NEWS

It’s not surprising that the Redbirds and Big Train are playing in the championship game/round for ninth straight summer. What is surprising is how the first two game of the series have transpired.

In the four matchups between these two during the regular season, three of them ended with a run differential of two or less. The two games in the LCS have been blowouts.

Game one belonged to Bethesda as they went on to win 13-4. The Redbirds scored a run in the first inning, but the Big Train quickly took a 2-1 lead.

Bethesda went on to score two runs in the second and third innings, before putting up a four spot in the fifth. All four runs that inning came from two home runs. A Kevin Milam (St. Mary’s College) solo blast and a Vinny Esposito (Sacramento State) three-run shot.

Randy Bednar (Maryland) led off the sixth with a solo blast to make it a 10-2 game, but then the rain came and caused a delay.

When action resumed, Baltimore added one more on a wild pitch to make it 10-3, but that would be it for them offensively. Bethesda added four in the eighth and went on to win 14-3.

Rain caused game two of the series to be pushed to Saturday. This time is was Baltimore who brought the lumber, busting out 14 hits on the way to a 15-4 victory.

It was Bo Weiss (North Carolina) for Baltimore and Kevin Milam for Bethesda getting the starts on the mound.

Cole Zabowski (Ole Miss) blasted a two run shot to right in the bottom of the first and Randy Bednar picked up an RBI in the fourth to make it 3-0 Baltimore.

Bethesda finally got on the board in the fifth with a Jordan Sergent (High Point) RBI single. At the halfway mark in the game, it was 3-1 in favor of the Birds.

Baltimore made in 7-1 in their half of the fifth on a Drew Blakely (Virginia) RBI single and a two-run home run off the bat of Bednar, his second homer in two days.

Alec Maley (Kentucky) came in to pitch the sixth and struggled mightily. He faced four batters and couldn’t record an out. Parker Caracci (Ole Miss) came on to get the final three outs, but Bethesda added three to bring the score to 7-4.

No more runs were scored until the bottom of the seventh when Baltimore blew the game open with six runs, five of which came on walks or hit batter with the bases loaded. Bethesda used four pitchers in the inning.

Bednar hit another home run in the eighth, a two-run blast to make it 15-4. He has three home runs in the championship series.

Caracci closed out the ninth for his sixth save of the summer and Baltimore tied up the series at one game apiece.

Game three is scheduled for tomorrow night, July 30th at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda. First pitch at 7:00 p.m.

 

THE PITCHING MATCHUP

The Redbirds will send Colin Peluse (Wake Forest) to the mound. The 6-foot-3, 230 pound right-hander will be making his second start of the playoffs. He didn’t allow a run to the Dodgers last Tuesday over 4.2 innings of work. He made a start against Bethesda on June 24th on the road and picked up the win allowing one run in just under seven innings.

Stats: Seven appearances/four starts… (2-0), 1.16 ERA, 31 IP, 22 K, 9 BB

 

The Big Train will give the ball to Tyler Smith (East Carolina). The 6-foot, 195 pound right-hander will be making his postseason debut for Bethesda. He’ll be getting his first look at the Redbirds lineup and is pitching on 13 days’ rest.

Stats: Eight appearances/five starts… (3-1), 3.03 ERA, 29.2 IP, 23 K, 9 BB

By: Harrison Swartz, Baltimore Redbirds Play-by-Play Broadcaster