Big Train Drop its Second Game 10-4 to Olney Cropdusters

Bethesda Big Train mound visit

Despite flashes of fight, the Bethesda Big Train couldn’t overcome early issues in a 10-4 loss to the Olney Cropdusters. Lucas Marrero and company were responsible for 10 walks to go along with five hit by pitches and four wild pitches. Marrero executed for most of his night, but Sal Colangelo’s pitching staff had a tough time getting the elusive third out. Eight of 10 runs for the Cropdusters came home with two outs. 

“There were a lot of ups, and a lot of downs,” Marrero said. “It didn’t go as we planned. [I] walked more guys than I wanted to.”

Lucas Marrero by Raquel Ordonez

In the second inning, Marrero worked himself into a jam with a walk and an infield single. The southpaw retired the next two batters on a pair of weak ground balls to first baseman Emilio Gonzalez. Although a run came to score on Cadeyrn Ahearn’s roller, Marrero appeared to be able to limit the damage. For the Cropdusters, centerfielder Brian Scott singled and second baseman Ayden Frey doubled making the score 3-0 in the blink of an eye. 

“I think a lot of hitters I fell behind, and the hitters I did get ahead in, I just let them get back in the count,” Marrero said. 

The big blow came two innings later in the fourth. In the top half of the inning, the Big Train loaded the bases for Dylan Murphy. The catcher smacked the ball into shallow right field, forcing Gonzalez to hold at first to ensure it dropped. Olney’s right fielder Koy Swanson came up firing to get Gonzalez at second base for the force out. A run cut the lead to 3-1, but the bottom of the order could not cut deeper into the Cropdusters’ lead.  

In the bottom of the fourth frame, Marrero retired the first two batters and was poised to work deep into the ballgame. The Lynchburg College sophomore hit the next batter before walking Scott to turn the lineup over. After a lengthy mound visit and a wild pitch, Marrero got Frey to hit a grounder to third baseman Logan Ponnett. Ponnett made a nice sliding stop but skipped the throw to Gonzalez, which allowed two more runners to touch home plate. 

Trevor Orth, who came in to relieve Marrero, hit Cook for the third hit batter of the inning. First baseman Austin Stalker took advantage, as he delivered a two-run single to open up a 7-1 lead. All four runs in the inning were unearned.

“A lot of [not being able to get the third out] was internal. It wasn’t external,” Marrero said. “I don’t think that [the Cropdusters] were so gritty or so great, but a lot of it was just on me.”

After the Big Train’s late offensive showing on Wednesday, they pecked away at the Cropdusters’ lead. Josh Skowronski drove in Parker Corbin with an RBI single in the fifth inning. One inning later, Corbin hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Matt Westley. 

After John Martinez walked, Gonzalez stepped up as the tying run with the bases loaded in the sixth. The cleanup hitter quickly fell behind in the count 0-2. On the third pitch, Gonzalez pulled it hard, but he hit it on the ground right to his counterpart at first to end the inning. Throughout the night, the Big Train threatened for the big inning with men on base, but it could not manage to hang a crooked number on its opponent. 

In the bottom half of the inning, the Cropdusters manufactured two more runs with two outs. With runners on the corners, Stalker stole second before Frey came around to score on a wild pitch. Later in the same plate appearance, Stalker scored on a passed ball by Dylan Murphy. Half of the total runs the Cropdusters scored were unearned. 

Brennon Wright by Raquel Ordonez

Leadoff man Brennon Wright had a nice night at the dish. The outfielder recorded three hits in the loss and was hit by a pitch. Wright used the whole field and his speed. He lined the ball the other way for one of his base knocks and beat out the pitcher in a foot race to the first base bag for an infield single. Ponnett added two hits of his own after his grand slam on Wednesday. 

The Big Train will travel to face the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts today at 7 p.m. The Big Train will return home to play the Metro South County Braves on Sunday June 8 at 10 a.m.