By Scott Zolotorow
BETHESDA, MD — The Big Train put up eight runs in the second inning to propel them to a 14-4 win over the Gaithersburg Giants. They sent 13 hitters to the plate, including first baseman Wes Rea (Mississippi State), twice. Rea led off the inning with a frozen rope down the line for a standup double. He came around to score on a a Tony DiLeo (Eastern Michigan) 2-RBI double. Later in the inning Rea came up again with two on and launched a three-run home run to the deepest part of the park, which improved the Big Train lead to 9-1. Rea finished 2-5 with four RBI’s and two runs scored.
Left hander Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) delivered a gem of a start for the Big Train, going six innings while striking out six and allowing only one run. He struck out two in the first inning and set down 11 of his final 13 hitters.
The Big Train were very patient in the game drawing 13 free passes in the game giving them a whopping total of 29 base runners. Second baseman Brandon Lowe (Maryland) was 2-2 while driving in three runs and scoring an additional two. Third baseman Andrew Brown (San Diego State) added two RBI’s on two hits and right fielder Cody Brown (Mississippi State) had a three hit game for Bethesda.
There was a scary moment for the Big Train when All-Star shortstop Stephen Alemais (Tulane) was hit by a pitch on his elbow in the second inning, in the same exact spot that he was hit during Wednesday night’s All-Star Game. He left the game in the third.
“It stinks because the swelling had just gone down and I felt good and then it came right back,” Alemais said. “I’ll be fine and good to go.”
The Big Train have clinched the playoffs already with eight games left to play and are just three wins away from clinching the number one seed. ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian was honored at the game for being a fan of the Big Train since their existence. He lives a few miles away from Shirley Povich Field
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