Big Train Rallies Late to Outlast Senators 6-4 in Back-and-Forth Contest

James Gladden (left) hugs Dylan Murphy (right) by Mark Thalman

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The Bethesda Big Train had their backs against the wall on Friday night. It was win or go home against the Southern Maryland Senators. After they fell behind early, the Big Train stormed back to take the elimination game 6-4 to force a winner-take-all game three tomorrow night. 

“Put it all out on the field,” Manager Sal Colangelo said of his pregame message. “I wanted to see who was going to do something great tonight…. Someone needs to step up and do something great.”

Michael Walsh took the mound in the top of the first for the Senators. Even with the game being played on the Big Train’s home turf, they played as the road team for the contest. Walsh got off to a fast start and struck out the side in the first. Drew Bellis (University of Central Florida) got the ball in the must-win game for the Big Train fresh off of breaking the single-season Cal Ripken Sr. League strikeout record. Bellis worked around a Logan Tribble hit and matched Walsh’s scoreless inning. He picked up a strikeout in the process.

Walsh continued to mow down the Big Train lineup in the second. He struck out Emilio Gonzalez (Nova Southeastern University) to make it four consecutive strikeouts to start his night. Bellis allowed a leadoff hit but retired the next three batters to keep the game scoreless. 

Dylan Murphy (Florida Atlantic University) walked with two outs in the third for the Big Train’s first base runner but was stranded there. Cale Vinson singled and Nick Flores doubled to get two runners into scoring position for the Senators with nobody out. Adam Troch dropped one into shallow right field to get the Senators on the board. Later in the inning, Troch took off for second. As Brennon Wright (University of South Alabama) went to cover the bag, Tribble poked one through the vacated gap in the infield to plate another run. Steven Kraus recorded a sacrifice fly to help the Senators jump out to a 3-0 lead. Bellis ended the frame with two strikeouts to prevent any further damage. 

Walsh retired the heart of the Big Train order with three grounders to toss a shut down inning after his offense spotted him three in the previous frame. Bellis bounced back in the fourth inning to pitch a scoreless inning. He hurled a beautiful curveball to freeze Vinson in the frame.

Peyton Steele (University of Alabama) tried to jumpstart the offense by working a walk. John Martinez (Florida Atlantic University) hit a sharp grounder to shortstop for what should have been a killer double play. Instead, Vinson dropped the ball and everybody was safe. The Big Train could not take advantage of the miscue. Matt Westley (undecided) popped out a bunt attempt. Two batters later, Murphy hit one sharply, but Vinson atoned for the error with a sliding stop and throw to end the threat. Michael Madigan (George Mason University) relieved Bellis in the fifth. The southpaw retired the side in order for a very quick inning. 

Michael Madigan (left) and Dylan Murphy (right) by Mark Thalman

Alex Peltier (East Carolina University) recorded the first hit of the night for the Big Train to lead off the sixth. Wright got drilled in the helmet, and it knocked Walsh out of the contest. Gonzalez walked to load the bases to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. With two outs and the bases still juiced, Martinez quickly fell behind in the count 0-2. Later in the at bat, the shortstop hit a bolt to center. Troch dove for the sinking liner and whiffed. The ball kept rolling, and the Big Train kept running. All three runs scored to tie the game at three in the blink of an eye. 

“There are runners on base, we got to score,” Martinez said of his mindset.

John Martinez by Mark Thalman

Madigan walked two in his second inning of work. With two on and two out, the lefty induced a ground ball to Martinez. The shortstop made a sliding stop, showed off his arm and fired to first for the final out of the frame. 

"Making sure that I can help out my pitchers [is important]," Martinez said. "If I can save a hit or a run, that's my goal." 

The game entered a lightning delay that lasted just over half an hour before resuming in the top of the seventh. The Big Train played small ball in the inning. Brett Ott (Sacramento State) got drilled one pitch after they returned to action. Murphy laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Ott into scoring position. The outfielder took third on a ball in the dirt. Peltier hit a chopper up the middle for an RBI groundout. After the Big Train was being no-hit for the majority of the game, they gained their first lead of the night. 

Cole Ketchum (University of Mississippi) entered for Madigan in the seventh. He hit Flores in the head to lead off the inning. Later in the frame, Kraus singled just over Martinez’s head to tie the game at four.

 Steele beat out an infield hit and Martinez got plunked to put the first two runners on, but the Big Train could not drive in either runner and the game was still tied. Ketchum came out firing in the eighth to retire the side to send the game into the ninth. He got help when Gonzalez laid out to spear a liner at first base to take a hit away. 

The Big Train had the top of the order due up in the ninth. Peltier hit one in the hole at shortstop, and the centerfielder beat the throw easily. After he advanced on Wright’s sacrifice bunt, he reached third on a wild pitch. Gonzalez lined out to the center, but Peltier scored to give the Big Train the late lead. Steele added insurance. The right fielder plugged the gap to score Josh Skowronski (Winthrop University) to give his team some breathing room.

“You have to believe,” Colangelo said. “If you don’t believe in your abilities…you’re not going to be successful.”

James Gladden (University of Maryland) entered for the save in a 6-4 game. The righty worked a stressless final inning to keep the Big Train’s championship hopes alive. 

“We’ve got all the momentum,” Martinez said. “All we got to do is come out [tomorrow] and execute.”

James Gladden by Mark Thalman

The Big Train and Senators will square off for a winner-take-all game three for a chance to play the Alexandria Aces in the league championship series. The Big Train will try to finish off the Senators at home today at 7 p.m.