Senators Shut Out Big Train to Even Semifinal Series

By Jackson Lynch

Box Score

WALDORF, Md. — Under cloudy skies at Regency Furniture Stadium, the Southern Maryland Senators kept their season alive.

Behind eight scoreless innings from Will Petteys (Georgia State), the Senators shut out the Bethesda Big Train 2-0 on Sunday afternoon to even the CRSCBL semifinal series and force a winner-take-all Game 3.

Bethesda entered the day one win away from the championship series after taking Game 1, 6-2, on Saturday. Instead, Southern Maryland answered in an elimination game and sent the series back to Shirley Povich Field for a decisive Game 3 on Monday night.

Petteys was the difference.

Facing elimination in the biggest game of Southern Maryland’s season, the Georgia State left-hander delivered one of the best starts in the league this year. Petteys tossed eight scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out two on 92 pitches. He held the Big Train scoreless for the first time all season and never let Bethesda build any momentum.

Petteys did not pile up strikeouts, but he didn’t need to. He attacked the strike zone, limited hard contact and came through every time Bethesda threatened, turning in a masterclass with the Senators’ season on the line.

The Big Train had opportunities but never came up with the timely hit.

Bethesda nearly broke through in the third inning with a runner on third and two outs, but Brennon Wright (South Alabama) grounded out to end the threat. Big Train first baseman Emilio Gonzalez (Nova Southeastern) then led off the fourth with the game’s first extra-base hit, a double, but Petteys escaped the inning without allowing a run.

Southern Maryland finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth.

Cole Rhame (Richmond) opened the inning with a single before stealing second. Jackson Hays (Yale) drew a walk, and Zachary Anderson (Binghamton) moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Kai Lwin (Florida Atlantic) then hit a ground ball to second that brought Rhame home with what proved to be the game-winning RBI.

The game remained a pitchers’ duel through the middle innings.

Bethesda starter Jack Sams (University of Kentucky) matched Petteys nearly every step of the way and deserved a better outcome. The right-hander allowed one run on two hits over five innings while striking out five. Other than Southern Maryland’s fourth-inning rally, Sams kept the Senators in check and gave the Big Train every opportunity to climb back into the game.

The Senators finally created some breathing room in the seventh.

Anderson crushed a solo home run over the towering left-field wall to lead off the inning, extending Southern Maryland’s lead to 2-0. The Binghamton catcher delivered the game’s defining offensive swing and stood out as the most valuable position player on either side. Anderson also reached base after being hit by a pitch, laid down a sacrifice bunt that helped set up the game’s first run and caught all nine innings behind the plate as Southern Maryland completed the shutout.

Anderson’s home run was the only run Big Train reliever Kyle Hopper (Jacksonville) allowed. The right-hander pitched the final three innings, allowing two hits, one run, no walks and striking out two. After back-to-back Bethesda errors put runners on the corners in the eighth, Hopper escaped the inning without allowing another run.

Bethesda’s pitching staff allowed just four hits and two runs all afternoon. The Big Train received more than enough from Sams and Hopper, but the offense could not provide any run support.

Bethesda finished with three hits, three walks and one hit batter while leaving seven runners on base. Gonzalez and Kieran Coleman were the only Big Train players to reach base twice. Gonzalez finished with a double and a walk, while Coleman added a single and a walk.

After Petteys’ dominant eight innings, Ryan Conrad (Villanova) closed the door in the ninth, striking out two while allowing no hits to earn the save and preserve Southern Maryland’s season.

The Senators needed just four hits to keep their season alive.

Now, the series comes down to one final game. Game 3 is set for 7 p.m. Monday at Shirley Povich Field. The winner moves on to the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League championship series. For the other team, the summer ends.