Written by Mahaley Wise

The Braves took the field under the sun for their second game of opening week against the Cropdusters. Riding high after Tuesday’s win over the Senators, the Braves came in confident and relaxed. Meanwhile, the Cropdusters were fired up and fresh, ready to make a strong first impression in their season debut. 

In the end, the Cropdusters emerged victorious, securing their first win of the season with an 8-6 victory. 

The Braves struck first in the first inning, beginning with a walk by Franklin Gomez Jr (Farleigh Dickinson Teaneck), followed by a ball driven into right field by Nicholas Francuenko (Towson). With runners on the corners, Charley Magoulick (Rider University) hit a hard ground ball to first, which ricocheted off the glove of the Cropduster first baseman, creating a window for Gomez to score a run while Francuenko advanced to third. 

By the second inning, Cropduster pitcher Glenn Smith (University of Richmond) began to settle in. But the Olney offense struggled  to fight back, leaving the score 1-0 with Braves in the lead. The Braves didn’t waste much time before striking again in the bottom of the third. Sam Grube (Mt. St. Mary’s), up to bat, hit a long home run over the center field fence, causing cheers to erupt from the bench. The first home run of the year for the Braves made the score 2-0. 

Kyndall Cassidy (Ouachita Baptist), pitcher for the Braves, got more comfortable on the mound as the night goes on, keeping the Cropdusters off the basepaths. In the bottom of the fourth, Cropdusters changed their pitcher, introducing Ben Berger (University of Frostburg) to the mound. With help from the infield, Berger ended the fourth inning in a double play. 

The Braves introduce Aidan VanBarrs (Pitt Community College) to the mound at the top of the fifth, matching the Cropdusters' fresh arm. However, the Cropdusters found an advantage against the new arm and scored their first run. RJ Cromartie (Notre Dame) drew a walk from the unsettled VanBarrs. Charlie Buckles (Florida State) followed with a sharp double to right, moving Cromartie to third. Luke Keefer (Maryland) brings him home with a sacrifice fly to center. 

Both the Braves and the Cropdusters skated by with no runs scored in the fifth inning, but the Braves ran into trouble in the sixth when Cropdusters’ Carter Richey (VCU) reached first on a single. He advanced on a wild pitch and then reached third on a ground out. Kade Walter (University of Jacksonville) hit a hard ball to third, where it bounced off the glove of the third baseman, allowing the runner to come home to tie the game. 

In the top of the seventh, the Cropdusters lit up the night. Kleine knocked in two runs with a single. Walter followed by smashing a ball into right field which the right fielder lost in the light, allowing it to drop in front of the fence. Three more runs scored, giving the Cropdusters a five-run lead. 

The Braves chipped away at the Cropdusters' lead with three runs in the bottom half.  The Cropdusters attempted to limit the damage by introducing a new left-handed pitcher, Shawn Rosemond (Salisbury University). Rosemond saved the inning with no more runs scored, leaving the score at 7-5. 

The Cropdusters scored another run in the top of the ninth to give them extra security heading into the bottom of the ninth, off a sacrifice fly by Richey. With two outs in the bottom half, Gomez Jr. crossed the plate, scoring a run for the Braves after Francuzenko sent the ball smoothly up the first base line for a single. However, it proved to not be enough for the Braves as the Cropdusters took the win for their first game of the season, 8-6.

The Cropdusters will look to build on their win as they host the Bethesda Big Train Thursday for their home opener, while the Braves will move on to play the Grays on the road in Woodbridge.

Box Score