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BETHESDA - - The Thunderbolts lost to the Maryland Redbirds last night in an elimination game of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball Game playoffs, 3-0.

Casey Allison led off the top of the first by getting on base on a dropped third strike, but injured himself stealing second. Nate Cudney pinch ran for Allison, but the 'Bolts were unable to drive him home.

In the top of the third, Frank Florio singled to right with one out for the Redbirds, and it looked the ball could bounce to the wall. Cudney made a great play cutting it off, however, and gunned Florio out trying to go to second.

"I didn't think he'd run," Cudney said. "And I just threw it off my back foot just close to second, and luckily the ball got there before he did."

In the bottom of the fourth, starter Blair Delean ran into some trouble for the 'Bolts. After walking Josh Winter, he got Alex Frederick out on a sacrifice bunt and then struck out Dustin Douglas. However, he then walked Cory Jensen and Ben Winter before giving up a two-run single to Florio.

Curtis Wilson led off the top of the sixth with a walk, and then stole second. The next two batters, Mark Hill and Devin Rivers, flied out to right, leaving Wilson at second. The following batter, Matt Lopsonzski, singled to center, but Wilson was thrown out at home by Ben Winter.

Mike Loeb came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and didn't allow a run. Stephen "Money" Miller pitched a perfect innings, and nine of his ten pitches were strikes.

The 'Bolts had yet another opportunity in the top of the eighth. With one out, Chris Holland singled and advanced to second on an error. Wilson walked, and Hill singled sharply to center, advancing both runners one base. Rivers then grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, ending the inning.

Gray Cardon came in to pitch the ninth, and allowed one unearned run after errors by Hill and Mike Knight on a stolen base attempt.

The Thunderbolts would like to thank all of their fans, sponsors, players, coaches, volunteers and campers for a great tenth season. The LCS continues today at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda, with games at 2:30 and 7:30.

The Thunderbolts lost to the Maryland Redbirds today, 3-0, ending their season. Ben White (Temple) pitched a complete game shutout for the Redbirds, striking out five. Blair Delean (Maryland) started the game for the 'Bolts, pitching five innings and allowing two runs. Mike Loeb (Davidson), Stephen "Money" Miller (Salisbury), and Gray Cardon (Wingate) followed with three innings of relief in which no earned runs were allowed, but the 'Bolts were not able to come through on offense.

I'll put up a full article tomorrow.

BETHESDA - - The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts lost their first playoff game tonight, falling to the top-seeded Bethesda Big Train 6-5.

Jason Patten took the mound for the 'Bolts, and didn't allow a run through his first three innings. In the top of the second, Mark Hill scored on a Nate Cudney single, giving the T-Bolts an early lead. The Big Train were able to tie it up, however, on an RBI double by Mike Celebza in the bottom of the fourth.

Spencer Patton came in to pitch in relief starting in the fifth inning, and pitched three innings, allowing two unearned runs. In the bottom of the sixth, Jarrod Parks led off with a single, and an error by Mike Knight allowed Luke Adkins to reach first and sent Parks to third. Parks scored on a sacrifice fly, and Adkins scored on an error by Curtis Wilson.

The Patten-Patton combo seemed to work really well for the 'Bolts (if not for poor defense - errors and boneheaded plays - they might not have given up any runs). Patten showed good velocity and command on his fastball, and was in complete control. Patton came in and was able to still pound the fastball while mixing in a very good changeup and a wicked curveball.

The T-Bolts' offense came roaring back, scoring two runs each in the seventh and eighth innings to take a 5-3 lead. A two run single by Casey Allison that snuck through the right side scored Chris Holland and Nate Cudney in the seventh, and a two-run double by Holland scored Mark Hill and Devin Rivers the following inning. Then the bottom of the eighth hit the 'Bolts hard.

Josh Futter came in to pitch, and walked two of the three batters he faced (he got Celenza to line out) before being pulled for Mike Bzozowski. Bzozowski got Ryan Mulligan to pop out to second, and the inning seemed over when Connor Bernatz hit a foul pop up near the third base dugout. It was a tough play, however, and Holland dropped the ball, giving Bernatz another chance. The San Francisco Don obliged, loping a single that scored one. Two batters later, Danny Stienstra knocked in two with a single, and the Big Train retook the lead in a dramatic turn of events.

Mike Matta struck out five batters in 1 2/3 innings pitched and earned the win. Bzozowski allowed one run in 2/3 innings pitched and got the loss. Allison was 3-5 with two RBIs, and Hill was 3-3 with a walk, a double and two runs. The 'Bolts outhit the Big Train 10-8, but four costly errors did them in.

TheThunderbolts play their second game of the double-elimination tournament tomorrow against the Maryland Redbirds at Bethesda. The game starts at 2:30. The Big Train play their second game against the Herndon Braves at 7:30.

The Thunderbolts beat the Alexandria Aces last night, 9-6, guaranteeing them the fourth and final slot in this year's CRSCBL playoffs.

The 'Bolts took the lead in the top of the third on a Casey Allison (Wingate) single in this must-win game. Starting pitcher Vince Lloyd (Slippery Rock) gave up a run on a bases loaded walk to Bobby Pizzuto (Buffalo), and the game was tied.

Mike Bzozowski (Catholic), who has been successful all year, primarily as the 'Bolts closer, came in with two outs in the sixth and gave up three runs in the seventh, leaving the score 4-2 Aces. Then the T-Bolts came to bat in the eighth inning.

Curtis Wilson (NW Shoals CC) led off with a single, and Mark Hill (George Mason) flied out to right. Devin Rivers (NW Shoals CC) and Jacob Darr (Mt. Saint Mary's) were hit by pitches on consecutive at-bats, and the bases were loaded. Nate Cudney (Belmont Abbey) singled to right, scoring both Wilson and Rivers and tying up the game. The next batter, Mike Knight (West Virginia), singled through the left side, scoring Darr. Alex Bechta (Lafayette) followed with an RBI sacrifice fly, and Allison finished off the scoring with an RBI double, giving the 'Bolts a 7-4 lead.

Bzozowski was taken out with two outs and two runners on as Cudney moved from DH to the mound. Cudney gave up both inherited runners, but was able to redeem himself with a two-run double in the top of the ninth and a scoreless ninth to close it out and clinch they playoff berth.

Cudney went 3-4 with 4 RBIs, 3 runs, 1.1 scoreless innings on the mound, and a save. Wilson was 3-5 with 3 RBIs.

The 'Bolts play their first playoff game tomorrow, July 29th, in Bethesda against the top-seeded Bethesda Big Train. We hope to see you all there, and the game starts at 7:30 P.M.

A note: Over the next few weeks, I will be doing a conference-by-conference preview of the the upcoming college football season. I'm sure that, when I get around to the Independents, my readers that are fans of Notre Dame will have more to say about knitting.

SILVER SPRING - - The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts have now won 8 of their past 10 games, defeating the Rockville Express 6-5 last night at home, a day after beating them 4-2 on the road.

Ryan Lapointe (George Washington) took the mound for the 'Bolts and allowed two earned runs in six innings for the win, improving to 4-0 with a 1.79 ERA. After running into some trouble in the first, allowing three runs including a two-run home run to Ryan Geffert (Southern Connecticut), Lapointe settled down. Over the next five innings, he didn't allow a single run on four hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

"No, I didn't change anything after the first inning," Lapointe said. "That just happens, that's baseball, but then we started to make some plays throughout the game. I got to pitch my game, and things kinda just fell in to place. [I've been trying to] just pitch my game and make them hit it and make them do the work, let my defense play behind me."

Lapointe almost allowed another run in the top of the third. With one out, Jeff Reynolds (Harvard) singled, and seemingly scored on a Joey Martin (Maine) double. Surprisingly for a Harvard man, however, Reynolds missed second base, and was called out.

In the bottom of the fourth, with the 'Bolts still down 3-0, Mark Hill (George Mason), Devin Rivers (NW Shoals CC), and Chris Holland (George Washington) all reached base, loading the bases with one out. After an Andrew Derr (Frostburg State) strikeout, Mike Knight (West Virginia) walked to put the T-Bolts on the board. The next batter, ninth hitter Alex Bechta (Lafayette), tripled down the right field line, scoring three and giving the 'Bolts a 4-3 lead.

"Well, first I was trying to see a couple of pitches," Bechta said. "Because it looked like he had a weird arm angle, so I just wanted to get up and look at a couple, see if I can get him timed down. I got a pretty good swing on it, I think it was a changeup, and I got the triple."

The T-Bolts scored two more in the bottom of the sixth on a Casey Allison (Wingate) single and a steal of home on a run-down by Bechta. Brennan Wojdyla (Marist) and Josh Futter (James Madison) combined for two innings of scoreless relief, bringing Gray Carden (Wingate) in for the ninth, as usual closer Mike Bzozowski (Catholic) had pitched the previous two days.

Carden struggled, allowing two hits and two walks while only getting one out, and Bzozowski was brought in with the bases loaded, one out, and a 6-4 lead. Bzozowski hit Jabair Khan (Temple), the first batter he faced, to bring in a run, but struck out Ed Medeiros (Merrimack) and got Taylor Juran (Temple) to ground out to short for the final out.

"You know, I trust in my team behind me, everyone's been playing really well in the field, and it's nice to know you've got guys behind that are gonna make up for any hard ball you let it," Bzozowski said. "I was just working on getting that first pitch strike, once you get that first pitch strike, it makes everything that much easier. It's always sweet when the crowd stays like they did today, and it made everything more exciting."

Manager Jason Walck was very pleased with the team's performance today and over the past few weeks.

"Ryan's been great for us the last two outings, and he battled for us and did a nice job and gave us what he had and it was enough to keep us in the game until we could find a way to scratch," he said. "Alex has just been on a tear the last ten games that we've been on this winning streak, seeing the ball real well, and it was just another good at-bat for him at the right time."

Walck said that with all of the roster moves and uncertainty at the beginning of the season, it was hard to know what kind of team they had, and now that it's set, it makes sense that the team is playing better.

"When we started out, we were figuring out what guys were going to be where, where our guys fit," he said. "And unfortunately we got into a tough rut and at the time it was hard to get out of it just because everyone was putting pressure on themselves and it magnified everything. Lately we've just been playing relaxed and guys have been having fun and things have been working our way. We've not been making too many errors, our pitching's been great, and our hitting's come up in big situations, and it's just the reverse of earlier this year."

The Thunderbolts' final home game of the season is Friday, July 24th against the Maryland Redbirds. The game will start at 7 P.M.

Considering how the rest of the season has gone for the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts, these past seven games have been a pretty big success.

Starting with an 11-10 win over the Big Train in Bethesda on July 9th, the 'Bolts have gone 5-2, jumping two places in the league standings. The 'Bolts led that game 10-2, and almost gave up the lead. Mike Bzozowski (Catholic) was able to close it out, however, giving Nate Cudney (Belmont Abbey) the win. Curtis Wilson (NW Shoales CC) went 3-5, and Kyle Maldonado (New Orleans) was 2-3 with 3 RBIs.

Spencer Patton (Towson) got knocked around for eight runs in four innings in the 'Bolts next game, at Herndon,and even a home run by Devin Rivers (NW Shoales CC) and a great performance in relief by Brennan Wojdyla (Marist) couldn't get the T-Bolts the win.

In the next game, against Alexandria, Blair Delean (Maryland) delivered with a great effort on the mound, allowing one earned run in six innings for the win. Three scoreless innings of relief by Cudney and Bzozowski closed it out, and three RBIs by Wilson helped give the Thunderbolts the 5-2 win.

Another great pitching job by the 'Bolts gave them a win at Herndon. Ryan Lapointe (George Washington) allowed one earned run in seven innings for the win, while Mike Loeb (Davidson) pitched two scoreless innings to end it. Left fielder Andrew Derr (Frostburg State) went 3-4 with two runs.

The T-Bolts continued their winning streak on July 13th, as they were able to rally back from an early 5-2 deficit for a 7-5 win. Vince Lloyd (Slippery Rock) was the star of the game, throwing four scoreless innings of one-hit ball in relief for his first win. Matt Hillsinger (Radford) and Wilson both contributed with three hits.

After the All-Star break, the 'Bolts lost a disappointing game to the College Park Bombers, in which they committed ten errors and allowed nine unearned runs in a 10-9 loss, but bounced back with a 7-5 win over Herndon last night.

The 'Bolts play today at Rockville at 5 P.M. Their next home game is Sunday, July 19th, against Rockville at 6 P.M.

SILVER SPRING - - The Thunderbolts dropped to 8-17 on the year, losing to the second place Youse's Maryland Orioles 3-2 tonight.

Two University of Maryland pitchers took the mound to start the game - the Thunderbolts' Blair Delean and the Orioles' Sander Beck. Both pitched great games: Beck allowed two runs in seven innings for the win while Delean allowed two earned runs (and one unearned) in seven innings for the loss.

Per a recent trend, the 'Bolts fell behind early. Orioles' catcher Dan Schefferman reached on an error by Devin Rivers with one out and later scored on a single by Wes Wilson. The O's scored two more in the third on an Austin Harclerode double, and it was 3-0.

Delean and Stephen "Money" Miller dominated the rest of the game on the mound for the 'Bolts, combining for six scoreless innings on three hits and four strikeouts.

"Well, I was able to get a lot of first pitch strikes," Delean said. "I had my curveball and changeup working early on, so that was a bonus, but unfortunately we just couldn't pull away from this one."

The 'Bolts put together a run in the bottom of the third, when Matt Greene scored on a Mark Hill ground out. Matt Hillsinger, on fire of late, drove in Curtis Wilson in the bottom of the fifth on a single.

The T-Bolts had opportunities in the seventh and eighth innings, but were unable to deliver. Casey Allison led off the seventh with a single, but was thrown out at second on a bunt attempt by Curtis Wilson that floated over the pitcher's head, freezing Allison in the base path. The next batter, Greene, grounded in to a double play, ending the inning. The 'Bolts had two runners on and one out in the eighth, but Jacob Darr struck out and Mike Knight lined out to right to end the threat.

The 'Bolts play tomorrow July 6th, at Shirley Povich Field against the Bethesda Big Train. The game is scheduled to start at 7 30 P.M. The next home game is Saturday, July 11th, against the Alexandria Aces at 7 P.M.

The Thunderbolts have lost at least three players this week, adding to the complexity of their roster this season. LSU closer Matty Ott informed the team that he will not be playing, and instead will be trying to play for the national amateur squad. First baseman Big Dan Kassouf went to North Carolina to be closer to his family, and is playing in the Coastal Plain League for the HiToms. T-Bolt veteran Sean Swetnam and the team parted ways, and the reliever is now pitching for the College Park Bombers. Catcher Leland Snaider is hurt, and his status for the rest of the year is unknown.

There are, as of now, three additions to the team: pitcher Spencer Cromer from Hagerstown Community College, catcher Andrew Derr from Frostburg State University, and catcher Mike Knight from West Virginia University.

On a side note, a sad farewell to former NFL great Steve McNair, who was shot and killed today at the age of 36. Rest in peace.

The Thunderbolts' game against the College Park Bombers was suspended at 9-9 after nine innings due to lighting issues. Starting pitcher Josh Futter allowed two earned runs in 7 1/3 innings, and Mike Bzozowski followed with one run in 1 1/3 innings. In back to back innings, clutch doubles by T-Bolts tied up the game. In the bottom of the eighth, Curtis Wilson tied the game up at eight, and Matt Hillsinger tied it at nine in the ninth.

The game is scheduled to resume on Thursday, July 16th. I will write a full article after the game is completed.

Hillsinger was the hero of the second game. Photo by Jeff Lautenberger.

SILVER SPRING - - The Thunderbolts split a doubleheader with the Herndon Braves yesterday, losing the first game 9-4 and winning the second 1-0.

Spencer Cromer, making his second appearance for the 'Bolts, started the first game and ran into some trouble early. After errors by middle infielders Matt Greene and Curtis Wilson put runners on in the top of the first, Cromer hit Connor Mullee with a pitch and walked Matt Simone, scoring a run and leaving the bases loaded for Chris Taylor. The Virginia Cavalier hit a grand slam to left field, scoring four more unearned runs against Cromer.

The 'Bolts were able to put some runs together, including a two-run home run by Greene in the bottom of the fifth, but that first inning was too much for the 'Bolts, losing it 9-4. Cromer's final line: five innings pitched and two earned runs on four hits and three walks. The five unearned runs, however, sunk the T-Bolts' chances.

Mike Loeb took the mound for the 'Bolts in the second game against Ryan Miller, and both threw absolute gems. Loeb allowed one hit and no runs in 5.2 innings, while Miller allowed one hit and no runs in 5 innings. In the top of the sixth with two outs, a lightning delay postponed the game for about an hour, and when the game was resumed, both managers pulled their starters. Mike Bzozowski came in for the 'Bolts and continued Loeb's great effort, pitching 1.1 innings of shutout ball.

Josh Allman came in to pitch for the Braves in the bottom of the sixth, retiring Jacob Darr, Chris Holland, and Big Dan Kassouf in order. In the bottom of the seventh, however, he ran in to trouble. After serving up singles to Devin Rivers and Mark Hill to start the inning, Allman threw a wild pitch, advancing both runners. Allman intentionally walked catcher Mike Knight to load the bases, and struck out Casey Allison. Matt Hillsinger singled down the right field line, scoring pinch-runner Curtis Wilson, and the 'Bolts had a walk-off victory.

The T-Bolts are now 8-15 on the year, moving in to a tie for last place with the Rockville Express, and are 9 games behind the first place Bethesda Big Train. The 'Bolts play tonight at Four Mile Run Park against the Alexandria Aces at 7 P.M., and tomorrow at home against the College Park Bombers at the same time.

The 'Bolts split a doubleheader with the Herndon Braves today, losing the first game 9-4 and winning the second 1-0 on a Matt Hillsinger walk-off single. The second game was interrupted by rain, but a great performance on the mound by Mike Loeb propelled the 'Bolts to a win.

I'll have a full article up tomorrow.

Patton pitched well, but still got the loss. Photo by Jeff Lautenberger.

SILVER SPRING - - The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts slid further into last place in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League on Friday, losing 4-2 to the Maryland Redbirds and falling to 4-14 on the year.

The visiting Redbirds were able to take an early lead off Thunderbolts starter Spencer Patton (Towson), as left fielder Frank Florio (Stetson) hit an RBI single in the top of the first. However, it was the only earned run Patton would surrender in the game. The 'Bolts were able to tie it up in the bottom of the first, as Jacob Darr (Mount St. Mary's) hit a sacrifice fly that scored Matt Hillsinger (Radford), who was on base after a leadoff triple.

In the top of the third with no runners on and two out, Corey Jensen (Hillsborough CC) hit a sharp grounder to first base that bounced away from first baseman Daniel Kassouf (Belmont Abbey).Two runs scored that inning on a double by Florio. Jensen scored another unearned run in the top of the fifth after an error by Devin Rivers (NW Shoales CC), and that was it for the 'Bolts.

There were a few bright spots in the game for the Thunderbolts: Patton, reliever Brennan Wojdyla (Marist), second baseman Curtis Wilson (NW Shoales CC), and Hillsinger. Patton's ERA lowered to 2.50 after allowing one earned run in five innings, and Wojdyla pitched two scoreless innings in relief, bringing his ERA down to 2.25. Batting in the nine hole, Wilson went 2-2 with a double, a walk, and a run, improving his team bests in batting average (.271), on-base percentage (.435), OPS (.935), runs (10), and doubles (5). Hillsinger went 2-4 with a double and a triple, his second of each on the year.

The T-Bolts play the Alexandria Aces at home tonight at 6 P.M.

Kassouf went deep for the second straight game.

BETHESDA - The Thunderbolts are still winless on the road this year, losing to the league leading Bethesda Big Train last night at Shirley Povich Field.

After scheduled starter Spencer Patten (Towson) accidentally ended up in Aberdeen instead of Bethesda, reliever Nate Cudney (Belmont Abbey) was thrust in to the starter role. Through three innings, Cudney was doing fine, only allowing one run on one hit, and the Thunderbolts had the lead on a three-run home run by Big Dan Kassouf (Belmont Abbey), his second of the year.

Kassouf is now 5-8 in his past two games after starting out the season 1-17.

"It's just a little bit of getting my timing down, getting comfortable back in the box," he said. "I was just trying to square something up, I don't really know what pitch it was, I was just swinging at it."

Cudney ran into trouble in the fourth inning. Four straight hits by Mike Celenza (Salisbury), Danny Stienstra (Michigan State), Jarrod Parks (Mississippi State) and Luke Adkins (Mississippi State) led to three runs by the Big Train, giving them the 4-3 lead.

The 'Bolts were able to come back, however, as Jacob Darr (Mount St. Mary's) hit his first home run of the year in the top of the fifth to tie it up. Curtis Wilson (NW Shoales CC), the next batter, walked and got to third with no outs on an error by the pitcher, but strikeouts by Devin Rivers (NW Shoales CC) and Kyle Maldonado (New Orleans) ended the rally.

A T-Bolt error in the bottom of the fifth scored Connor Bernatz (San Francisco) and gave the Big Train the lead for good. Cudney pitched better than his final line showed: five innings, eight hits, and four earned runs

The 'Bolts had a chance to tie it up again in the bottom of the sixth. After Matt Hillsinger (Radford) walked and Casey Allison (Wingate) singled, Darr stepped up to the plate, fresh off his home run in the previous at-bat. Instead of swinging away, Darr laid down a perfect bunt, advancing both runners.

"At that point we were in a 3-1 ball game, and we needed to get a guy over," manager Jason Walck said. "I left it up to him to do what he wanted to do, and he ended up coming up big for us."

Wilson, the next batter, walked to load the bases, but Rivers struck out and Mark Hill (George Mason) flew out to right to end the threat.

"We've been talking about it for eight games now," Walck said. "That we've got to do a better job with guys on third and less than two outs. These guys just aren't focusing in, they've got the ability to [drive runners in], but we just haven't been doing that."

Stephen "Money" Miller (Salisbury) continued his spectacular year out of relief, throwing three innings and allowing only one unearned run on one hit and no walks. Miller has not allowed an earned run in 8.1 innings of work this year.

"I was just throwing strikes," Miller said. "The sliders were working, I was getting ahead in the count, and I was able to put the hitters on the defensive end of things, so I was just throwing strikes and letting my defense play."

The 'Bolts play tonight at College Park against the Bombers in a doubleheader. The first game is scheduled for 5 P.M.

The Thunderbolts lost to the Bethesda Big Train today in a close one, 6-4. After a mix-up that ended up with scheduled starter Spencer Patten (Towson) in Aberdeen instead of Bethesda, reliever Nate Cudney (Belmont Abbey) started the game for the 'Bolts. Cudney allowed five runs in five innings for the loss. Down 1-0 with no outs and two runners on in the second inning, Daniel Kassouf (Belmont Abbey) hit a three-run homerun, giving the 'Bolts a lead that would last until the fourth, when four straight hits and a sacrifice fly for the Big Train led to three runs. The 'Bolts tied it up on a Jacob Darr (Mount St. Mary's) home run in the fifth,, but two runs over the next two innings for the Big Train ended it. Stephen Miller (Salisbury) pitched a great game in relief for the T-Bolts, allowing only one unearned run on one hit and no walks in three innings of work.

I'll put up a full article tomorrow.

Carden threw seven innings of shut down ball, allowing one run for the win.

SILVER SPRING - - The Thunderbolts beat the College Park Bombers yesterday, 4-1, snapping their seven game losing streak.

The 'Bolts took the lead in the bottom of the fourth, when Daniel Kassouf (Belmont Abbey) drove in Devin Rivers (NW Shoales CC) on an RBI single. Gray Carden (Wingate) handled the rest. The Thunderbolts' starter pitched seven great innings, striking out four while only allowing one run for the win. Carden's ERA in two starts this year is now 1.50.

"I was just trying to have command on my fastball," Carden said. "Early in the game get ahead in the count, and I got lucky with my offspeed early. My curveball was working, my slider was working, and we had great defense all night, so it wasn't just me, I had all the guys behind me, and they delivered in the clutch when we needed to on offense."

College Park starter Ignacio Rodriguez (Swarthmore) struggled, walking five batters and allowing three hits and one run in three innings of work for the loss. Billy Jarboe (Patrick Henry CC) came in to pitch and allowed two more runs in three innings of work.

Kassouf continued his good day at the plate in the sixth inning with a two-run home run in the sixth inning, scoring Chris Holland (George Washington). Kassouf led all Division II players with 29 home runs this year, but this was his first in the Ripken League. Kassouf finished the day 3-4 with three RBIs.

The T-Bolts' final run was scored in the top of the ninth, when Alex Bechta (Lafayette) drove in Mark Hill (George Mason) on an RBI single. Hill walked three times in the game.

Reliever Brennan Wojdyla (Marist) entered the game for the 'Bolts in the eighth, and pitched 1/13 scoreless innings. He was pulled in the ninth after allowing a single and a walk, bringing in Mike Bzozowski (Catholic). After picking off a runner at second, Bzozowski struck out Will Evans (Salisbury) on a wicked slider to end the game.

"The slider was working really well tonight," Bzozowski said. "And it feels great to finally get a win, you know, everyone's been kinda pressing hard and we finally pulled out tonight. You'd like to beat teams like this by a bit more than we did, but we'll take it any way we can get it right now."

The Thunderbolts are scheduled to play tonight in Bethesda at 7 P.M. Their next home game is on Saturday, June 20th, against the Herndon Braves at 7 P.M.

The Thunderbolts defeated the College Park Bombers tonight, 4-1, to end their seven game losing streak. Gray Carden (Wingate) got the start for the Thunderbolts, and allowed only one run in seven innings for the win. Brennan Wojdyla (Marist) and Mike Bzozowski (Catholic) combined for 2 innings of scoreless ball in relief, Bzozowski earning the save. The 'Bolts knocked Bombers' starter Ignacio Rodriguez (Swarthmore) out of the game in the third inning, and Rodriguez was handed the loss. Daniel Kassouf (Belmont Abbey) was the star of the night offensively for the 'Bolts, going 3-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs. Mark Hill (George Mason) walked three times, and Greg Anderson (Mesa State) of the Bombers went 2-2.

I'll post a full article tomorrow.

Casey Allison went yard, but it was not nearly enough to hold off the Big Train.

SILVER SPRING - - The Bethesda Big Train and Youse's Orioles have long been considered the Yankees and Red Sox of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League (you can pick which one is which). The Big Train only enhanced that perception by adding one of the best players in Ripken League history, Mike Celenza (Salisbury), formerly of the College Park Bombers. Last night, the Thunderbolts looked more like the Nationals.

In the first game of what turned out to be a very long doubleheader for the 'Bolts, T-Bolts' starting pitcher Vince Lloyd (Slippery Rock) ran into trouble in the first inning. Lloyd allowed two run singles to Luke Adkins (Mississippi State) and Jordan King (Meridian CC) giving the Big Train a 4-0 lead heading in to the bottom of the first.

The Big Train would not stop there, however, scoring six more runs in the sixth inning off of Lloyd and Sean Swetnam (Prince Georges CC). Swetnam allowed four runs on four hits and one walk in 1/3 of an inning pitched. The 'Bolts lost the game, 10-2.

There were some good signs from the game, however. Nate Cudney (Belmont Abbey) and Stephen Miller (Salisbury) were excellent in relief for the 'Bolts, combining for 4 2/3 scoreless innings and allowing only three hits. The Thunderbolts also played flawless defense once again, and Casey Allison (Wingate) hit a home run in the bottom of the second.

Josh Futter (James Madison) started the second game for the 'Bolts, and after opening with two scoreless innings, it looked like the things were turning for the better. However, Futter allowed six runs over the next 1 1/3 innings, and was pulled with a blood blister. Mike Loeb (Davidson) and Brennan Wojdyla (Marist) combined to allow one run in 3 2/3 innings, but the game was already out of reach. Hugh Adams (Florida Atlantic), Ryan Vander Tuig (San Jose State), and Mike Matta (Mount St. Mary's) combined to shut out the 'Bolts, and the game ended 7-0 Big Train.

The Big Train are now 8-2, while the Thunderbolts sit at 1-6. The 'Bolts play against the Bombers tomorrow, June 17th, at home against the College Park Bombers. The game is scheduled to start at 7 P.M.

Delean showed flashes of great pitching, but was handed the loss. Picture by Pete Volk.

SILVER SPRING - - Last night, in their fifth game of the season, the Thunderbolts struggled with consistency in their pitching and hitting, losing to the Rockville Express 7-3.

Blair Delean (Maryland) for the 'Bolts and Mike Howard (Connecticut-Avery Point) for the Express were the starting pitchers, each making their first appearance of the year. Both starters threw flawless first and second innings but ran into trouble in the third.

The Express led of the third inning with back to back singles by Taylor Juran (Temple) and Chris Wychock (Towson). Both scored two batters later on a two-run single by Bill Besinger (Babson). The 'Bolts were able to take the lead in the bottom of the third. Curtis Wilson (NW Shoals CC) and Alex Bechta (Lafayette) led off with singles, and Wilson scored on a Jacob Darr (Mount St. Marys) double. After a Devin Rivers walk, the Express brought in Jared Cohen (Georgetown) out of the bullpen. After a lengthy mound visit and pitching change, Cohen threw a wild pitch on his first pitch to Daniel Kassouf (Belmont Abbey), and Bechta scored to tie it up. Kassouf sent a long fly ball to left field, scoring Darr, and the 'Bolts took the lead.

The lead was not held for long, however, as Delean struggled mightily in the fourth inning. After getting Kyle LaHonta (Gonzaga) to fly out, Delean allowed a double to Ryan Geffert (Southern Connecticut). Juran drove in Geffert on a single and leadoff hitter Kevin Collins (Towson) drove in two more to secure the lead.

That was all Cohen needed, as he dominated the rest of the game. After allowing the two inherited runners to score in the third inning, Cohen threw 6 2/3 shutout innings, allowing only two hits and walking three for the win.

"I only had one start for school this year, against UVA in the middle of the season," Cohen said. "I don't know what my pitch total was but [this appearance] was probably the most I've thrown in a while. The slider was good, it's something that is brand new to me, and that is something that was really working tonight. My arm feels fine, it never gets sore, I'm one of those guys that can always keep throwing."

The main obstacle for the Thunderbolts besides Cohen was their inability to stay consistent, both on offense and on the mound. Delean threw four great innings (the first, second, fifth, and sixth frames), but struggled greatly in the third and fourth. The 'Bolts bats were able to get on base nine times, but only once did they get more than one base runner in an inning.

"Blair came out and I thought he threw the ball very well," head coach Jason Walck said. "He just ran in to that one inning where he gave up an unfortunate couple of base hits, and they put the pressure on and we didn't react, and it's sad that it came right after we had just put up a 3-spot to take the lead. But I thought Blair threw the ball very well and he's going to be a good one for us. We've got to find a way, whether it's a bunt, a walk, or a hit batter to get runners on base, because these games are long, nine innings, and you've got to be able to scratch a run here and there rather than one three-spot."

The coach stressed that point in his post-game talk with the players.

"Well, coach talked to us at the end of the game about putting together more than one big inning and having some more consistency throughout the game," reliever Mike Bzozowski (Catholic) said. "We're not concerned, it's only five games in, and baseball's streaky, you can lose five games in a row and then win 20."

One thing that will help the 'Bolts in the near future is the arrival of star reliever Matty Ott (LSU). Ott, a freshman, is the closer for LSU, who is still playing in the College World Series. Ott set the LSU single season record for saves this year with 16, and in almost 50 innings this season he has over 60 strikeouts against only four walks. Coach Walck wouldn't go as far as to say that he is rooting against LSU so that Matty can come to the team sooner, but did comment on how much his presence will help the team.

"Well, you know, I know those guys pretty well at LSU," Walck said. "So I certainly hope that they do what everybody's dream is and win the national championship, and if they do, Matty should still be here by July 1st, but if he gets here sooner I certainly wouldn't be opposed to that either. We certainly have the guys to do it now, but it would help to have a guy of his caliber."

The Thunderbolts have a doubleheader today at home against the Bethesda Big Train. The first game starts at 5:30 P.M.

The Thunderbolts struggled both with the bat and on the mound tonight, falling to the Rockville Express 7-3. The 'Bolts are now 1-4, while the Express improve to 3-0. The Express took a two-run lead in the third on a two-run single by second baseman Bill Besinger (Babson). In the bottom of the third, Jacob Darr (Mount St. Mary's) drove in Curtis Wilson (NW Shoals CC) on a single, and Alex Bechta (Lafayette) scored on a wild pitch. Daniel Kassouf (Belmont Abbey) drove in Darr on a sacrifice fly, and the T-Bolts took the lead. It would not last long, however, as starter Blair Delean (Maryland) allowed three runs in a momentum shifting fourth inning. Delean's line of five runs (four earned) in six innings looks much worse than he actually performed. Delean pitched four hitless innings, but struggled in the third and fourth. In relief for the 'Bolts, Ryan Lapointe (George Washington) allowed two runs in three innings, but struck out five. The story of the night, however, was Express reliever Jared Cohen (Georgetown). Cohen entered the game with one out in the third, and did not allow a run in 6 2/3 innings pitched. Cohen allowed two hits and walked three while effectively shutting down the T-Bolts' attack.

The Thunderbolts have a doubleheader tomorrow against the Bethesda Big Train. The first game starts at 5:30. I'll have a full article of this game up tomorrow.