Written by Jack Stashower

The Alexandria Aces beat the Bethesda Big Train 9-7 at Shirley Povich Field on Saturday in a seven-inning contest. 

The two played each other earlier in the day in game one of a doubleheader where the Big Train defeated the Aces 7-3, snapping the Aces five game winning streak. The Big Train came into the day with an 11-5 record while the Aces came into Saturday’s contest with an 8-7 record. 

The Big Train got off to an early lead in the bottom of the first. A double off the bat of Peyton Steele (Alabama) brought home Brennon Wright (South Alabama) and John Martinez (Florida Atlantic), giving the Big Train an early 2-0 lead. A ground out by Matthew Westley brought home Emilio Gonzalez (Florida Atlantic) to increase the lead to three.

The Aces scored their first run of the game in the top of the third. After reaching base on a hit by pitch, Michael Powell (UPenn) came in on a double to deep left-center by Derek Almeda (Chaffey), decreasing the deficit to two runs.

In the top of the fourth, EJ Hankerson (Maryland) singled up the middle, bringing home Gavin Miller (Pittsburgh) and bringing the score to within one, 3-2.

The Big Train would start to pull away in the bottom of the fifth. A single to right field by Parker Corbin (Maryland) brought in Steele and Westley, extending their lead to 5-2. With runners on the corners, Alex Peltier (East Carolina) hit an infield single, bringing home Brett Ott (Sacramento State) and increasing the lead to four runs. 

But the entire game changed in the top of the sixth. Needing at least four runs to tie, the Aces went for the jugular. It started with the first three batters getting walked, loading up the bases with no outs for Hankerson. A short single to left field brought in Miller, decreasing the deficit to three. In the next at bat, DJ Scheumann walked, bringing home Ernie Echevarria (UPenn) to make the score 6-4. A single to right by Powell brought home Trip Capers to decrease the deficit to one run. 

With three runs already scored and no outs on the board, Brayden Huebner (Ball State) came to the plate for his biggest at bat of the season. Huebner had struggled early on in the game, going 0-for-2 at the plate and recording two fielding errors heading into the top of the sixth. But one swing of the bat made him the hero. On the first pitch of the at bat, Huebner swung for the fences, hitting a towering grand slam over the left field wall to give the Aces a 9-6 lead. 

“I said to Brayden, ‘Hey, you’re going to have another moment up there,’ and boy did he deliver,” Aces Head Coach Chris Berset said. 

Down to just three outs to work with in the bottom of the seventh, the Big Train knew they needed to act now to keep their chances of winning alive. A double to right-center off of Peltier’s bat brought in Corbin to decrease the deficit to two, but that was all they could muster up as the Aces held off the Big Train to win 9-7. 

The Aces, who were 3-6 just a couple of days ago, have soared to new heights and now hold a respectable 9-7 record, good enough for second in the South Division. 

“It’s my job to get these guys rolling a bit, but all the credit goes to the players,” Berset said. “They’re putting in the work.” 

The Big Train remain at home to play a second consecutive doubleheader, this time against the Southern Maryland Senators, on Sunday. The Aces return home on Sunday to face the Olney Cropdusters at Frank Mann Field with hopes of keeping this level of performance alive.