Josh Skowronski hit two home runs in the Big Train's 15-13 victory.  

Written by Erin Hughes | Photo courtesy of Bethesda Big Train

The Bethesda Big Train grabbed a 15-13 extra innings win over the Metro South County Braves on Monday night in South County. 

Braves infielders and Bryant teammates Aleksei Goldhill and Ryan Santangelo each led the way offensively for the South County team. Goldhill went 3-for-5 with two RBI and Santangelo went 3-for-4 with five RBI and a home run. For the Big Train, both Josh Skowronski (Winthrop) and Logan Ponnett (UNC Charlotte) posted four RBI, with Skowronski adding two home runs to his night. 

Luke Pietandrea (Frederick CC) retired three straight batters in the top of the first with the help of a double play from right fielder Trent Adelman (VCU) and first baseman Charley Magoulick (Rider).

After two quick outs to start the bottom of the inning, Franklin Gomez Jr. (Fairleigh Dickinson) dropped in a single to get on base. An error allowed Gomez Jr. to move to second and Tony DiChiara (Monmouth) to reach first before Magoulick singled to plate Gomez Jr. Magoulick and DiChiara advanced to second and third, respectively, on the throw home and Adelman doubled to score both runners. Michael Lavanga (Harford CC) was hit by a pitch and Goldhill added another single to score Adelman. A flyout ended the inning but not before the Braves added four early runs.

Matthew Westley singled to start the top of the second, and one out later, Skowronki hung a two-run homer down the right field line to cut the Braves lead in half. Brett Ott (Sacramento State) followed that up with a single and moved to second on a passed ball. Ott advanced to third on an error as Ponnett reached first. A sacrifice fly from Jacob Hauk (Maryland) scored Ott as the Big Train got back within one, 4-3. 

Peyton Steele (Alabama) began the top of the third with a one out double and scored quickly on Westley’s single in the next at bat to tie things 4-4. Dylan Murphy (Florida Atlantic) singled next, but a double play ended the inning and sent the Braves back to the plate with the game now tied at four.

The Braves responded quickly in the bottom of the third. A single from Magoulick and a walk to Adelman began the frame for the Braves. After a flyout, Goldhill singled to score Magoulick and put Adelman on third. Santangelo launched a three-run home run over the left field wall to put the Braves up 8-4. Sam Grube (Mt St. Mary’s) doubled and JW Kohlmeyer (VMI) walked to keep men on base, and Grube scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 9-4. A double play ended the inning as the Braves took back control of the game. 

Ott led off the fourth inning with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. A flyout sent him to third before Pietandrea caught the next batter looking. Alex Peltier (East Carolina) sent a ground-rule double into the right field corner to score Ott. Peltier scored on a single by Wright, and Wright came home on a double by Peyton Steele (Alabama). 

Trevor Orth (Roanoke) continued the Big Train momentum in the home half of the inning as the right-hander retired three straight batters on just eight pitches.

The top of the fifth started with Murphy reaching on an error before Skowronski and Ott added back-to-back singles to load the bases. Ponnett’s bases clearing double gave the Big Train their first lead at 10-9. Hauk took the first pitch he saw deep to left field to score Ponnett and extend the Big Train lead 12-9. The next batter walked, but Reed Little (Hampden Sydney) picked him off for the first out. A 1-6-3 double play ended the inning and sent the Braves back to the plate.

Goldhill and Santangelo led off the home half of the frame with singles and Grube walked to load the bases with no outs. A fielder’s choice scored Goldhill, erased Grube, and put Kohlmeyer on first. Gomez Jr. added a single to plate Santangelo and bring the Braves within one at 12-11. Kohlmeyer moved the third on a passed ball and a fielder’s choice to Big Train first baseman Steele caught him out at home. The inning ended after a groundout to second base, keeping the Big Train lead intact. 

The Big Train loaded the bases with just one out in the top of the sixth, but Nate Dudeck (Fairleigh Dickinson) used a popup to his catcher, Santangelo, and a swinging strikeout to leave the bases jammed.

With one out, a balk sent Adelman and Lavanga into scoring position for the Braves. Santangelo’s third hit of the day was a double that scored both runners and allowed the Braves to regain the lead at 13-12. He was left stranded after two groundouts but swung momentum back towards the Braves.

Dudeck worked around a walk with two groundouts and a punchout to post a zero in the top of the seventh. Big Train righty Owen Stewart (George Mason) went three up, three down in the bottom of the seventh, fanning two batters.

Ott laced a one out single into right-center field to get on with two outs, and a double down the left field line by Logan Ponnett scored him to knot the score at 13-all in the top of the eighth. 

Stewart continued to command the zone in the bottom of the frame as he struck out all three batters he faced. Two groundouts and a swinging strikeout by Tyler Kelly (William & Mary) prevented the Big Train from scoring in the top of the ninth and got the Braves back out to the plate.

A walk to Santangelo gave the Braves a runner on base early, and Charlie Brinkman (Liberty) entered as a pinch runner. Two outs later, Brinkman was caught stealing by catcher Hauk to send the game to extra innings.

A leadoff walk to Murphy put a runner aboard for Skowronski’s second home run of the game that gave the Big Train a 15-13 lead. Skowronski is now tied with teammate Ponnett for the league lead in home runs, with three. James Gladden (Maryland) entered to close out the Big Train win and went 1-2-3 with two swinging strikeouts to end the game.