Recap: Big Train races past Braves 23-6 in road regular season finale

by Calvin Kaplan

Jake Titus

LORTON, Va. — The Bethesda Big Train tore apart the Metro SoCo Braves on the road Monday, winning 23-6 in an eight-inning affair that saw multiple position players take the mound for the home squad.

The Big Train was headed by a four-hit day from first baseman Emilio Gonzalez (Nova Southeastern), who had six RBIs and his fifth home run of the season. Shortstop John Martinez (Florida Atlantic) had a three-hit day as well, and center fielder Brett Ott (Sacramento State) reached base six times, while third baseman Parker Corbin (Maryland) had five RBIs.

Surprisingly, the first inning began scoreless for both teams, with Big Train left-hander Lucas Marrero (Lynchburg) picking up a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the frame. In the second, a double from Corbin and an error by the Braves allowed the Big Train to score a pair of runs.

Marrero held the Braves without a run in the latter half of the inning, and both teams went scoreless in the third as well, with the Big Train’s starter totaling five strikeouts on the day. In the top of the fourth, the game blew wide open, as the visitors tallied six runs behind a single from Ott, a sacrifice fly from Corbin, a groundout from catcher JJ Hand (Old Dominion), a single from Martinez and a two-RBI single from Gonzalez.

Metro SoCo got three back in the bottom of the inning against right-hander Jordan Capuano (Youngstown State), who was replaced by right-hander Trevor Orth (Roanoke) in the middle of the frame. On offense, the Big Train did not let up in the fifth, scoring a pair off a triple from Corbin and an error to make the score 10-3.

Orth shut down the Braves in the latter part of the frame, and the Big Train tacked on two more in the sixth with sacrifice flies from Corbin and Hand. Metro SoCo used its first of three position players on the mound near the end of the inning, but the team did manage to score a couple off Orth in the bottom of the sixth, cutting the deficit to 12-5.

In the seventh, the Big Train managed to score two off a home run from right fielder Peyton Steele (Alabama), his second of the year. Left-hander Michael Madigan (George Mason) held the Braves scoreless in the bottom of the inning, keeping the score at 14-5.

The game blew even more wide open in the eighth. The Big Train scored a whopping nine runs, led by a two-run homer from Gonzalez, a sacrifice fly from Corbin, a two-run single from second baseman Brennon Wright (South Alabama), a single from Martinez, a two-run double from Gonzalez and a single from none other than right-handed pitcher Jake Titus (Kansas City Kansas CC).

Titus — an outfielder in high school — picked up two hits in the inning, batting left-handed as a pinch hitter in place of designated hitter Matt Westley (Undecided). After the Braves scored one run in the eighth against left-hander Tanner Kaler (North Carolina Charlotte), the Big Train walked away with a convincing 23-6 victory.

Up next, the Big Train will continue its suspended game against the Olney Cropdusters today at 7 p.m. for its home regular season finale.