Brilliant bats, stifling pitching guide Big Train past Braves

by Calvin Kaplan

Logan Ponnett by Nora Kelley

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Through four games of its 2025 campaign, the Bethesda Big Train saw flashes of brilliance from its hitters and pitchers alike.

Against the Metro South County Braves, the team put it all together in a statement 14-4 win.

The Big Train had five players with multi-hit games on Sunday, along with a whopping eight extra-base knocks. The pitching was as stout as ever, allowing the team to build a significant advantage as the innings progressed.

Even amid the teamwide success, the play of third baseman Logan Ponnett (North Carolina Charlotte) has shined.

Through five games, Ponnett is batting .348 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. He hit a game-tying grand slam on Opening Day and added a solo shot on Saturday against Gaithersburg.

Then, on Sunday, the North Carolina native went nuclear. Ponnett exploded for a 3-for-5 day that included two doubles and a moonshot home run to straightaway center, his third of the season.

So what’s led to this surge at the plate?

“Staying the course,” Ponnett said. “I know I’ve always had it, but I guess just trusting your abilities and going out and doing it.”

Ponnett leads the league with his trifecta of homers, while no other CRCBL player has more than one so far. Put simply, it’s been an incredible display of power for the incoming sophomore. His teammates backed him up with 13 additional hits as the Big Train turned the game into a blowout.

Of course, massive credit is due for the pitching staff. Starter Austin Monahan (State College of Florida) was effective in a lengthy 91-pitch outing. As the Big Train clung to a two-run lead with a pair of outs in the fifth, head coach Sal Colangelo swapped Monahan for Tyler Brashear (Undecided).

Brashear was nothing short of dominant. The righty fired 4.1 innings of nearly perfect pitching, mowing down Braves to the tune of one hit, three walks and four strikeouts.

His slider was sharp. His two-strike fastball was practically unhittable.

But beyond all of that, Brashear still gave plenty of credit to his teammates’ defensive play. He specifically shouted out right fielder Peyton Steele (Alabama), catcher Jacob Hauk (Maryland) and Ponnett.

“Logan made a great play at third in the last inning,” Brashear said. “The defense was just outstanding today.”

That play, a diving stop followed by a crisp throw to first, was emblematic of both Ponnett’s and the team’s success on Sunday.

With momentum on its side, the Big Train has a pair of road games coming up today and Wednesday against the DC Grays (7 p.m.) and Alexandria Aces (6:30 p.m.). Those will be followed by a home matchup against the Olney Cropdusters at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

So how can the team maintain its momentum going forward?

“Just staying on the roll, staying aggressive to the other team’s pitchers,” Brashear said. “And our pitchers going and getting ahead of hitters and just attacking them. I mean, that’s the key.”