Team unveils new black away uniforms in home exhibition win

Big Train 10, Patriots 0

By Andy Ireland
Big Train Staff Writer

The Bethesda Big Train began their season tonight with a convincing win in an exhibition game against the Maryland Patriots before a crowd of 697 at Shirley Povich Field. The Big Train scored 10 runs off 10 hits and did not give up a run while only allowing two hits, sending their fans home excited about summer baseball in Bethesda.

The Big Train got off to a great start in the bottom half of the first inning, scoring two runs off Patriots pitcher Jason Kitchen. Shortstop Kenny Beamer (Findlay) fisted an inside pitch on a 1-2 count to shallow left field and quickly stole second base on the next pitch. After a Bryan Thomas (Virginia Tech) walk and a wild pitch, Big Train second baseman Greg Lemon (Salisbury) knocked a fastball to deep center field, scoring Beamer from third on the sac fly. Thomas later scored on a wild pitch to give the Big Train an early two-run lead.

Thomas showed his power by knocking in a run in the third inning on a hard hit double to left field and followed it with another double off the centerfield wall in the bottom of the 8th. Marcus Jones (Landon/NC State) also starred, going two-for-three with a walk and a two-RBI triple. It was Jones’ triple that solidified the win for the Big Train.

“He threw me the ball down the middle of the plate and I got the barrel on the bat and just crushed it,” said Jones.

Jones expects a major league team to draft him in the 2005 amateur draft this week and is anxious to see where he is picked after a pre-draft workout with the Nationals at RFK Stadium earlier this morning. If tonight’s game is any indication, Bethesda baseball fans will be keeping a close eye on the talented outfielder from Washington D.C. all summer.

Kenny Moreland (Christopher Newport) started the game for the Big Train and pitched a near-perfect two innings before giving way to Dustin Pease (Mt. Saint Mary's) and his left-handed sidearm throwing style. Pease was tough on the Patriot’s left handed hitters, freezing them on his biting curveball and his devastating fastball.

Big Train pitchers retired fourteen straight Patriots batters before relief pitcher Dan Bajgar (Columbia) walked AJ Anido in the seventh inning. Six Big Train pitchers combined to allow only two hits on the game.

First-year manager Sal Colangelo was pleased with the performance of his pitchers. “We pitched well tonight, we threw strikes. We have a lot of talent, its going to be my job to make sure everyone gets enough playing time during the season,” Colangelo said.

The next Big Train game is Sunday, June 5 at 12 PM at Shirley Povich Field.

Big Train notes: When Hugh Adams (St. John's College High School '08) entered the game in the fourth inning for Bethesda, it marked the first time in the team's history that a former Big Train bat boy played as a member of the Big Train.

Brendan Clark (Richard Montgomery HS/Washington & Lee) bats against the Patriots