Recap: 19 hits, bullpen performances rocket Big Train past Braves

by Calvin Kaplan

Owen Stewart by Mark Thalman

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Powered by a 19-hit offensive explosion, the Bethesda Big Train eventually blew past the Metro SoCo Braves 15-13 in Monday’s ten-inning road contest.

At the plate, the team was headed by a two-homer day from right fielder Josh Skowronski (Winthrop). Left-fielder Brett Ott (Sacramento State) tacked on four hits, and five other players had multi-hit days for the Big Train. Skowronski’s second home run came in the top of the 10th inning, giving the team a lead it would keep for good.

Right-hander Owen Stewart (George Mason) added some magic on the mound, going for four innings and allowing just one hit while recording seven strikeouts in relief.

The Big Train started the top of the first scoreless, and the Braves jumped out ahead with four runs in the bottom of the frame. They received a quick response, however, as Skowronski hammered his second home run in as many days to cut the deficit in half. After a sacrifice fly from catcher Jacob Hauk (Maryland), the Braves’ lead was reduced to 4-3.

In the latter half of the second, right-hander Tyler Brashear (Eckerd) held the Braves without a run, picking up a strikeout in the process. Third baseman Matt Westley (Undecided) knotted things up in the top of the third, smacking an RBI single to drive home first baseman Peyton Steele (Alabama) after his towering double.

The Braves brought home five runs in the bottom of the inning before the Big Train put in right-hander Trevor Orth (Roanoke) to stem the tide. In response, center fielder Alex Peltier (East Carolina) started a rally in the top of the fourth with an RBI ground rule double to cut the deficit to 9-5.

Soon after, shortstop Brennon Wright (South Alabama) drove Peltier in with a single into left field. Steele crushed a double to right-center, bringing Wright to the plate and putting the Big Train within two.

In the bottom of the fourth, Orth caught fire, dealing a 1-2-3 inning that ended with a strikeout. The Big Train retook the lead in the fifth behind a three-run double from second baseman Logan Ponnett (North Carolina Charlotte). Almost immediately, Hauk crushed a two-run bomb to bring home Ponnett, giving the team a 12-9 advantage.

The Braves plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to trail by just one. In the sixth, the Big Train loaded the bases but ultimately couldn’t bring a run across. Metro SoCo took the lead again in the latter half of the frame, scoring two runs off Orth, who exited in the middle of the inning in favor of Stewart.

In the seventh, the teams traded scoreless innings for the first time, with Stewart picking up a pair of strikeouts to send the game into the eighth. In the top of the frame, Ponnett slipped a double down the left-field line to drive in a run and knot the score at 13 apiece. Stewart was nothing short of dominant in the bottom half, striking out the side with perfectly-located pitches to preserve the tie heading into the ninth.

The Big Train went down in order in the top of the inning, keeping the game tied as the Braves sought to walk it off. Stewart allowed a walk before retiring the next two batters. With two outs, pinch runner Charlie Brinkman attempted to steal, but a gem of a throw from Hauk barely beat Brinkman to second, sending the game into extras.

The top of the 10th began with a leadoff single from designated hitter Dylan Murphy (Florida Atlantic). Then, Skowronski — who already homered once on the day — smoked a ball to left-center for his second bomb of the day, giving the Big Train an unbelievable 15-13 lead.

In the bottom of the 10th, the Big Train brought in right-hander James Gladden (Maryland) to try for the save. The righty got his first batter to whiff on a 3-2 pitch below the zone for the first out. After a subsequent popup, Gladden picked up another swinging strikeout on a pitch near the dirt, securing the team’s electric 15-13 victory.

Next up, the Big Train will return to Shirley Povich Field today to face the D.C. Grays at 7 p.m.