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Big Train Sweep Doubleheader to Improve to 21-5 on Season

The Big Train are fortunate enough to offer two different versions of a doubleheader recap. Read both below:
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Monday, July 7, 2008

by Mike Sarzo
Prince George's Sentinel

The Bethesda Big Train may be in first place in the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League on the strength of its hitting prowess, but in a doubleheader against the College Park Bombers at Shipley Field on the campus of the University of Maryland, pitching ruled the day.

The Big Train swept the doubleheader 2-0 and 6-0, but Bethesda led 1-0 going into the top of the seventh and final inning of the second game. A grand slam by Eli Boike (Michigan State) blew that game wide open for the visitors.

"I didn't think we were seeing the ball," said Bombers manager Gene Bovello, whose team dropped to 9-11 on the season. He said the starting pitchers for both teams were outstanding in both games.

"You have to hit to win," he said. Except for Boike's grand slam, neither team did much hitting. Even though Bethesda's .279 batting average as a team leads the league by 33 points, the Big Train combined for 14 hits in the two games, including six in the first game.

Meanwhile, the Bombers totaled seven hits combined.

Bethesda manager Sal Colangelo praised the starters, saying, "all four guys for both teams threw very well." He added that he didn't expect the two games to be as tightly played as they were.

"You don't expect it, but you know it happens. That's baseball," he said. "You do the little things and you try to push runs across when you can."

Cody Allen (Central Florida), who started the first game for the Big Train, said his game plan was simply to throw strikes. He said getting ahead of the Bombers was vital to pitching well against them. He also said he never called off his battery mate, catcher Ryan Mulligan (Saint Mary's CA).

"When you make good pitches to good hitters, more often than not you're going to get an out," Mulligan said. "It's harder to hit than to pitch."

Allen threw five shutout innings, striking out five and allowing three hits and two walks. Bombers starter Mike Bell went the distance, allowing six hits and two runs, walking two and striking out one in defeat.

In game two, Big Train lefty Justin Wright (Virginia Tech) went the distance for a shutout and allowed three hits and three walks. One of his walks was an intentional walk to Bombers' designated hitter Mike Celenza, whom Mulligan said was the best hitter in the College Park lineup. Bombers righty Darren O'Brien was nearly as good, allowing five hits and one run in six innings of work. He walked four and struck out four.

The day started with the threat of showers and isolated thunderstorms, which have plagued the Bombers all season, according to Bovello. The second game went the full seven innings, even though streaks of lightning appeared in the distance starting in the sixth inning.

Bovello said the rainouts are forcing his team to use pitchers they normally wouldn't. Brian Hangbers, who is the regular first baseman for the Bombers, pitched the seventh, allowing five runs including the grand slam and a bases-loaded walk.

"We played a lot of games and we've got a lot of games to play this week," Bovello said. "All the rainouts are catching up to us."

Bovello said Hangbers pitches for Bowling Green, where he plays during the college baseball regular season. However, Hangbers made his first pitching appearance for the Bombers.

"We're using anybody we can who has pitched," Bovello said.

Contact Mike Sarzo at editor-pg@thesentinel.com or pgsentinelmike@yahoo.com.

by Reid Kellam
e-mail the Big Train writers at writers@bigtrain.org!

Game One:
In the first game of a doubleheader in College Park, the Big Train defeated the Bombers 2-0 in seven innings thanks to stellar pitching and defense. Cody Allen(Central Florida) started on the hill and pitched five shutout innings, striking out seven and allowing only three hits, on his way to his second win of the season.

Allen got into trouble in the bottom of the first, with runners on first and third with only one out. Luckily, Scott Schneider (Saint Mary's CA) and Jordan King (Meridian CC) turned a crisp 6-4-3 double play to get the Big Train out of the inning unscathed.

The Big Train's first run came in the second inning. Danny Stienstra (San Jose State) led off the inning with a single, and after a fly out and a fielder's choice, found himself on second base with two outs. Ryan Mulligan (Saint Mary's CA) then drove in what turned out to be the game-winning run with an RBI single that scored Stienstra.

In the sixth inning, Big Train left fielder Luke Adkins (Mississippi State) drew a walk to lead off the inning, and moved over to second on a fielder's choice. With one out, Jordan King added another run with a double that scored Adkins.


Quinn Ewert (Illinois State) secured the victory for the Big Train, pitching the last two innings, allowing only one hit and no walks to earn his first save of the season. With the win, Bethesda improved to 20-5 on the season.

Game Two:
In the night cap, the Big Train once again shutout the Bombers, winning 6-0, thanks in large part to a masterful three-hitter by Justin Wright (Virginia Tech) and some late clutch hitting.

Both starters cruised through the first four innings, before the Big Train landed on the scoreboard in the fifth inning. With two outs and the bases empty, Scott Schneider (Saint Mary's) doubled and Luke Adkins (Mississippi State) walked before Danny Stienstra (San Jose State) reached on a costly error by Bombers third baseman Grant Morlock that allowed Schneider to score the game's first run.

In the seventh, the Bombers brought in Brian Hangbers to replace starter Darren O'Brien who had yet to allow an earned run. After a strike-out to lead off the inning, Luke Adkins and Danny Stienstra both singled and Jordan King (Meridian CC) walked to load the bases. Another strike-out gave the Big Train two outs, and they were in danger of leaving the bases loaded. Dylan Tonneson (California) came through with a walk that scored Adkins from third. Eli Boike (Michigan State) trampled all hope the Bombers had with a huge grand slam that gave the Big Train a 6-0 lead.

Justin Wright was able to close out the Bombers in the seventh inning, giving him a complete game shutout. Wright, who won his third consecutive start and has yet to be defeated this season, struck out eight and faced only 29 batters.