Petersen, Peltier dominate Senators en route to Game 1 doubleheader victory

by Calvin Kaplan

Russell Petersen (left) and JJ Hand by Mark Thalman

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Prior to Sunday’s doubleheader, the Bethesda Big Train had yet to beat the Southern Maryland Senators in 2025.

Upon the resumption of a suspended June 13 matchup between the two squads, everything changed in a hurry.

The Big Train handled business with a 7-1 victory over the Senators in Game 1 of its home doubleheader, avenging a tough 6-2 road loss to Southern Maryland from earlier in the week. Big Train players scored seven unanswered runs after restarting the game with a 1-0 deficit in the top of the third.

Meanwhile, right-hander Russell Petersen (Whitman) turned in a gem of an outing. He pitched the entirety of Sunday’s resumed portion of the contest, allowing just four hits in seven innings while picking up seven strikeouts.

“He was effortless,” Big Train head coach Sal Colangelo said. “Smooth. He was awesome.”

Petersen said his curveball and slider were working better for him compared to recent bullpen outings. Despite throwing 94 pitches on Sunday, the righty seemingly maintained his stamina to its fullest.

“I threw a lot of innings at school,” Petersen said. “It’s more a mentality than anything to keep going and keep being able to get hitters out when you see them multiple times.”

Alongside Petersen, the bats were clicking. Fans got to witness an electric first home run of the season from designated hitter Josh Skowronski (Winthrop). In addition, center fielder Alex Peltier (East Carolina) had an impressive three-hit day, bringing his batting average to a sky-high .429 following the conclusion of Game 1.

“I kind of create a mental zone in the box where I feel most comfortable hitting pitches,” Peltier said. “Just staying aggressive in there and making sure I don’t miss those has been huge for me.”

Peltier’s highlights weren’t just limited to the dish, either. The incoming sophomore used his eye-popping speed and ball-tracking ability to make an incredible catch in center field in the eighth inning. Upon the crack of the bat, Peltier tracked the soaring fly ball all the way back before making the leaping grab and crashing into the fence.

“N.F.Z. No Fly Zone out there. It’s a graveyard,” Peltier said.

With its momentum continuing to build, the Big Train will square off against the Metro SoCo Braves on the road on Monday at 7 p.m. Its next home game will take place on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against the D.C. Grays.

Click HERE to read the full inning-by-inning recap of Sunday’s Game 1 win!