Jax Nichols watches his go-ahead home run in the ninth inning. 

Written by Erin Hughes | Photo by Maya Brichacek

The Southern Maryland Senators launched back-to-back home runs in the top of the ninth inning to complete a comeback win over the Alexandria Aces on Thursday night in Alexandria.

Senators head coach Scott Middleton said his players really kept themselves in the ball game. “They’ve got a certain fight in them where they don’t ever feel like they’re out.” He mentioned the first loss the Senators took this season, on opening day against the Metro South County Braves, saying “yeah, we lost 11-8, but we were actually down big and they battled back to that…they have a mindset of just fighting.”

Nick Flores (VCU) drew a leadoff walk before being retired with a fielder’s choice hit by Adam Troch (Duke). Troch quickly stole second and was moved to third on another fielder’s choice. A swinging strikeout from Aces pitcher Stephen Curry (Seton Hall) stranded Troch on third to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the first, Owen Peterson (Navy) dropped in a one-out single and stole second. Michael Powell (Penn) walked to put two runners on with two outs. Designated hitter EJ Hankerson (George Mason) laced a double down the right field line to score Peterson and Powell. Gavin Degnan (Penn) added an RBI single that plated Hankerson and subsequently stole second. Senators pitcher Mark Loubier (Florida Atlantic) fanned the final batter, but not before the Aces took an early 3-0 lead.

Curry began the second with a swinging strikeout and a groundout to second, but Nichols knocked a two-out double to get on base. Jack Euart (Wofford) reached on an error as Nichols went to third. A single from Euart’s Wofford teammate, Logan Tribble, scored Nichols. Euart and Tribble advanced on a wild pitch, and Euart scored on a failed pickoff attempt at third base. A groundout from Flores ended the inning as the Senators brought the score back within one, 3-2.

MJ Phillips (Towson) led off the fourth inning with an infield single. Lucas Grantham (Georgia State) then hit into a fielder’s choice that sat down Phillips but put himself on first. Nichols added a single but was put out by the right fielder and the shortstop trying to stretch it into a double as Grantham made it to third. Euart singled up the middle to bring home Grantham and tie the game at 3.

In the bottom of the frame, Harder got the first batter to fly out to right field, but Schuemann drew a walk to get on base with one out. He was retired with a fielder’s choice by Huebner. TJ Capers (George Mason) battled back from down two strikes and two outs to single and move Huebner over to second. Almeda dropped an RBI single into center field that scored Huebner as the Senators brought in Jacob Seek (Frederick CC) to retire the last batter.

The Aces brought in a second Seton Hall pitcher, Mason Christopher, to relieve Curry in the top of the fifth. Flores knocked a leadoff single and stole second, but the next three batters were retired with two flyouts to left field and a swinging strikeout.

Christopher began the sixth inning by catching a batter looking. Carter Groen (UConn) pinch hit for Grantham and laced a double down the left field line. After a popup, Groen moved to third on a wild pitch. An infield single from Euart plated Groen and Euart quickly stole second. A dropped fly ball put Tribble on first and scored Euart from second. Flores was hit by a pitch and Troch walked to load the bases for the Senators. In a jam, Christopher froze the last batter to leave the bases loaded and get out of the inning, but the Senators pulled ahead 5-4.

Schuemann singled to start the bottom of the sixth and advanced to second on a wild pitch with two out. Almeda’s second RBI single of the day scored Schuemann to tie the game at 5. Peterson was hit by a pitch to move Almeda to second as the Senators brought in Dawson Wetherald (Mount Aloysius). Almeda stole third but was left stranded as Miller fouled out to end the inning.

Powell drew a full count leadoff walk to start the bottom of the seventh. The next two batters were retired with fly outs before Schuemann walked to get runners on first and second for the Aces. A bloop single from Toby Hueber (George Mason) scored Powell, and Schuemann advanced to third on the throw. Hueber stole second and a double from Capers scored him and Schuemann, extending the Aces lead to 8-5. 

The top of the eighth started with a big swinging strikeout by Christopher before Euart walked and advanced to third on a passed ball. A single from Tribble scored Euart and the Aces turned to reigning CRSCBL Pitcher of the Week, Adan Longoria (USF), to close it out. Tribble moved to second on a passed ball, and the next batter hit into a fielder’s choice that caught Tribble at third. Troch popped up to first base to end the inning.

Nate Berzonski (Mt. St. Mary’s) went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eight to send the Senators back to the plate for the top of the ninth.

Kraus hit an infield single to lead off the inning. Longoria struck out the next two batters before Groen launched a two-run home run to left field and knotted the score at 8. Nichols struck next with another home run to left field, this time off the scoreboard, to give the Senators a late 9-8 lead. 

New Senators pitcher Tyler Mitchell (Norfolk State) sat down all three batters in order with two looking strikeouts and a flyout to center field to secure the win in the bottom of the ninth. 

Berzonski’s showing in the bottom of the eighth really started a shift for the Senators. Middleton said, “he’s been huge…he’s an incoming freshman - he’s just out of high school - and he’s going to be something special as he grows into the college game.”

Groen, a returner to the Senators lineup and the 2024 CRSCBL home run leader, came up big for his team in the top of the ninth to tie it with a two-run blast. Middleton said, “he’s finally starting to get healthy” and that fans should expect to see more of those hits from Groen. Nichols carried the Senators home with his solo home run to lead for the first time since the seventh inning. Middleton said, “when Jax hit his first [home run]…it felt special, but at the same time…I’m so proud of how hard these guys work and they’re going to fight - whether we’re down or up, they’re going to continue to fight.