Lowe goes the distance in Bethesda's fifth straight win

Big Train 6, Bombers 3

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By Andy Ireland
Big Train Staff Writer

The Bethesda Big Train and College Park bombers squared off tonight for a share of first place in the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League. Both teams came into Saturday night¹s game red-hot, each winning their last 4 games. The crowd of 570 knew something had to give and fortunately for Bethesda fans the Big Train pulled out on top winning 6-3.

The College Park Bombers efficiently took advantage of early Big Train fielding miscues to manufacture runs in the first, fourth, and fifth innings. After reaching on an error and advancing to second on a balk in the first inning, College Park shortstop Benji Marshall (Richmond) scored on a single up the middle off the bat of Jud Seymour (Valdosta State). It was Seymour's single in the fourth inning that set up a Bomber sac fly that plated Marshall giving College Park a 2-0 lead.

It did not take long for the home team to retaliate, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Big Train leftfielder Drew Carson (Southern Mississippi) and third baseman Bryan Thomas (Virginia Tech) both doubled in the fourth, which led to the game tying runs. Thomas, who ended the night with two doubles, has six hits in his last 14 at bats.

After the Bombers scored an unearned run in the fifth to go up 3-2, the Big Train took over and never looked back. The Bethesda offense produced one run in the sixth and three runs in the seventh to put the Bombers away and claim a share of first place in the league with the Maryland Redbirds. Andrew Smith's (San Francisco) two run "Texas Leaguer" was the key hit for the Big Train in the seventh inning after the Bombers loaded the bases by walking two and hitting another.

Big Train starting pitcher Ron Lowe (St. Leo) pitched a complete game, yielding no earned runs on seven hits while striking out nine College Park batters. "I felt good tonight," Lowe said, "my arm felt real good." Lowe's performance in key situations is what sets him apart from other pitchers in the league. He struck out two consecutive batters in the sixth inning to get out of a bases loaded jam and later ended the top half of the eighth inning stranding a Bomber on third. To put the icing on the cake, Lowe struck out the side in the top of the ninth to end the game.

College Park Bombers (6-5) 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 -- 3 7 1
Bethesda Big Train (8-5) 0 0 0 2 0 1 3 0 - -- 6 12 4

WP: Lowe (2-0); LP: Wells (0-1)
2B: Carson (BBT), Thomas (2) (BBT)
Attendance: 570
Time: 2 hours, 33 minutes

Big Train Notes: Saturday night's game was sponsored Ledo Pizza, a Seventh Season Sponsor that has been integral to the Big Train's success. Bethesda fans welcomed Talon, the mascot for the DC United soccer team along with many BCC Baseball ballplayers who played at Shirley Povich Field prior to the Big Train game.

Trey Cuevas and DC United's Talon ham it up at the autograph table