NEWS

By David Schurter

In a rematch of last year’s Cal Ripken Sr. League Championship Series, and a showdown of the top two Ripken Sr. League teams this season, the Alexandria Aces and Bethesda Big Train played two at Shirley Povich Field on Tuesday evening. The Aces have clinched the top seed in the postseason, while the Big Train are still fighting for the first round bye and the North Division title. Bethesda needed to pick up a win or two in these crucial games, but the Aces had other plans. 

 

GAME ONE

In game one, a makeup of a game that was supposed to be played in Alexandria, the Big Train were the road team, so they went up to bat first, and wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Teddy Ruffner (UNC Wilmington) hit an RBI triple the other way to score Jacob Orr (Maryland) and put the Big Train up 1–0 early.

The Aces would respond with two runs in the bottom of the second inning on an absolute blast to right-center field by Matt Ossenfort (Vanderbilt), a two-run home run to give the Aces a 2–1 lead. However, the Big Train, fighting for playoff positioning, struck back immediately with two runs of their own in the top of the third inning on another RBI triple, this time by Dean Toigo (Oregon), and an RBI groundout to make it 3–2 Big Train after three innings.

Over the next two frames, there would be no score, keeping it a tight game between the Aces and Big Train. The Big Train starting pitcher in game one, Darin Kuskie (South Carolina Upstate), gave his team all he could for five innings, as he was a late replacement for the scheduled starter.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, down a run, the Aces would take the momentum back, scoring two runs. Gavin Miller (Auburn) tied the game on an RBI double, and then the Aces would go ahead on a bases-loaded walk to make it 4–3 Aces heading into the seventh and final inning.

The Big Train, needing a win badly, found life with one swing of the bat from Jack Guerrero (UNC Wilmington) who tied the score at 4–4 with his second homer of the campaign. Unfortunately for the Big Train, the Aces, who have been so good all year at taking the momentum back, did just that as RJ Hamilton (Vanderbilt) hit a walk-off RBI double in the bottom half to win game one 5–4.

 

GAME TWO

In the nightcap, the two teams would switch positions, as the Big Train would be the home team once again, and the Aces switched to bat first as the visitors. Right away, the Aces walked twice and executed a double steal to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out. They were unable to score, but the Big Train, on the other hand, got on the board in the bottom half when Dixon Williams (East Carolina) stole home to make it 1–0 – an electric first run to say the least.

Jack Hostetler (Whitman), the game two starter for the Big Train, was brilliant through the first three innings, keeping the Aces off the scoreboard with seven strikeouts and giving the Big Train a chance to split the doubleheader and pick up a much needed win.

However, the Aces had other plans in the top of the fourth inning. Although Alexandria had already locked up the number one seed in the playoffs, they had a chance to play spoiler to the Big Train and their hopes of locking up the second seed and getting that first round bye.

In the fourth, Amari Allen (Undecided) hit a two-run double, scoring both Alex Wade (Auburn) and Ossenfort to give the Aces a 2–1 lead. In the fifth, the Aces would tack on another run on Ossenfort’s second home run of the day and league-leading eighth of the year. This insurance run put the Aces up 3–1 over the Big Train, who would score once more to make it a one run game.

In the seventh inning, the Big Train had one last chance to salvage a split of the doubleheader, but the Aces closed the door on their hopes of a split, sweeping the Big Train and winning game two 3–2. 

The Aces are back at home on Wednesday for a doubleheader against two opponents, the South County Braves and the Southern Maryland Senators, while the Big Train remain at home against the Silver Spring Takoma Thunderbolts, looking to lock up that North Division title and a first round bye in the postseason.