Written by Mahaley Wise | Photo by Maya Brichacek

In Olney, the threats of thunderstorms held off, and the Gaithersburg Giants and Cropdusters met on a breezy Friday. . The Giants jumped out to an early lead, but were eventually overtaken by the Cropdusters’ aggressive baserunning and precise hitting.

The Giants came out with power with a home run in the first inning by Jayden Brown (Ranger College). The Cropdusters were already feeling the pressure of the strong Giants' offense, but they were unable to match their power in the first innings and scored no runs. 

The Giants stayed hot in the third inning, getting two back-to-back singles from Brady Powell (Radford) and Brown. Danny Orr (UMBC) took a shot for the fence, falling just short in front of Cropdusters' center fielder for a double. The baserunners hustled around the bases, Brown hot on Powell’s tail, narrowly scoring two runs as the ball entered the infield from center. The Giants extended their lead over the Cropdusters, 3-0. 

“We get better as the game goes on, so I wasn’t too worried at that point,” said Olney Coach Adam Leader, speaking to their persistence in getting people on base in the early innings. The Cropdusters stayed aggressive, but nothing worked in their favor. Giants pitcher Britton Wildasin (Goldey Beacom College) remained their biggest challenge, striking out three batters in the first three innings. 

The Cropdusters proved themselves to be quick learners and began to find their strengths against the Giants' pitcher. Carter Richey (VCU) found the gap between left fielder and center fielder for a single, and Luke Keefer (Maryland) followed with a walk. Then Rohne Klein (University of Utah) chopped the ball to the third baseman, where baserunner, Richey, broke up the play. The throw across eluded the Giants’ first baseman for an error, bringing a run in. However, this did little to phase Wildasin, who came back with two more strikeouts, totaling three strikeouts in the fourth inning and only one run allowed. The score held at 3-1, Giants. 

Olney continued battling in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to sharp base running by Will Henson (VCU) and Andrew Kell (Salisbury), who executed a smooth sequence of steals—Kell taking second and Henson swiping third. Their aggressive play put both runners in scoring position, setting the stage for Richey's single to left field, which brought them home to tie the game at 3-3.The Giants found themselves, for the first time this game, struggling to get men on base and failed to get their lead back. 

The Cropdusters continued to stay aggressive into the bottom of the seventh, starting with a stolen base by Kell. Cade Walter (Jacksonville) walked, putting the Cropdusters in a strong position with two men on base. Richey hit a hard single allowing Kell to score and Walter to reach third base. An error by Giants’ shortstop created an opportunity for Walter to score and Keefer to advance to first while Richey hustled to third. Klein and RJ Cromartie (Notre Dame) hit back-to-back singles sending Richey and Keefer home. The Cropdusters took a giant leap ahead of the Giants, with four extra runs earned breaking the tie and making the score 7-3 in favor of the home team.  

After five scoreless innings, the Giants attempted a final come back. With two men on second and third, Joey Nicholson (Gaston College) hit a sacrifice fly to center field to get an extra run. But it was too little too late and Cropdusters’ pitcher struck out the final batter to secure the 7-4 win. 

The Cropdusters stay undefeated through their first three games of the season, while the Giants suffer their third setback in as many games. “We just got to continue to build and build and build,” concluded Coach Leader after the game. Looking forward, he hopes his players, “to continue to hit and win games and get better.”