WICKSWAT GOES THE DISTANCE TO SECURE 2006 CRSL TITLE
Box Score

LHP Matt Wickswat (Santa Clara) was in command Thursday afternoon at Knights Field as the Big Train cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Rockville Express to clinch the 2006 Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League regular season title. Josh Dietz (Bowling Green) led off the top of the second with a single, advanced on a single by Adam Plummer (Pitt-Johnstown), and scored on a single by Brian Dozier (Southern Mississippi). Matt Long (Santa Clara) led off the third with a single and scored on a double by Preston Pehrson (Texas) down the rightfield line. It turned out that this was all that Wickswat needed. A lucky bounce netted the Big Train two insurance runs in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Luke Adkins (Southern Mississippi) hit what appeared to be a routine grounder to the first baseman that turned out to be anything but routine. The ball bounced high over the first baseman and into rightfield. Dietz doubled and then Steven Leach (Jacksonville State) plated both runners with a line shot off the pitcher's foot that ended up in rightfield. In the bottom of the sixth, Michael Gilmartin (UC-Irvine) tripled down the rightfield line and scored on an RBI ground out. Gilmartin was the only Express player to advance past second base all afternoon. The Express managed two singles in the ninth, but Wickswat was able to complete the game and clinch the regular season title for Bethesda.


Bethesda Big Train (26-12) 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 -- 4 11 0

Maryland Redbirds (24-15) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 -- 1 6 2


WP: Wickswat (3-0)
LP: DeFratus (1-3)
3B: Gilmartin (RE)
2B: Pehrson (BBT), Dietz (BBT)
Attendance: 75
Time: 2 hours, 18 minutes


Big Train Notes: With the Big Train's Thursday win over the Rockville Express, the Big Train moved back into the lead for the Gazette-sponsored Montgomery Cup. A win Saturday over the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts, would keep the Cup at Povich Field. A loss Saturday would result in Bethesda and Rockville sharing the Cup... The Big Train players celebrated Thursday night with a post-game dinner at the Silver Diner.