Big Train drops Game 1 against Senators in 7-6 heartbreaker

by Calvin Kaplan

Kide Adetuyi by Mark Thalman

ROCKVILLE, Md. — The Bethesda Big Train dropped a 7-6 heartbreaker to the Southern Maryland Senators Thursday, losing Game 1 of its three-game semifinal series after leading by three entering the ninth inning.

The Big Train was led by three-hit days from second baseman Brennon Wright (South Alabama) and shortstop John Martinez (Florida Atlantic). On the hill, left-hander Kide Adetuyi (Florida Atlantic) was impressive as usual, holding a feisty Senators squad to two runs over six innings with five strikeouts.

“I just had to work my [butt] off,” Adetuyi said. “They were putting good barrels on the ball, some bloop hits. But, I mean, it’s baseball.”

Adetuyi allowed just his second run all season in the top of the first, which featured an impressive diving catch from center fielder Alex Peltier (East Carolina) for the second out. Peltier laced a double into left-center to lead off the bottom half of the inning, and left fielder Josh Skowronski (Winthrop) quickly brought him home on a single to right field, tying the score at one.

The teams traded scoreless frames in the second and third, with Adetuyi blanking the Senators in the top of the fourth as well. The Big Train came alive offensively in the bottom of the inning, picking up an RBI triple from designated hitter Brett Ott (Sacramento State) and an RBI single from Martinez.

Adetuyi shut down Southern Maryland again in the top of the fifth. In the latter half of the frame, Skowronski brought home a run on a fielder’s choice to extend the Big Train’s lead to 4-1.

The Senators brought home one run against Adetuyi in the sixth, but the Big Train responded with a sacrifice fly from Wright to make the score 5-2. In the top of the seventh, the Big Train brought in right-hander Tyler Brashear (Eckerd) to replace Adetuyi after another solid outing. The Senators scored one run, cutting the deficit to two once again.

In the latter part of the seventh, the Big Train extended its lead to 6-3 with a big-time RBI double from Ott. Brashear held strong with a scoreless top of the eighth, and after the Senators blanked the Big Train in the bottom of the frame, it was up to the righty to pick up the save in the ninth.

The Senators loaded the bases with two outs before the Big Train brought in right-hander Owen Stewart (George Mason). Southern Maryland took the lead, scoring four runs on a walk and a single with an error added on to take a 7-6 lead into the bottom of the ninth. After holding the Big Train scoreless, the Senators walked away with an improbable win.

Up next, the Big Train will face the Senators at 7 p.m. today for Game 2 of the series. That game will take place at Shirley Povich Field, although Southern Maryland is technically considered the “home” team.