Clutch Hits Bring Victory by David Ireland On Tuesday night at Joe Cannon Stadium in Severn, Maryland the Big Train defeated the Maryland Redbirds 5-3. With all around good pitching and clutch hitting the Big Train got back in the win column. Early on it looked like Tuesday would be a repeat of Monday's offensive woes as the Big Train were only able to muster two hits through the first four innings. Helped by two inning ending double plays, Redbirds starting pitcher Anthony Gibbons (Delaware State) was able to pitch four shutout innings. And then he exited the ballgame. Meanwhile Big Train starter Mitch Herold (Central Florida) proved to be just as effective through his first four innings allowing no runs on only one hit, striking out six and looking sharp. In the top half of the fifth the Big Train were able to get on the board first as a result of Eli Boike's (Michigan State) RBI double down the rightfield line that plated Pat Minogue (Northern Illinois) who had reached on a bunt base hit. Immediately following, leadoff hitter and Big Train second baseman Bert Smith (Jacksonville State) continued to get the job done as he hit a sacrifice fly to score Chris Duffy (Central Florida) for the second run of the inning. However, in the bottom of the fifth the Redbirds bats came alive and tagged Herold for two hard hit singles and up came Jace McMananis (Dartmouth). McMananis had gone 0-2 off Herold, but this time he unleashed a towering fly ball that squeaked over the leftfield fence close to the foul pole for a three run home run giving the Redbirds a 3-2 lead. Quinn Ewert (Michigan State) replaced Herold and got the final two outs of the inning to keep the Big Train down by one. It wasn't until the top of the eighth when Bethesda was able to get the offense going again. Clay Whittemore (Jacksonville State) started the rally with a one out walk, then Andrew Foster (Bowling Green) was plunked with a fastball, and Evan Friedland (Michigan State) followed with a walk to set up a one out and bases loaded situation. And up came catcher Travis Owens (Bowling Green) who came through with a huge two RBI single into rightfield to retake the lead. Minogue got in on the clutch hitting with an RBI single of his own to score Friedland making the score 5-3 Bethesda. Ewert earned the win with 3 2/3 of solid scorless innings in relief and allowed only two hits. Hugh Adams (Saint John's CHS) got the save with a scoreless ninth. Both Minogue and Foster had multi-hit games with Minogue going 3-3 and reaching base four times with two stolen bases and an RBI. W: Ewert L: Squires Box Score

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