Robert, Pease get wins on Friday

Orioles 2, Big Train 1

Big Train 2, Orioles 0

Game 1 Box Score │ Game 2 Box Score │ Season Stats │ Archived Webcast

Last August, the Bethesda Big Train and the Maryland Orioles faced each other in the first round of the AAABA championship in Johnstown, PA. The Big Train led with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but lost on a dramatic two run walk-off home run. The Orioles went on to win the AAABA national championship. With the establishment of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, the two squads faced-off eight times this summer including two games on Friday night. The teams split the doubleheader and split the season series with four wins apiece. The doubleheader split leaves the Orioles with a one game lead over the Big Train as the Ripken Senior League heads into its last week of play.

In the first game, Orioles starting pitcher Bernard Robert (SE Louisiana) continued his mastery of the Big Train, beating Bethesda for the third time this season. Robert pitched a complete game allowing just four hits and one run while striking out five. Bethesda got on the board first when Rhett Teller (St. Leo) led off the bottom of the second inning with a slicing shot into the rightfield corner for a triple. He scored on a groundout RBI by Bryan Thomas (Virginia Tech). But the Orioles responded in the top of the third with a triple to rightfield by Danny Williams (Pittsburgh). Williams scored on a balk. Jeff Poff singled and later scored the winning run on an RBI single by Jeremy Farrell (Virginia). Ron Lowe (St. Leo) was the hard luck loser, pitching a complete game and allowing just four hits and two earned runs while striking out seven. Teller had three of the four Big Train hits.

Maryland Orioles (20-12) 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 - 2 4 1
Bethesda Big Train (18-14) 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 4 1

WP: Robert (6-0) LP: Lowe (2-2)
3B: Teller (BBT); Williams (MO)
Time: One hour and 42 minutes

Both starting pitchers posted goose eggs on the Povich scoreboard for six innings before the Big Train had four straight hits in the bottom of the seventh to score two runs and drive Chad Kerfoot (Delaware) from the mound. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Bryan Thomas (Virginia Tech) doubled. Drew Carson (Southern Mississippi) singled and Thomas scored on an error by the leftfielder. Trey Cuevas (Southern Mississippi) singled and Carson scored on a single by Ken Beamer (Findlay). Big Train starter Dustin Pease (Mount St. Mary's) recorded a complete game shut out while allowing six hits and striking out five.

Maryland Orioles (20-13) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0 6 1
Bethesda Big Train (19-14) 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 - -- 2 7 1

WP: Pease (4-2) LP: Kerfoot (4-2)
3B: Durakis (MO); 2B: Thomas (BBT)
Time: 1 hour and 54 minutes

Doubleheader attendance: 637

Big Train Notes: The game was sponsored by Watkins, Meegan, Drury & Company, LLC... Calvert, sponsor of last Friday's rained out game was also on hand... It was I Am Part of an Active Community Night, featuring Sarah Kramm, 2005 Miss Continental Teen America. Sarah promoted her charitable alliance, Shanes Inspiration, by selling "Persons with Disabilities" Orange Bands of Hope to help fund Universally Accessible Play Environments for kids with disabilities... Fans brought cans of non-perishable food to donate to the Manna Food Center... Carnival Day was on hand to provide a moonbounce, giant slide, and speed pitch... Hopkins & Porter Construction presented a check for $4,500 to Habitat for Humanity.