Big Train Can't Hold Off Thunderbolts!

by Bryan Oringher

On a beautiful Monday evening before a crowd of 266 at Montgomery Blair Stadium, the Bethesda Big Train suffered their second straight loss, falling 8-4 to the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts.

The Big Train got on the board first after SS Steven Leach (Jacksonville State) tripled in the first inning and later scored on an Andrew Foster (Bowling Green) RBI ground out. The lead didn't last long, however, as the Thunderbolts took a 2-1 lead after RBI singles by Alex Peguero (Midland College) and Gerardo Hernandez (MCC-Rockville) in the bottom of the first.

After the Thunderbolts took a 3-1 lead on a bases-loaded walk by Michael Parker (Wingate) in the bottom of the third, the Big Train exploded for three runs in the fourth after Jon Karcich (Santa Clara) crushed a double to score Travis Owens (Bowling Green) and Pat Minogue (Northern Illinois), and Karcich later scored on an RBI single by Bert Smith (Jacksonville State) to put the Big Train ahead 4-3.

From there, the Big Train fell apart. The Thunderbolts scored 3 runs in the bottom of the fourth after a 2-RBI double by Joe Fowler (UMBC) and an RBI single by Gerardo Hernandez to take a 6-4 lead. In the bottom of the fourth, Marcus Rose (Furman) doubled to score two runs and put the Thunderbolts comfortably ahead 8-4. After their three-run fourth, the Big Train were shutout for the rest of the game, and did not reach base in 2.2 innings of work by the Thunderbolts bullpen.

Big Train starter Jimmy Saris (Georgetown) had his first rough outing of the year and went to 3-1 after pitching 3.2 innings and giving up 6 runs, 5 earned. Brett Smalley (Middle Tennessee State) was solid in relief, going 3.1 innings and giving up only 2 runs on 4 hits. Brian Anderson (San Francisco) pitched another scoreless inning with two strikeouts and has now given up only one earned run in 16.2 innings of work on the season.

For the Thunderbolts, starter Dan Gerjets (George Mason) picked up his first win on the season after going 6.1 innings and giving up 4 runs on 6 hits. Clay Bartlett (Columbia University) pitched 1.2 shutout innings while Zak Laws (Wingate) came in to strike out the side in the ninth inning. The Thunderbolts offense was lead by 1B Tim Park (William and Mary), who went 4-5 with 3 doubles and 3 runs scored.

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