Electric bats, stellar pitching help Big Train crush Braves

by Calvin Kaplan

Adekide Adetuyi by Mark Thalman

ROCKVILLE, Md. — After a tough loss on Monday, the Bethesda Big Train came out with a vengeance against the Metro SoCo Braves, catching fire at the plate and on the mound en route to a 20-7 victory.

The team was led by three-hit days from second baseman Brennon Wright (South Alabama), first baseman Emilio Gonzalez (Florida Atlantic), third baseman Peyton Steele (Alabama), right fielder Logan Ponnett (North Carolina Charlotte) and left fielder Brett Ott (Sacramento State). One of Gonzalez’s hits was a high-flying home run, his first of the season.

"I was just looking for my pitch, looking for the ball low and looking for a pitch that I could drive out the park," Gonzalez said.

On the bump, left-hander Kide Adetuyi (Florida Atlantic) delivered five innings of sparkling one-hit ball, allowing no runs and striking out nine.

“He just had great command,” Big Train head coach Sal Colangelo. “Really executed pitches when he needed to, exploited batters’ tendencies and just did a good job.”

On Tuesday, the Big Train played as the away team, but it hosted the Braves at Shirley Povich Field due to a heat-related field closure at South County High School. The team wasted no time threatening in the top of the first, bringing home center fielder Alex Peltier (East Carolina) on a double-play ball to take an early 1-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the first, Adetuyi took the hill, starting off dominant for the Big Train with two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 inning. The team went scoreless in the top of the second, but Adetuyi held the Braves hitless with two strikeouts in the bottom of the frame, keeping the score at 1-0.

Peltier drew a walk to start the third, stealing second shortly after to put the Big Train in prime position to score. After a flyout and a groundout, the center fielder scored again to put his team ahead 2-0.

In the latter half of the inning, Adetuyi continued his dominance, striking out two more batters with a perfect combination of fastball and off-speed pitches. Shortly after, he completed a second 1-2-3 inning, retiring center fielder Franklin Gomez by inducing a weak groundout to short.

The Big Train’s offense came alive again in the top of the fourth. With two runners on and nobody out, Ott laid down a textbook bunt to load the bases.

At the plate with a major opportunity, Peltier brought home two runs with a high chopper that was mishandled by the Braves’ infield. Soon after, Wright added a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 5-0.

To start the bottom of the fourth, Adetuyi added his seventh strikeout, getting designated hitter Nich Francuzenko to flail at a nasty breaking ball for the first out of the inning. The Braves managed a walk and a single, but they ended the inning without a run nonetheless.

In the fifth, Gonzalez led off the inning with a towering home run to right-center field, his first of the season. After an RBI single from Ott, the Big Train took a commanding 7-0 lead.

Adetuyi rang up two more batters to start the bottom of the frame, moving up to nine strikeouts on the day. After making a nice play in the field to scoop up a bunt, the left-hander threw over to first and finished off a clean 1-2-3 fifth to end his day.

“Honestly, my slider and fastball were working the best,” Adetuyi said. “I have to give props to my catcher [Dylan Murphy (Florida Atlantic)]. He was calling the best pitches, didn’t really have to shake off much.”

After a walk from Wright and a single from shortstop John Martinez (Florida Atlantic), Gonzalez ripped a single into right field to load the bases. Steele capitalized in a flash with a two-RBI single, and Ponnett picked up a single as well.

Ponnett’s hit loaded the bases once again. With the score at 9-0, designated hitter Parker Corbin (Maryland) managed to bring another run home on a sacrifice fly. To add to the damage, Steele scored on a wild pitch and Ponnett came home on a grounder before the inning finally ended.

To start the bottom of the sixth, the Big Train brought in right-hander Jake Titus (Kansas City Kansas CC) to replace the stellar Adetuyi. The Braves brought in three runs to reduce the deficit to 12-3, but the Big Train responded in the seventh, scoring Martinez and Ponnett after an errant throw to first.

Titus and right-hander Brody Cassedy (Uncommitted) both pitched in the seventh, and the Braves brought home four to make it a 14-7 game. However, the Big Train’s offense didn’t let up in the eighth, as Wright smacked a double to drive in yet another run.

Right-hander Owen Stewart (George Mason) came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth for the Big Train. Stewart tossed a scoreless inning, and in the ninth, Ott and substitute catcher JJ Hand (Old Dominion) both hammered two-RBI doubles to give the Big Train a 19-7 edge. A sharp single to right field from Wright officially completed the 20-bomb.

From there, Stewart fired a scoreless inning, securing a 20-7 win.

Today, the Big Train will take on the Gaithersburg Giants at home at 7 p.m.