Walk-off Walk puts Finishing Touches on Big Train’s 6-5 Resilient Win over Aces

by Alex Rubinson

Big Train mob Parker Corbin after walk-off win

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Down a run in the bottom of the ninth against the Alexandria Aces, Brennon Wright (University of South Alabama) led off the inning with a walk. Two batters later, Emilio Gonzalez (Florida Atlantic University) singled up the middle to advance Wright to third. With the tying run 90 feet away, Matt Westley (undecided) dug into the right-hander’s batters box. Westley hit a soft ground ball up the middle. The shortstop tried to flip to second, but Gonzalez beat the toss, and everyone was safe to tie the game. After a wild pitch, Peyton Steele (University of Alabama) was intentionally walked. Logan Ponnett (University of North Carolina Charlotte) hit into a fielder’s choice, which set the stage for Parker Corbin (University of Maryland). Corbin worked the count full and took ball four to win it for the Bethesda Big Train.

“I’m just trying to get a pitch I can hit,” Corbin said. “Big Train is rolling.”

The walk-off walk propelled the Bethesda Big Train to a 6-5 victory over the Aces. The win was the team’s 10th in a row.

“These kids have a bunch of fight,” Manager Sal Colangelo said. “They battled and battled. They didn’t quit and were very resilient today.”

Parker Corbin by Mark Thalman

In the bottom of the eighth, the Big Train found themselves losing 4-3. Westley singled to start the frame and advanced to second on a Steele walk. After a beautiful sacrifice bunt by Ponnett and a Dylan Murphy (Florida Atlantic University) walk, Alex Peltier (East Carolina University) stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. He worked the count full in the plate appearance. Peltier chopped one to the left side of the infield. Third baseman Michael Powell couldn’t make the play, as Westley scored to tie the game. On the play, Steele got caught in a rundown between third and home to send the game to the ninth.

“I was trying to get something I can handle,” Peltier said. “I was just being relentless at the plate and making sure I didn't chase. I’ve been trying to get my hands more connected.”

In the top of the ninth, James Gladden (University of Maryland) worked himself into a bases loaded jam via two walks and an infield single. Gladden fell behind Gavin Degnan 3-1. After getting him to expand the zone to fill up the count, he got a very shallow fly ball. Steele made the catch and fired home. The throw beat the runner, but Murphy was unable to hold onto the ball after he tried to tag Toby Hueber on the foot.

Through the first four innings, the Big Train’s offense had been neutralized. They had managed just two hits against Aces’ Anthony Ehly. The fifth inning appeared to be no different. The Big Train had a runner on first with two outs. Peltier kept the inning alive with a clean single. Wright stepped to the plate, as he was still looking to extend his 24-game on-base streak. The middle infielder hit a ground ball that was rolling right towards the second baseman. Before the ball could reach the glove, it took a nasty hop and ate up Hueber. Murphy scored to get the Big Train on the board. Josh Skowronski (Winthrop University) then scorched a base hit to cut the deficit to 3-2. Unfortunately for the Big Train, Wright was gunned down when he tried to go from first to third on Skowronski’s base hit.

“He’s probably one of the most talented five-tool guys in this league,” Colangelo said of Skowronski. “There is no doubt he is going to finish strong.”

Josh Skowronski by Mark Thalman

The Aces got to Big Train starting pitcher Michael Devenney (Tulane University) and the Big Train’s defense early. Hueber hit a line drive to Gonzalez, but the first baseman couldn’t handle the hard hit ball, which allowed Hueber to reach base. After a passed ball advanced two runners, Ernie Echevarria grounded out. Instead of the grounder being the third out of the inning, Hueber scored on the productive out. Degnan followed it up with an RBI single. Both runs in the inning were unearned.

The Aces scored another run in the second. After the Big Train rallied to score two runs in the fifth, the Aces responded. After John Colligan singled, Cooper Hums doubled down the first base line for to regain a two-run lead.

Before the Big Train tied the game, they hung in the contest due to some not very clean baseball by the Aces. Ponnett reached on an error to open the home half of the seventh. He moved all the way to third on another error on a pickoff attempt. Peltier drove him in via a sacrifice fly. The productive out pulled the Big Train within a run and allowed themselves to stage a late comeback.

Skowronski continued to hit the ball hard. The outfielder tallied three hits in the win. Peltier and Westley each recorded multi-hit games on Monday as well. Peltier added a walk and two RBIs to his night. The centerfielder was named an all-star earlier in the day.

“It’s a testament to all the hard work that I’ve put in,” Peltier said of his selection. “I came into this summer with some of those goals in mind.”

Alex Peltier by Mark Thalman

The Big Train will hit the road later today when they play the Olney Cropdusters at 5:30 p.m.

Click HERE to read the full inning-by-inning recap of Monday's win!