By Courtney Larrimore

The Southern Maryland Senators defeated the Olney Cropdusters 14-4 Saturday evening, securing their first playoff win in program history and advancing to the semifinal round.

"We're excited. I'm very, very excited," head coach Scott Middleton said. "The guys, they were pumped up, and they wanted it. So I'm happy. We're extremely happy, actually."

After a 1-2-3 top of the inning for Senators pitcher Matt Hoover (Western Michigan), Logan Tribble (Wofford) led the Senators to their first run of the game after bases-loaded walk for Nate McHugh (Creighton)

After another scoreless frame for the Cropdusters bats, the Senators continued the onslaught, bringing in four more runs in the bottom of the second.

Sylas Boris (Georgia Southern) led off with a single, which, after a Mike Sweeney (Hofstra) single that advanced him, allowed him to make it home on a wild pitch.

Nathan Brewer (Middle Tennessee State) hit a two-RBI triple to bring in Sweeney and Tribble. Brewer came in to score next a 6-3 groundout by Carter Groen (Connecticut) to make the score 5-0 in the bottom of the second.

The Cropdusters broke the seal in the third when Carter Hinds (Shippensburg) scored from second on an error by the shortstop.

The Senators brought in two more runs in the bottom of third. Mikey Guy (Frostburg) advanced from third after a pitch hit Sweeney. Boris followed on an unassisted ground out at first.

In the fifth, Josh Reinhold (Christopher Newport) scored the Cropdusters' second run of the evening on a single by Bryce Herb (Shippensburg).

In the next inning, Ian Kennedy (Michigan) hit a solo home run. McHugh came in next on a wild pitch after his own double. Anthony Swenda (LSU Shreveport) matched Kennedy with a home run for the Cropdusters. 

In the eighth, Kennedy singled, moved up on a wild pitch, and came in on another double from McHugh.

McHugh, Guy, Boris, and Tribble came in subsequently after, earning the Senators five runs in the eighth, bringing their total to 14.

"Once this team gets into the groove of hitting and one person is doing it, they just all continue to do it." Middleton said, "Pitching, for us, outstanding. They came in and just pound the zone. Let up a couple of hits, 11, but they kept away themselves. They kept away the big inning also."

The Cropdusters mustered up one more run in the top of the ninth after a double by Reinhold paved the way for him to make it home on a single by Jimmy Kirk (Millersville)

Although the Cropdusters season will be marked completed, the Senators will move on to the playoff semifinals. Their best of three series starts at Frank Mann Field on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. against the Alexandria Aces.