Written by Mahaley Wise

Monday night’s matchup was a huge blowout for the Big Train, who scored big runs in almost every inning against the Braves. Bethesda jumped out to an early lead, and Braves attempted to battle back before the Big Train shut them down with a nine-run eighth inning. 

The Big Train were the first to score, with two runs in the second inning. With two outs, Brett Ott (Sacramento State) worked a walk, staying hungry on base as he danced between first and second. He was sent home on a double by Parker Corbin (Maryland). An error by the first baseman allowed Corbin to score, putting the Big Train two runs ahead of the scoreless Braves, 2-0.

Bethesda continued to bring in runs, scoring six additional runs in the fourth inning. Emilio Gonzalez (Florida Atlantic) started with a leadoff double. Matthew Westley and Peyton Steele (Alabama) were both hit by pitches to load the bases. Ott brought in a run with a single off a full count. A sacrifice fly by Parker Corbin (Maryland) gave Westley a chance to score, before Steele scored on a fielder’s choice. John Martinez (Florida Atlantic) threaded a hit through the left field to bring Ott home. 

The lineup cycled through, bringing Gonzalez back up to bat. He hit a hard single to right field, sending Brennon Wright (South Alabama) and Martinez home. A final strikeout by Ben Cogar (Morvian College) got the Braves out of the inning.

The Braves were unable to score any runs in the first three innings despite having men in scoring position on base. However, in the fourth inning, they broke through. Ryan Santangelo (Bryant) started with a lead-off double, followed by a walk from Kyndall Cassidy (Ouachita Baptist) and a single from Aleksei Goldhill (Bryant) to load the bases. An unsettled Big Train pitcher walked three batters, sending a cycle of runners around the bases to earn three runs. The Braves began to close the gap on Big Train, coming within five runs of their opposition, 8-3.

The Big Train scored two more runs in the fourth inning to reach a double-digit score. Corbin crushed a triple to the right field corner to score Ott, who had reached on a walk. JJ Hand (Old Dominion) and Wright worked back-to-back walks to load the bases. An error by the pitcher allowed Corbin to score the second run of the inning, making it 10-3.

The Braves began to chip away in the sixth inning, starting with a walk from Andre Bouffard (Fairleigh Dickinson Teaneck). A hard hit single by Franklin Gomez Jr. (Fairleigh Dickinson Teaneck) put runners on the corners. Trent Adelman (VCU) followed with a double to send Bouffard and Gomez Jr. home.

In the seventh inning, the Big Train scored two more runs off a home run from Steele. Gonzalez worked a walk to put a runner on base. Steele came to bat with two outs, looking to get things done. While many balls hit during the game had threatened to go over the wall, his was the first to send the dugout into a frenzy. Steele rolled around the bases while his teammates whistled – like a train coming into the station. 

In the eighth, the Big Train had their biggest inning yet, racking up nine runs and batting around the lineup. Martinez started off with a double to put a runner in scoring position. Gonzalez came to the plate, relaxed and powerful. He hit a monster home run over the right field wall – his league-leading fifth of the season, and third in the last two days. Jake Titus (Kansas City Kansas CC) and Steele hit back-to-back singles and Ott was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A sacrifice fly by Corbin scored Titus. Wright hit a single to score Steele and Ott. Another single delivered by Martinez scored the sixth run of the inning. Gonzalez came back to the plate and hit a ball to the wall, landing just short inside the park to score two more runs. Titus hit another single to earn another run. The Big Train overpowered the Braves, taking a huge lead in the ninth, 23-5.

The Braves continued to battle, picking up a run in the eighth inning. Bouffard hit a single, moving to second on a passed ball. Making it to third on a bases-loaded situation, he took home after another passed ball. But, a strikeout ended the inning and gave the Big Train the win, 23-6. 

The Big Train head into the playoffs with momentum as the No. 1 seed. They won the regular season title for the 13th time in history, and the first time since 2022.