The Official Site of the
BETHESDA BIG TRAIN
Summer Collegiate Baseball
3 Home Runs Can’t Power Big Train to Victory in 11-8 Loss to Cropdusters in Regular Season Finale
Big Train huddle during the game against the Olney Cropdusters at First Responder Field at OBGC Park on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 in Olney, Maryland. (Photo by Matthew Lewyn/Bethesda Community Base Ball Club)
OLNEY, Md. — Center fielder TJ Gramesty (Florida Atlantic), shortstop Cal Johnson (Maryland), and third baseman Logan Ponnett (George Mason) all provided the Bethesda Big Train with home runs Wednesday night. However, the deep shots weren’t enough in a 11-8 loss to the Olney Cropdusters at First Responder Field.
The defeat dropped the Big Train to the No. 2 seed in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League playoffs. With not every team playing all 35 regular season contests, all eight teams in the league made the playoffs. The Big Train will be back at Shirley Povich Field on Saturday against the higher-seeded Wild Card series winner.
“We just lost our composure,” Big Train head coach Sal Colangelo. “The strike zone changed, and umpires are human nature. It happens, and it changed. You got to give them credit, and we didn't get it done. That's just the bottom line. We didn't get it done.”
In Wednesday’s contest, Gramesty provided 2 RBIs with his home run in the top of the eighth inning. The 5-foot-8 Swiss-army knife hit the ball just over the center field wall. His homer scored catcher Jack Gagen (Norfolk State) — who produced a five-pitch walk in a two-out situation — and extended Bethesda’s lead to three runs.
However, the Big Train could not keep the lead in the final two innings.
The bottom of the eighth was a worst-case scenario for Bethesda. The Cropdusters produced two singles for three runs to tie the contest. Then, they launched a 3-run home run to give Olney the decisive advantage.
Johnson was the only baserunner for the Big Train in the ninth frame after a seven-pitch at-bat, battling back from an 0-2 count. With two outs, left fielder Ryan Foscolo (Kentucky) couldn’t come up big in the final out, striking out on three pitches to end the game.
“They swung it out well. We just didn't get it done when we needed to,” Colangelo said. “We talk about minimizing and not giving up the big inning when we did it, and we let our emotions get the best of us.”
Bethesda Big Train Infielder Cal Johnson (9) stands in the batter's box during the game against the Olney Cropdusters at First Responder Field at OBGC Park on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 in Olney, Maryland. (Photo by Matthew Lewyn/Bethesda Community Base Ball Club)
Johnson’s home run came in the fourth frame. After giving up two runs in the third, the Big Train’s bats were still hot.
Compared to Bethesda chipping away at the D.C. Grays’ eight-run lead on Monday, it only took Johnson one pitch to tie the game at 2. His hard swing and exceptional contact produced a home run over the center field wall, his sixth homer of the season.
Foscolo followed with a single, which led to the Cropdusters changing pitchers. However, the change didn’t help as Foscolo advanced to second on a groundout before moving to third on a balk.
Designated hitter Kieran Coleman (Clarion) scored Foscolo with a single that dropped in front of Olney’s center fielder. Gramesty laid his body on the line by taking a pitch in the back to gain a free base. Gramesty and Coleman scored to extend Bethesda’s advantage off a second baseman Brennon Wright’s (South Alabama) single to center field.
Ponnett’s home run also came on the first pitch of the inning, with a homer that went over the left field wall.
Coleman — who finished the night 3-for-4 at the plate — followed the deep shot with a single that dropped in front of the Cropdusters’ center fielder. The Starkville, Mississippi, native then moved to second due to a ground out before a passed ball advanced him to third.
Wright then stepped into the batter’s box, the clutch bat has come up big for Bethesda this season. He produced 14 RBIs and a .468 on-base percentage — which was ninth best in the Ripken Sr. League — entering Wednesday’s game. Wright came through in the clutch again with a triple down the right field line to score his high school teammate.
Bethesda tacked on the first run in the top of the second inning. Johnson started with a walk before left fielder Foscolo singled to center field, which dropped right in front of the Cropdusters’ defender.
Ponnett then produced a sacrifice bunt to move Foscolo and Johnson into scoring position. Coleman provided the clutch knock with a single that hit off the glove of the Cropdusters’ pitcher. As the ball rebounded to the shortstop, his throw to first was late. The play allowed Coleman and Johnson to be safe.
Bethesda Big Train Third Baseman Logan Ponnett (6) walks into the infield during the game against the Olney Cropdusters at First Responder Field at OBGC Park on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 in Olney, Maryland. (Photo by Matthew Lewyn/Bethesda Community Base Ball Club)
With Tuesday’s games being canceled due to severe storms, Colangelo tried to allow his pitching staff to gain more innings on the mound before playoff games.
Right-handed pitcher Jackson Ketchum (Alabama) started the crucial matchup. Ketchum received two innings of work, striking out two batters and allowing no hits or runs. After 33 pitches, Ketchum was substituted out for left-hander Bradley Gagen (Eastern Kentucky).
Gagen — throwing to his brother Jack Gagen (Norfolk State) behind the dish — produced one inning in 22 pitches. Right-hander Austin Monahan (State College of Florida) also produced one inning of one-run pitching before righty Landry Winter (East Central CC) gave up no runs in his one inning on the mound.
Right-handed pitcher Kyle Hopper (Jacksonville) was the only other pitcher who received two innings on the mound. Even though he gave up a two-run homer to the Cropdusters in the seventh inning, the hit was the only lowlight during his ninth appearance of the season.
Hopper struck out two opposing hitters, one of whom was after the homer to end the seventh frame. After 24 pitches, the Big Train turned to right-hander Kyzer Smith (Florida Atlantic) to close the game.
Yet, the usually sure-handed Smith — who entered the game with 26 strikeouts and a less than 1.00 ERA — couldn’t hold the lead. The Cropdusters produced four hits and six earned runs. During Olney’s home run trot, both sides engaged in heated words, as Smith’s frustrations led to his subsequent ejection.
In his place, right fielder and right-handed pitcher Zachary Malvasio (UCF) walked his first batter faced before striking out an opposing batter on three pitches to end the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Big Train finished the regular season with a 25-12 overall record. Playoff tickets can be found on the Big Train website.
“We're prepared. I'm not worried about it,” Colangelo said. “We've been two seeds. We've been a three seed, four seed. What matters is holding up that trophy at the end of the championship series.”