News

Early Offense Leads Big Train to 7-3 Win Over Grays

06/20/2015 3:58 PM

By:Chris Rogers

Alex Calvert (South Carolina) pitches in the first inning of a 7-3 Big Train victory over the Grays. The Big Train pitching staff has now allowed three or fewer runs in four straight games.

Behind an early offensive outburst and another strong performance from the pitching staff, Big Train beat the D.C. Grays 7-3 at the Washington Nationals Academy Saturday afternoon.

The Big Train bats came out roaring in the top of the first, as a single and a hit by pitch put Cody Brown (Mississippi State) and Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s, Calif.) on with one away in the frame. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Chris Lewis (Sacramento State) delivered a two-run double to give Big Train an early 2-0 lead.

Not content with this, they struck for more in the top of the third. Logan Farrar (Virginia Commonwealth) led off the inning with a double, and after a wild pitch and a walk to Cody Brown, Bethesda had runners at the corners with nobody out. After back to back strikeouts, Harrison Crawford (Creighton) tripled, driving both runners home. The next batter, Justin Morris (Maryland) delivered an RBI single to score Crawford. After a walk to Brandon Hunley (Sacramento State) moved Morris to second, Tony DiLeo (Eastern Michigan) singled to drive him home for the fourth Big Train run of the inning, and their sixth of the game.

They added another run in the fourth, when Farrar scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Chris Lewis to give Big Train a 7-1 lead.

Meanwhile, Bethesda’s pitching staff continued to dominate, as the Grays could muster just one run off starter Alex Calvert (South Carolina). D.C. scored another run in the sixth, off reliever Tyler Loptien (San Diego State), and a run in the eighth off Miller Trevvett (Radford), but they could not match the offensive output from Bethesda’s lineup. Calvert, Loptien, Trevvett, and Blake Smith (Mississippi State) combined to give up just three runs and eight hits over nine innings, while striking out six. It was the fourth straight game that Bethesda’s pitching staff has surrendered three runs or fewer, a feat they have accomplished in nine of their last ten games.

This win moves Big Train to 13-2 on the season, the best mark in the Cal Ripken League. They have now won six straight.

Notes: Lewis drove in three runs, and now leads the Cal Ripken League with 11 RBI on the season…Big Train will look to continue their winning streak tomorrow at 1 p.m. against the North Division-leading Baltimore Redbirds (11-3)…Big Train returns home Monday at 7:30 p.m. to face the Rockville Express.