Game 3 Recap: The Train Roll to a Halt

BOXSCORE

The Big Train went into Friday night's game boasting a 2-0 record and a whopping 18-1 point-spread on the season. Well, the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts certainly avenged their earlier loss to the Big Train in dramatic fashion, evening the season series, as Bethesda fell 13-4 Friday at home.

What began with familiar tallies clocking in on the scoreboard--that of a sizable, 3-0 Big Train lead heading into the top of the fourth inning--pretty much ended there. Starting pitcher Nathan Schneider (St. Mary's CA) cruised through three innings, but the T-Bolts erupted in the fourth for 11 runs on seven hits, and scattered walks and errors in the field. As the inning came to a close, Bethesda saw themselves down 11-3.

By the end of the night, the final score was 13-4 and the Big Train had to put their heads down and move on to the next one. Despite the loss, several players had what would conventionally be considered quality games. Jacob Southern (Jacksonville) homered to left for the second time in as many games, tallying three hits total, and Gio Diaz (St. Mary's CA) drove in two runs. Kobe Kato (Arizona) managed a hit, two walks, an RBI, and a run. His patient eye and smooth swings on the night helped propel the Big Train's offense forward despite the loss.

"It's a long season. You have to move on--you can't think about it. There's a lot of games left," Kato said. Echoing the Arizona sophomore, there are more than 35 games left, including six against the Thunderbolts alone. There's lots of ball left to be played, and the Big Train still figure to be a top contender for the league's title. 

The Big Train will be back in action Saturday night against the D.C. Grays. As always, the game is set to get underway at 7 p.m. at Povich Field. Come join the crowd as Big Train looks to bounce back into the win column.