggest assets.”

Stuttgart's Hayden Foley pitches during the first game of a doubleheader against Kaiserslautern on March 22, 2025, at Pulaski Park in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern’s Lucas Sullivan holds onto his helmet as he comes to stop along the third base line while Stuttgart third baseman Cooper Graham heads toward the bag during the first game of a doubleheader on March 22, 2025, at Pulaski Park in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern's Bryant Lokey hits the ball in front of Stuttgart catcher Declan Mack during the second game of a doubleheader on March 22, 2025, at Pulaski Park in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart's Jackson Branco steps on first base while Kaiserslautern's Jonny Brown covers the bag during the second game of a doubleheader on March 22, 2025, at Pulaski Park in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)