Russell Petersen pitched six strong innings, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out six. Photo by Maya Brichacek.  

Written by Jack Stashower

The Bethesda Big Train defeated the Alexandria Aces 10-4 in Game 1 of the Cal Ripken Sr. League Championship Series Finals at Shirley Povich Field on Sunday. The victory puts the Big Train one win away from their 12th Cal Ripken Sr. League title. 

The Aces advanced to the championship series after sweeping the Olney Cropdusters, punching their ticket with a 7-4 win at First Responder Field on Friday. The Big Train advanced after beating the Southern Maryland Senators in a winner-take-all game 3 7-4 at Shirley Povich Field on Saturday. 

DJ Scheumann (Ball State) opened the scoring with a deep home run over the right field fence in the top of the third, the first hit of the game for either team. His solo shot gave the Aces a 1-0 lead. 

The Big Train weren’t down for long. Josh Skowronski (Winthrop) led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to right. After stealing second, a single to right by John Martinez (Florida Atlantic) easily brought Skowronski home, tying the game at one apiece. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Alex Peltier (East Carolina) singled to center, bringing home Parker Corbin (Maryland) after an erroneous throw by the Aces center fielder went wide of the cutoff man. Peltier would score himself after Brennon Wright (South Alabama) hit a sacrifice-fly to center. After five, the Big Train led by two. 

Big Train’s starter Russell Petersen (Whitman) pitched six strong innings on the bump to earn the win. He finished the night with only one run given up and six strikeouts on the night. Like many Big Train pitchers, Petersen has had experience both as a reliever and a starter.

“He is much more effective starting than he is coming out of the pen,” Big Train Head Coach Sal Colangelo said. “He kept the ball down low very well tonight, he’s a winner.”

The Big Train would open the offensive floodgates in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on second and third, JJ Hand (Old Dominion) singled to right, bringing in both Brett Ott (Sacramento State) and Corbin to give the Big Train a 5-1 lead. Peltier would add to the Big Train’s lead with a towering two-run home run that snuck over the tall center field wall. After six, the Big Train led by six, 7-1.

The Aces would get one run back in the top of the seventh thanks to a home run over the left field wall by EJ Hankerson (Maryland), a shot that would rejuvenate the Aces dugout and the traveling Alexandria fans at Povich Field. 

But in the bottom half of the inning, the Big Train weren’t keen on letting the Aces get back in the game easily. With a runner on third, Ott’s sacrifice fly to right was deep enough to easily bring in Peyton Steele (Alabama) from third to increase the lead to six once again. 

Peltier continued his impressive day at the plate with an infield single, scoring Martinez from third to increase the Big Train lead to seven. Peltier finished the day 3-for-5 at the plate with three RBIs. After Peltier stole second, a wide throw from the catcher brought in Corbin from third to give the Big Train a 10-2 lead. 

In the top of the ninth, Scheumann hit his second homer of the game. A deep ball over the left field fence brought in Michael Powell (UPenn) and decreased the deficit to six. But it was not enough, as the Big Train got the remaining outs and cruised to victory in game one of the finals.

The series heads to Frank Mann Field for Game 2 on Monday, a game the Aces must win to stay alive. If the Big Train win, they clinch their 12th Cal Ripken Sr. League title. If the Aces win, they force a winner-take-all Game 3 at Shirley Povich Field, the same field where the Aces won their first title three years ago.