By Erin Hughes

The Bethesda Big Train took a commanding 21-8 victory over the D.C. Grays in Woodbridge on Monday night. The Big Train move to 3-3 on the season with the win. 

Grays pitcher Drew Norton (Dickinson) went three up, three down in the top of the first with one swinging strikeout.

Ryan Soong (WashU) singled to start the bottom half of the inning and stole second before Big Train pitcher Jake Titus (Kansas City Kansas CC) sat down the next three batters.

Logan Ponnett (UNC Charlotte) got on base via an error to open the second and immediately stole second base. A single from Peyton Steele (Alabama) advanced Ponnett to third and Steele got into scoring position by stealing second. A fielder’s choice scored Ponnett to give the Big Train an early 1-0 lead. Norton froze the next batter looking and retired the last with a ground out to third base to end the inning. 

Andy Rivera (Holy Family) was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the second inning and stole second and third base while the next two batters struck out swinging. Eli Owens (Washington & Jefferson) walked to put runners on the corners for the Grays before Dixon Monk (Georgetown College) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Soong walked to score Rivera, Noel Rivera (Marist) was hit by a pitch to score Owens, and Ethan Nagy (Lock Haven) was walked to score Monk. The Big Train got the last batter to fly out to end the inning, but now trailed 3-1. 

That deficit didn’t last for long. In the top of the third, Dylan Murphy (FAU) dropped in a leadoff single and made it all the way to third on a failed pickoff attempt. A fielder’s choice to the third baseman scored Murphy. After a ground out, John Martinez (FAU) singled and stole second to get into scoring position. Ponnett followed that up with a walk before Steele doubled them both home. A single from Emilio Gonzalez (FAU) drove in Steele, and a double from Matthew Westley put both runners in scoring position. Parker Corbin (Maryland) launched a three-run homer to right field to post the Big Train’s fifth, sixth, and seventh runs of the inning and for an 8-3 lead. Murphy returned to single again as the Grays turned to pitcher Dean Qira (Stevens Tech) to end the inning. Qira did so quickly as he fanned the batter to send it to the bottom of the inning. 

Jordan Capuano (Frederick CC) entered to pitch for Bethesda and Andy Rivera immediately knocked in a single. Isaac Ahokovi (Nicholls State) walked to get on before Ryan Grace (Lafayette) grounded into a double play that advanced Rivera to third. Rivera scored the Grays’ fourth run on a single from Owens. Capuano ended the inning with a looking strikeout to put the Big Train back in the batter’s box.

Brennon Wright (South Alabama) walked to leadoff the half inning and Martinez was hit by a pitch to quickly put two runners on with no outs. They both advanced on a passed ball as Qira fanned a batter. Wright scored on a fielder’s choice and Martinez scored on a single by Gonzalez to extend the Big Train’s lead 10-4. Qira sat the last batter down looking to leave Gonzalez stranded. 

Corbin and Murphy walked to start the top of the fifth and Peltier dropped a bunt single that scored Corbin. Wright made it to first on a fielder’s choice that sat down Peltier. Pinch hitter Josh Skowronski (Winthrop) hit into a double play to end the inning, but the Big Train now led 11-4.

Andy Rivera began the home half of the inning with a single and Andrew Ruggeri (Penn) entered to pinch run for him. Ahokovi singled to move Ruggeri over, but was subsequently  out on a double play. An infield single from Owens scored Ruggeri, and Owens stole second soon after. Monk and TJ Addonizio (Richmond), pinch hitting for Soong, both walked to load the bases. Joey Chitla (Wofford) knocked a pinch-hit single to score Monk and Owens before Nagy singled to plate Addonizio and move Chitla to third. A flyout to center ended the four-run inning for the Grays and cut the Big Train lead down to 11-8.

In the top of the sixth,  Steele drew a four-pitch walk to get on base with one out. A single from Gonzalez scored Steele and Gonzalez eventually advanced to third. The next batter grounded out before Corbin walked to place runners on the corners. The inning ended on a groundout to the shortstop.

In the top of the seventh, Peltier was hit by a pitch and Wright reached first and advanced to second on an error. That error scored Peltier and Wright quickly stole third. Skowronski walked and stole second as Ponnett was walked to load the bases. Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to score Wright and advance Skowronski to third. Ponnett then stole second before Westley mashed a triple that plated both runners. Corbin was hit and Murphy was walked to load the bases once more. Westley scored on a wild pitch to extend the Big Train lead 17-8 before Peltier went down swinging to end the inning.

Wright led off the eighth with a single and quickly broke for second base. A failed pickoff attempt advanced him to third, and a sacrifice fly from Steele scored him to give Bethesda an 18-8 lead. Ponnett reached base on a walk and stole both second and third, but Gonzalez was caught looking to strand him. 

In the ninth, Westley got on base via an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Another error allowed Corbin to get on base and Westley to third. Murphy walked to load the bases and Westley scored on a passed ball during Brett Ott’s (Sacramento State) pinch hit at bat. Ott walked and the bases became loaded again for Wright. A sacrifice fly from Wright scored Corbin before Skowronski flew out to right field for the second out. Ponnett singled in Murphy and advanced Ott to third, but both runners were stranded after a flyout to left field.

After shutout innings from Michael Kass (Central Florida) and Lucas Marrero (Lynchburg), Owen Stewart (George Mason) threw a scoreless eighth and ninth to close out the 21-8 victory for the Big Train.