Bullpen Saves the Day, as Big Train Prevail 5-3 over Cropdusters

by Alex Rubinson

Big Train Celebrating Fourth Straight Win

ROCKVILLE, Md. - After scoring 10 or more runs in four consecutive games entering Thursday, the Big Train’s bullpen saved the day and secured a 5-3 win over the Olney Cropdusters. The victory comes a week after the Big Train lost to the Cropdusters 10-4.

With two outs in the second inning, starting pitcher Jack Ketchum (University of Alabama) threw a wild pitch that scored the second run for the Cropdusters. As the pitch got to the backstop, the Big Train starter walked behind the mound and appeared to be in discomfort. Ketchum left the game immediately. His brother, Cole Ketchum (University of Mississippi), replaced him.

“[It was] just precautionary,” Sal Colangelo said. “Jack’s a great kid. We’ll get him looked at and wish him nothing but the best.”

Cole Ketchum had all the time he needed to warm up, but the early call came as a surprise. Having just seen his brother exit the game prematurely, Ketchum was thrusted into a second inning jam. The Mississippi native quickly struck out Ayden Frey to strand a runner on third.

“[Coming into an emergency situation] was better for me because I didn’t have to think,” Cole Ketchum said. “I just had to go rip it.”

Ketchum settled in and dominated. He finished with 4.1 hitless innings, striking out six and allowing just one walk. With pinpoint fastball command and steady tempo, he silenced the Cropdusters’ bats. In the sixth inning, the Cropdusters had the tying run in scoring position after a two-base error, but Ketchum escaped the jam and induced weak contact to end his night.

“It was just about getting ahead early,” Cole Ketchum said. “[It was] just about pounding the zone with my fastball and everything else kind of just played off of it.”

Cole Ketchum by Nora Kelley

Ketchum allowed his manager to not have to go deep into his bullpen and allowed most of the relief corps to stay fresh for future contests.

“One word: spectacular,” Colangelo said. “He threw strikes, worked ahead, mixed it up [and] changed eye levels. He’s going to be a big piece of what we do down the stretch.”

Connor Lehman (University of Alabama) struggled in his Saturday appearance against the Gaithersburg Giants, but the righty rebounded Thursday. After walking the first two batters, catcher Dylan Murphy (Florida Atlantic University) paid a mound visit. Lehman locked in after the quick conversation. He retired the next three hitters on two grounders and a soft pop up. Although a run scored, Lehman held onto the lead. The sophomore got into trouble in the eighth inning but worked out of it and handed the ball to Adekide Adetuyi (Florida Atlantic University) for the ninth.

Adetuyi walked the leadoff man, but on a night when Enter Sandman echoed through Shirley Povich Field for decades night, the southpaw channeled his inner Mariano Rivera and struck out the next three hitters to record the save, which preserved the fourth consecutive victory for the Big Train.

“Coming back with three strikeouts was amazing,” Adetuyi said. “I just attacked the zone with the [those] three guys, and it worked out.”

The Big Train stay at home to take on the first-place Southern Maryland Senators today at 7 p.m.