TBOLTS TO SQUARE OFF WITH SENS FOR A SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER 

By Sam Bergstrom
SS-Tbolts

SILVER SPRING, JUNE 27—The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (5-15) will face the Southern Maryland Senators (14-7) twice tonight at Blair Baseball Stadium. Since this is a scheduled doubleheader, both of these games will go seven innings (barring the need to go into extras). 

In their last rendezvous, the Sens squandered the Thunderbolts 7-6 on June 16 in Waldorf. This game ended in emphatic fashion, thanks to a walk-off solo homer by outfielder James Carlson (Jr., Youngstown State). Since his walk-off, Carlson has batted 10-26 with 10 RBIs in his last 9 games. 

The Senators have won three of their last four games, and they currently sit atop the South division standings. Their most recent victory came last night in an 11-inning outing against the DC Grays. In their 4-3 win, outfielder Bud Coombs (Jr., Vanderbilt) clobbered his fifth home run of the year, and now leads the Ripken League in dingers. Coombs has been a serious staple in the Senators’ lineup this summer; the righty is batting .435 with 19 RBIs through 12 games. 

Last night, the Thunderbolts’ offense was completely neutralized against the Olney Cropdusters at First Responder Field. The TBolts tallied three hits in total, and ultimately fell 7-1 for their second straight loss. In their last home game, Joey King (So., St. Olaf) came through with a walk-off single against the Bethesda Big Train. King and the TBolts will look to continue their home cooking tonight. 

Right-hander Griffin Roussell (Jr., Point Park) will rock and roll on the rubber to start Game One for the Thunderbolts. Rousell’s last appearance came last week against the Alexandria Aces; the righty pitched 3.2 innings, allowed six hits, and surrendered five earned runs. The Ellicott City native features a fastball and splitter that have been successful in striking out nine batters this season. 

In Game Two, Matthew Calabrese (So., Frederick CC) will make his first official start in 2026. Calabrese has four relief appearances under his belt, and has amassed a WHIP of 1.69. The sidearm righty has not pitched more than 3.1 innings thus far, so it will be intriguing to see how long he will toe the rubber tonight. 

First pitch is set for 4:30 P.M., and Game Two will begin shortly after the close of Game One. For those who can’t attend, be sure to tune into the Thunderbolts’ YouTube broadcast. Peter Kelly and Patrick Moran’s will be giving live play-by-play coverage of both games.

T-BOLTS GET DUSTED UNDER FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

By Patrick Moran
SS-T Thunderbolts

OLNEY, JUNE 26- As the great New York Yankees’ catcher Yogi Berra once said, it’s deja vu all over again. The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (5-14) spent Friday night at First Responder Field to play the Olney Cropdusters (14-6) and lost, 7-1. 

To get the evening started, the T-Bolts went down in order against Cropdusters’ starter Logan Hartman (Jr., Jacksonville). Brady Grimes (Jr., Millersville) took the hill as Hartman’s counterpart, and the Cropdusters’ second baseman Patrick Gozdan (Jr., West Cherster) doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and was singled home by centerfielder Dylan Melton (So., UMBC). Just like that, the Dusters were up 1-0 in the bottom of the first. 

Hartman faced the minimum for a second time, and the Cropdusters once again got the leadoff man on to start the bottom half of the inning.  Third baseman Ryan Bouma (Sr., Frostburg St.) drew a walk, and got to third on two wild pitches. Designated hitter Ben Bolhouse (Jr., West Chester) almost spelled trouble on a double in the right-center gap, but time was called and granted just before the pitch was thrown. 

Instead, he walked, and Grimes was in a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation. Grimes responded by striking out back-to-back hitters and got a flyout to escape the jam allowing no runs, keeping the score where it was. 

The T-Bolts still had no answers in the top of the third, as Hartman ran through the order once without allowing a hit. In the bottom of the frame, the Cropdusters’ shortstop Zakye Hawkins (Jr., U of New Mexico) hit a one-out single and first baseman Max Wearing (Fr., Rutgers) walked shortly after. 

Ryan Bouma hit a grounder to Bolts’ shortstop Jona Acosta (Fr., UNF), and Acosta went to third for the fielder’s choice. The call was originally safe on the field, but T-Bolts’ Head Coach Brock Hunter got the call overturned. It was a huge second out for Grimes, but the Dusters didn’t care. 

Ben Bolhouse drove both runners in on an RBI double, and catcher Jimmy Bell (So., Campbell) did the same. Subsequently, the leash was short for Grimes, as he was pulled for righty Tristan Merritt (Fr., Frostburg St.). Grimes finished with 2.2 innings pitched, five hits, four earned runs, four walks, and four strikeouts on 72 pitches. 

The  top of the order for the T-Bolts didn’t score in the top of the fourth, but they did break up the perfect game. Jona Acosta shot a single through the right side as he continued to stay hot at the plate.

The Bolts kept Tristan Merritt in the game, and he proceeded to toss a scoreless frame. The Cropdusters also made a pitching change of their own, as lefty Carson Kelm came into the ballgame. Hartman had a fantastic night, tossing four innings of scoreless baseball with only one hit allowed and he struck out seven of the ten hitters he faced, throwing a total of 54 pitches. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Ryan Bouma smacked a double and Ben Bolhouse walked to set up a two-run triple for pinch-hitter Cade Walter (So., Jacksonville), extending the Cropdusters’ lead to 6-0. 

Both teams posted zeroes in the sixth inning, and Merritt continued to roll with a 1-2-3 frame. Carson Kelm’s day was done after two innings of hitless baseball consisting of two walks and no punchouts on 25 pitches, prompting the Dusters to summon the CRSCBL Pitcher of the Week Ben Jones (Jr., West Chester).  

Jona Acosta started the top of the seventh by chopping a single up the middle, but it was quickly erased by a 6-4-3 double play. 

Once the game got to the bottom of the eighth, southpaw Jibril Scott (So., Benedict) took over for Tristan Merritt. He finished his day with a very important 3.1 inning performance to save the bullpen for Saturday’s doubleheader at Blair against the Southern Maryland Senators. In his stint, Merritt allowed three hits, two earned runs, a walk, and punched out four, all on 53 pitches. Given Merritt hadn’t thrown since June 18, his arm had the mileage to cover those innings out of the bullpen. 

In his inning of work, Scott gave up three hits, one earned run, no walks, and got one strikeout on 19 pitches. 

To finish off the ninth, the Cropdusters brought in lefty Joey Zito (So., East Stroudsburg) to face the top of the Bolts’ order. Designated hitter Gabe Pegues (So., U of Lynchburg) tapped an infield single and stole second and third, and Jona Acosta plated him on an RBI groundout to break up the shutout. Zito worked around it and ultimately sealed the deal, improving the Dusters’ win streak to four games. 

Carson Kelm was the pitcher of record for the Cropdusters, improving to 2-0 on the season, while Brady Grimes took the loss for the T-Bolts, dropping to 0-2. Tomorrow will be a double header at Blair Baseball Stadium against the Southern Maryland Senators, so get out to the yard or catch Peter Kelly and me broadcasting the action on the Thunderbolts Baseball YouTube Channel.

T-BOLTS TAKE ON CROPDUSTERS FOR FIFTH TIME

By Patrick Moran
SS-T Thunderbolts 

OLNEY, JUNE 26—What else is new? The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (5-14) have to spend another Friday night under the lights at First Responder Field, home of the Olney Cropdusters (14-6). Not only have these teams seen each other on four separate occasions, this will be the third time in three weeks they square off for a North Division showdown. 

So far, the Cropdusters lead the season series 4-0 against the T-Bolts. Not to mention, they currently hold the best record in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, posing as the best threat to bring the first title to Olney by the end of the summer. 

All the T-Bolts are looking to do is get the season back on track. In last night’s 8-4 road loss to the Metro South County Braves, the bullpen had to cover six innings behind left-hander Zach Bortner’s (Jr., Frederick CC) two inning start. Now the team is in the midst of a long stretch of baseball. 

Olney is currently riding a three-game win streak, and while the offense has continued to be lethal, the pitching has completely locked things down. They’ve given up a combined three runs during their streak, one measly run per game. 

This means that not only do the T-Bolts need to bring their best on the mound, hitters have to prepare for Olney’s best since the Dusters’ pitching staff is on a heater. 

The Cropdusters’ offense brings some serious thump, and catcher Landon Springmeyer (Sr., Northern Kentucky) is a huge part of it. He’s third in the league in RBIs at 20, next to his teammate, second baseman Logan Baratta (So., Jacksonville), who has 19. Springmeyer is tied for the league in home runs at four. 

When the Dusters have a need for speed, Donis Rodriguez (Jr., Millersville) is there to save the day. His 11 stolen bases are third best in the league and three behind T-Bolts’ utility man Jona Aosta’s (So., UNF) league-leading 14. 

A driving force behind the pitching success for the Cropdusters is the latest pitcher of the week in the Ripken League, Ben Jones (Jr., West Chester). The righty notched a win without allowing a run in eight innings out of the bullpen with nine strikeouts. 

Keep an eye on T-Bolts middle infielder Matthew Kim (Sr., Hampden-Sydney) today, who’s 3-7 against the Dusters and could see more action after shortstop Collin Gibbs (Jr., U of Delaware) exited last night’s game due to injury. Outfielder Joey King (So., St. Olaf) also had a great game last time the Bolts were in Olney on June 19, robbing a home run from Olney and picking up two hits in the process.  

On the Cropdusters’ side, second baseman Patrick Gozdan (Jr., West Chester)has a .406 batting average with eight RBIs on the season. Five of them came against the Bolts on June 13. First baseman Cadeyrn Ahearn (Jr., Lehigh) is hitting .300 on the T-Bolts in three games so far this summer. 

Right-hander Brady Grimes (Jr., Millersville) will get the ball tonight, after his four innings of one-run ball against the Bethesda Big Train on June 11 was officially put in the books on June 13. He’s lived up to the ace billing he got by making the start on opening day, posting a 2.38 ERA in 11.1 total innings with ten punchouts. 

This one isn’t too far from Blair Baseball Stadium, so if you don’t have anything else to do on a Friday night, come on out to support the T-Bolts! If you can’t make it, tune into the Thunderbolts YouTube Channel as Peter Kelly and Sam Bergstrom will bring you all the action.

TBOLTS TO MOTOR TO CRISWELL ON MONDAY, JUNE 29, TO MAKE UP JUNE 23 RAINOUT VS GIANTS

SILVER SPRING, JUNE 26—Summer is yet five days old and the grand old game is being played in its natural seasonal element. There’s lots to say about summer and no less a personage than the Bard of Avon wrote quite a bit about it.

Shakespeare, in The Two Noble Kinsmen, wrote: “Summer shall come, and with her all delights.”

Unfortunately, one of those “delights,” particularly in the DMV, is evening rain…lots of it. Along with the rain comes Ripken League game cancellations which can stack up like airplanes over JFK International Airport.

Schedulers need to make adjustments based on team and field availability and the League’s Designated MakeUp Days. Hence, another scheduling announcement.

The Thunderbolts will go to Criswell Automotive Field on Monday, June 29, where they will play a makeup game with the Gaithersburg Giants. Game time is 7 pm and this contest makes up the game at Criswell which was rained out on June 23.

The Bolts were originally scheduled to play the Metro SoCo Braves at Blair that day in a makeup game, but, alas...the Braves previously agreed to makeup one of their own rained out games that date.

So, on to Criswell. It’s not a far drive for Thunderbolt fans, and as Shakespeare’s King Henry V said in the play named for him, “(TBolts fans would) think themselves accursed they were not here.”

See ya at Criswell.

TBOLTS FALL 8-4 TO BRAVES DESPITE A PROFICIENT DAY FROM PEGUES 

By Sam Bergstrom
SS-Tbolts

LORTON, JUNE 25—The Silver Spring Takoma Thunderbolts (5-14) battled the Metro SoCo Braves (8-10) for the first time this season. A breathtaking sunset could be seen at South County High School, and there was no shortage of beautiful plays made last night. However, the Thunderbolts did not get the picturesque outcome they were searching for in their 8-4 defeat to Metro SoCo.

Lefty Zach Bortner (So., Frederick CC) made his fourth appearance on the mound for the TBolts in 2026. While he notched four strikeouts on the day, Bortner ultimately suffered his second loss of the season. In his second win for Metro SoCo, Reed Little (Jr., Hampden Sydney) twirled four innings, rendered four walks, and struck out five TBolts. 

Julian Lemper-Turkisher (So., Wagner) gave Metro SoCo an early 1-0 lead in the first after turning on a shallow RBI single to left-center field. Bortner recovered by punching out back-to-back Braves, and made a brilliant defensive play. For the final out, Bortner fielded a comebacker that knocked his glove off of his hand; the southpaw still fired it to first for the final out.

Metro SoCo secured a 4-0 lead in the second inning thanks to RBI doubles from Robert Kelly (Jr., Monmouth) and Nadav Machlin (So., Paris JC). Sam Camacho Jr. (So., Clarion) stopped the bleeding with a nice pick at third to gun down Lemper-Turkisher. Sequentially, Bortner located his fourth K on the top right corner of the zone to end the three-run inning. 

In the top of the third, Gabriel Pegues (So., Lynchburg) traveled around the world for the TBolts. Pegues pieced a single to right field, stole his tenth base of the season, and came home via a Braves wild pitch. 

In the bottom of the third, James Robinson (So., Dickinson) recorded a serendipitous RBI for the Braves. Robinson checked his swing, but the barrel made enough contact to send it over the right side of the infield for a single. Metro SoCo managed to score one more from an RBI single by Matt Wright (Sr., Ferrum). After Wright’s left-field hit scored Lemper-Turkisher, Griffin Puvel (Sr., Rider) launched a throw to catcher Kai Schmelzer (Fr., Gulf Coast State), who tagged out a speedy Collin Lott (So., Northern State) sprinting for home.

In the top of the fifth, a gorgeous orange and pink sky loomed in left field. Gabriel Pegues took in the scene, and punished a 1-0 pitch into the left-center field stratosphere. This was Pegues’ second home run of the summer, and he joins Trent Lopez (So., Cornell) as the only Thunderbolts to have multiple tank shots in 2026. Pegues’s solo homer cut the Braves’ lead down to 7-2. 

Franco Pistella (So., Oberlin) had a stellar three-inning relief outing for Silver Spring-Takoma. The lefty allowed just two hits, and locked in for five strikeouts. This included an emphatic strikeout to get Lemper-Turkisher swinging, which ended the fifth inning. Thunderbolts players and coaches were all pumped up for Pistella, who had his first runless outing this summer. 

While it won’t show up in the statsheet, Kai Schmellzer made excellent blocks behind the plate to save a few wild pitches in the seventh. What will show up in the stats is Puvel’s second outfield assist to Schmelzer. Almost identically to the third inning, Metro SoCo got greedy after a left-field RBI single by Kelly, and Puvel made them pay with his terrific arm to gun down Christopher Krese Jr. (Sr., Stevens Tech) at home.  

Kelly’s seventh inning single put the Braves up by four, and Metro SoCo never looked back. The Thunderbolts grounded out, lined out, flew out twice, and struck out twice to end the game. Right-hander Ben Smallwood (Sr., Marymount) and southpaw Evan NIx (So., Virginia Military Institute) both notched solid outings to close things out. The relievers combined to allow two TBolt hits in the final two innings.

After claiming their 8-4 victory, Metro SoCo secured their eighth win of the season. For Silver Spring-Takoma, they dropped to 5-14, and sit at the bottom of the North Division standings. In total, the TBolts had seven hits, seven walks, and struck out 12. The Braves broke through for 12 hits, five walks, and punched out 11 TBolts. Both teams committed an error apiece.

Gabriel Pegues went 2-4 last night, and his fifth inning homer was the only RBI hit for the Thunderbolts all game. After the game, Patrick Moran asked Pegues how it felt to hit that moonshot. He shared, “It felt good. I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit, and I was just happy that I could get some runs on the board for the guys.”

The TBolts head to First Responder Field tonight to take on the Cropdusters, and will look to salvage their first win against Olney this season.

THUNDERBOLTS AND BRAVES HAVE A LONG-AWAITED RENDEZVOUS TONIGHT IN LORTON

By Sam Bergstrom
SS-Tbolts

LORTON, JUNE 25—The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (5-13) have a much anticipated matchup tonight with the Metro South County Braves (7-10). On June 12, the TBolts and Braves played one inning at Blair Stadium before the game was rained out. It was meant to be made up this past Monday, but weather also postponed that matchup. Tonight, the skies appear to be clear as the TBolts travel to South County High School. 

The Thunderbolts are coming off a wild 6-5 walk-off win against Bethesda last night at Blair Stadium; outfielder Joey King (So., St. Olaf) came through with the clutch RBI single to win it for the TBolts. King is currently batting .250 with seven RBIs this summer. Connor Frickey (Sr., Babson) was also huge for the Thunderbolts last night with his 4 RBIs. The first baseman is batting .390 with 12 RBIs in 2026.

The Braves took a tough 10-3 home loss last night at the hands of the Southern Maryland Senators. Notably, Metro SoCo has lost six of their last seven games. Infielder Robert Kelly (Jr., Monmouth) has had an incredible year for the Braves. Kelly is batting .429 with a 1.036 OPS. The righty also has 22 RBIs, which currently leads the Ripken League. 

On the mound tonight for the TBolts is left-hander Zach Bortner (Jr., Frederick CC). Bortner is making his fourth appearance of the season, and is coming off a loss against the Olney Cropdusters on Friday. Bortner threw four innings, allowed five hits, had three earned runs, and struck out six Cropdusters. 

Head Coach Brock Hunter is a big fan of Bortner’s changeup, especially coming against right-handed batters. A plethora of power hitters in the Braves lineup bat from the right side, so it will be interesting to see how Bortner utilizes that changeup. Hunter also said Bortner is a pitcher who he is hoping to consistently play four to five innings every time he goes out. 

First pitch is set for 7 P.M. at South County High School. Brian Alves and Patrick Moran will bring you the call on the Thunderbolts YouTube Channel. 

KING REIGNS SUPREME; JOEY WALKS OFF BETHESDA IN A 6-5 STUNNER

By Sam Bergstrom 
SS-Tbolts 

SILVER SPRING, JUNE 24—Last night, the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (5-13) squared off with the Bethesda Big Train (10-8) in the second game of a doubleheader. Bethesda had just salvaged an 11-9 comeback victory in Game One, and were looking to stay perfect against the TBolts in 2026. 

Game Two was scheduled to go seven innings due to time constraints, but it still proved to be an electric showdown before a crowd of 200 at Blair Baseball Stadium. Ultimately, Silver Spring-Takoma finally salvaged their first win against their Capital Beltway counterparts. 

In the first inning, Big Train first baseman Emilio Gonzalez (Jr., Nova Southeastern) ripped an RBI double to right-center field to give Bethesda an early 1-0 lead. One inning later, the Big Train was derailed by catcher Mason Kelleher’s (So., Frostburg St.) missile assist to gun down a runner stealing second. Gonzalez bounced back for Bethesda after scorching a third inning sac fly to center, giving them a 2-0 lead. 

Although he surrendered two early runs, Christian Dray (So., Richmond) had a filthy day on the mound for the Thunderbolts. In his third start, the Richmond Spider strung together a season-high five strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched. Three of Dray’s K’s were brought by his breaking ball, and two were pumped by the gasoline of his fastball. 

First baseman Connor Frickey (Sr., Babson) had fruitful at-bats early on for the Thunderbolts. The 6’5” righty cashed in the first two TBolt runs after lacing a third-inning RBI single to center. Trailing 3-2 in the fifth, Frickey found his groove with another two-RBI single that was lined perfectly to left field. Silver Spring-Takoma took their first lead of the game, and—after Game One’s unraveling—looked to keep it that way. 

The sixth inning remained scoreless thanks to poised pitching on both sides. For the Thunderbolts, reliever Michael Preske (So., Cecil CC) sang his signature grunts on the mound. The righty issued a 3-1 count, but came back to strike out the final batter on a check swing to end the inning. After his big K, Preske was praised passionately by his teammates heading into the dugout. 

Down to their last life in the seventh, Big Train revived the game in a riveting way. Daniel Machado (So., Florida Atlantic) mashed a triple to right-center field that was snuck by two outfielders running—and almost collidng—in the gap. Gonzalez (who had done damage all game) was intentionally walked to set up the double play opportunity. Big Train struck out swinging, but then drew a walk to load the bases. Ryan Foscolo (So., Kentucky) tied the game with an RBI hit-by-pitch after frightfully taking a fastball to the helmet. Gonzalez then came dashing home after a wild pitch reached the backstop, and Bethesda went ahead 5-4. 

Bethesda’s players looked to be all aboard the comeback train once more. On June 2, they came back down 8-2 to walk off the TBolts 12-11 at Shirley Povich Field. On June 7, they exploded for a 27-13 win at Blair after trailing 13-11 midway through. The Big Train erased a five-run deficit in their Game One victory, and were looking to hand the TBolts another heartbreaking loss. Ultimately, the Thunderbolts decided it was time to shut down Bethesda’s block party. 

Gabriel Pegues (So., Lynchburg) and Frickey worked back-to-back five-pitch walks, which was followed by a beautiful bunt by Jona Acosta (So., North Florida). By the time Bethesda fielded the softly hit squibber, Acosta was already safe at first to load the bags. With no outs, chants of “Let’s Go TBolts” came raining down at Blair Stadium. Mason Kelleher fed off the support, and came through with a center-field RBI single. The crowd erupted as Pegues ran across the plate, and the game was now tied at 5-5. 

Joey King (So., St. Olaf) arrived to the dish 0-3 on the day with three strikeouts. With an opportunity to finally derail the Big Train—who were 4-0 against the TBolts this season—King checked his swing on the first pitch. “I was a little jumpy at the start,” King told me after the game. “I was just trying to get something through the infield.”

King’s goal was quickly conquered. The third pitch of the at-bat ran in on his hands, but the righty was able to rocket it to center field. As it touched down on the grass, he watched as the winning run scored for Silver Spring-Takoma. King was royally mobbed at first base by his teammates, and eventually drenched in water from a gatorade cooler. 

King came through for Silver Spring-Takoma's second walk-off this season at Blair Stadium. He joined Aydin Prell (So., Dickinson), who provided a bases-loaded walk to win it last week against the Gaithersburg Giants. Strikingly, King supplied the first walk-off hit for the TBolts in 2026. “It felt great just to help the team get a win,” King said humbly after his heroics. 

Along with King, Connor Frickey and Mason Kelleher were both standouts for Silver Spring-Takoma. The righties were both 2-3 with a walk, with Frickey accounting for four of the six Thunderbolt runs. In total, the TBolts hammered seven hits, drew six walks, and struck out 10 Big Train batters. This was the Thunderbolts’ third win at Blair Stadium this season, and their first against Bethesda. 

Next stop for Silver Spring-Takoma is Lorton, where they will battle the Metro SoCo Braves for the first time this season.

BIG TRAIN STEAL A WIN AFTER PROLONGED WAIT TO FINISH GAME AGAINST T-BOLTS

By Patrick Moran
SS-T Thunderbolts

SILVER SPRING, JUNE 24-  What a wild way to start off a great day for baseball. The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (4-12) and the Bethesda Bug Train (10-7) had to wait 13 days to complete one baseball game, and the Big Train ended up taking it 11-8.

The Big Train got the scoring started on June 11 as Daniel Machado (So., FAU) drove in Brennon Wright (Sr., U of South Alabama) on an RBI single, but he made a mental error on the basepaths and got picked off shortly after. This was huge for starter Brady Grimes (Jr., Millersville) to manage traffic, and got a popout on the next pitch to end the top half of the inning.

In response to the Big Train striking first, the T-Bolts put up four runs in their first offensive chance. Lefty Charlie Hoagland (So., ECU) toed the slab for Bethesda and was immediately put to work. 

Second baseman Jona Acosta (So., NFU) led off the bottom half of the inning with a walk and centerfielder Caleb Sturtevant (Sr., Millersville) singled. Acosta was then singled home by right fielder Gabriel Pegues (So., Lynchburg). 

First Baseman Nolan Kutney (Sr., UMBC) followed that up by dumping an RBI single into center field, scoring a hustling Sturtevant from second base. Pegues kept the pedal to the medal and grabbed third after almost getting picked off, and Kutney took second as a result. Back to back RBI groundouts by new kid on the block Cameron Baker (Jr., Indian River)  and second year T-Bolt DH Griffin Puvel (Sr., Rider). 

Things quickly calmed down as both teams traded zeros in the second. Grimes only faced four hitters and allowed just one hit and Hoagland set the Bolts down 1-2-3 featuring a glove show from Big Train second baseman Julius Bagneries (So., GMU). 

Bagneries led off the top of the third with a double but Grimes immediately shut any rally down, picking up a strikeout and he got some help from left fielder Cameron Baker who had a nice running grab on Brennon Wright. 

Gabriel Pegues continued to be aggressive on the basepaths by picking up a leadoff hustle triple. Kutney drew a walk which set up a Griffin Puvel RBI double over the head of Big Train right fielder Zachary Malvasio (So., UCF). By this point, the T-Bolts had a commanding 5-1 lead. 

Ultimately, Hoagland was unable to escape the third, as he threw 2.2 innings with four walks and three strikeouts and threw 72 pitches total, 40 of which were strikes. Jordan Capuano (Youngstown St.), the right hander who came in to relieve Hoagland, was greeted rudely in short order. 

T-Bolts’ backstop Kai Schmeizer (Fr., Gulf Coast State) picked up an RBI single to make it 6-1. Capuano finished the inning, but allowed an inherited runner to score. Hoagland’s final line featured six runs, five of which were earned. 

If Bethesda was looking to rally, Grimes wasn’t giving them an inch. He tossed another scoreless frame facing the minimum. His day ended with four innings, four hits, one earned run, one walk and five strikeouts while retiring six hitters in a row. 

The game was picked up on June 24, and the Bolts offense didn’t miss a beat. First baseman Connor Frickey (Jr., Babson), who subbed into the game for Caleb Sturtevant amidst a defensive shuffle, walked followed by centerfielder Gabe Pegues (So., U of Lynchburg) smacking a single which advanced Frickey to third. Pegues stole second, but Big Train righty Austin Monahan (Jr., FL South West) worked around the threat without allowing a run. 

Right-hander Matthew Calabrese (So., Frederick CC) relieved Grimes out of the bullpen for the T-Bolts and after a strikeout gave up back-to-back hits to Bethesda’s catcher TJ Gramesty (Jr., FAU) on a double and second baseman Julius Bagneris.. Third baseman Logan Ponnett (So., GMU) piggybacked off the fellow Patriot and drove in a run of his own to cut the lead in half to 6-3. 

In an effort to respond to the Big Train’s run output, Bolts third baseman Sam Camacho Jr. (So., Clarion) pounded a single and catcher Kai Schmelzer walked to put two runners on base. New right fielder Jona Acosta grounded into a fielder’s choice to keep the situation the same. Conner Frickey had a walk of his own to load the bases, but Monahan had to be pulled due to injury concerns.

Joseph Chiarodo (So., Alabama) entered as high pressure a situation as possible out of the bullpen for the Big Train. With Monahan’s scoreless streak on the line, Chiarodo walked back-to-back hitters in Gabe Pegues and second baseman Nolan Kutney walked to make it 8-3. 

Monahan tossed 1.2 innings with two hits, two earned runs, three walks and three strikeouts once the book closed on his statline. 

The Big Train immediately pounced on the T-Bolts in the top of the sixth. First baseman and reigning Most Outstanding of the Ripken League Emilio Gonzalez (Sr., NSU) singled and stole second base leading to left fielder Cal Johnson (Jr., UMD) homered the opposite way bringing Bethesda within striking distance at 8-5. 

After a walk to T.J. Gramesty, Calabrese’s day was done after 1.2 innings of five hit, five run (four earned run) baseball with one walk and three strikeouts. The Bolts called upon righty E.J. Youngling (Jr. Moravian) to right the ship, and he got them out of the inning. After one more run came in to make it 8-6 shortstop Collin Gibbs (Jr., U of Delaware) made a huge throw to the plate to cut down Julius Bagnerese trying to score. 

It was a quiet bottom of the sixth for the T-Bolts, but the Big Train bats went right back to making noise in the seventh. Shortstop Daniel Machado started the inning with a single and stole second so center fielder Will Haacke (So., JMU) could bring him home on a single. Right fielder Zachary Malvasio also singled to put Haacke on third base, and Cal Johnson struck again with a sac fly, tying up the game 8-8. 

Things got interesting in the bottom half of the inning, as the T-Bolts loaded the bases and had a prime opportunity to retake the lead. Jona Acosta walked and both Connor Frickey and Gabe Pegues singled but the threat was snuffed out by Chiarodo. 

Bethesda broke the tie as Julius Bagnerise drew a four-pitch walk and Logan Ponnett hit a single to set up a two-RBI single for Emilio Gonzalez as the Big Train took their first lead of the game, 10-8. 

Joseph Chiarodo served as a very important bridge man in this game, throwing 2.1 innings while allowing two hits, no runs, three walks, and striking out four.

Since they had the lead in hand, the Big Train called upon a weapon out of the bullpen. Righty Kyzer Smith (Sr., FAU), who has thrown fourteen innings in five appearances to the tune of a .64 ERA, shut things down which is what he’s done all summer long so far. 

Cal Johnson doubled to start the top of the ninth, and the Big Train immediately fed off of it. Johnson stole third and TJ Gramesty walked, which prompted the Bolts to lift Youngling for Josh Erd. Gramesty stole a base of his own and Julius Bagnerese plated him with an RBI single for a huge insurance run. In the process, Gramesty was thrown out at third by Jona Acosta in right field.

Jona Acosta smashed a double to start a rally in the bottom of the ninth, and was driven in by Gabe Pegues, but that was all she wrote. The Big Train closed it out on the back of Kyzer Smith’s two inning, two hit, one earned run, two strikeout save and snatched the win from the T-Bolts, who led 6-1 at one point. 

E.J. Youngling was tagged with the loss after throwing 2.1 innings with seven hits, five earned runs, one walk, and three strikeouts, dropping his record to 0-1. Joseph Chiarodo got the win, improving his record to 1-0. Bethesda scored 11 runs with 17 hits while the Bolts scored nine runs on 12 hits.

THUNDERBOLTS LOOK TO DERAIL BIG TRAIN IN A RESUMED DOUBLEHEADER

By Sam Bergstrom 
SS-Tbolts

SILVER SPRING, JUNE 24—The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (4-12) will board a double-decker train tonight at Blair Baseball Stadium. Before a stormy weather suspension, Silver Spring-Takoma held a 6-1 lead over The Bethesda Big Train (9-7) on June 11.

At 4:30, this suspended game will resume in the bottom of the fourth inning. This game will only go seven innings, barring a tie that sends it to extras. Afterward, Silver Spring-Takoma will square off once more with Bethesda for their scheduled 7:00 P.M. matchup. 

Thunderbolts starting pitcher Brady Grimes (Jr., Millersville) has been stuck in limbo with five strikeouts from June 11. In Game 1, Matthew Calabrese (So., Frederick CC) will relieve Grimes for the final three innings. The Bowie, MD native has been brilliant for the TBolts in 2026. In nine innings pitched, Calabrese has only allowed five hits, and has nine strikeouts to his name. 

In Game 2, Christian Dray (So., Richmond) will take the mound for the TBolts. This will be Dray’s third official start—he began the game against the Braves on June 12, but it was rained out after two innings—for Silver Spring-Takoma. In seven innings, the righty has seven strikeouts and has only allowed one earned run to score. 

Cal Johnson (So., College of Central Florida) has been slugging graciously for Bethesda as of late. In his last two games, Johnson is 4-9 with four RBIs, two doubles, and a home run. Zachary Malvasio (So., UCF) is another power bat to look out for tonight at Blair. The outfielder is batting .324 with 10 RBIs, and is tied for the Ripken League lead in home runs with four. 

As you can probably tell, Bethesda is big on power hitting; Big Train leads the league in team slugging percentage with .431. They also by-and-far have the most extra-base hits in the Ripken League with 58 (the next best mark is 42). In three games against the TBolts, Bethesda has 33 hits, with 13 of them resulting in extra bases. They have also drawn 40 walks in those three games.

TBolts infielder Jona Acosta (So., North Florida) is batting .314 with a team-leading 11 RBIs. After swiping two bases on Sunday, Acosta leads the Ripken League with 13 stolen bases. Connor Frickey (Sr., Babson) has also been flourishing for Silver Spring-Takoma. The first baseman has a .984 OPS, 9 RBIs and 14 walks. 

The Thunderbolts are looking to bounce back tonight after a tough 14-1 loss against the Olney Cropdusters on Sunday. Their Monday matchup with the Metro South County Braves and Tuesday game against the Gaithersburg Giants were both washed out by rain. Therefore, Silver Spring-Takoma should have plenty of energy tonight as they look to secure their first win against Big Train in 2026.

GUESS WHAT? TONIGHT’S GAME AGAINST THE GAITHERSBURG GIANTS HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

FROM EVERYDAY SHORTSTOP TO NEWLY MINTED RELIEVER: JOSH ERD’S JOURNEY THROUGH SILVER SPRING

By Patrick Moran
SS-T Thunderbolts

SILVER SPRING, JUNE 22- The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts have a very good reputation in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, specifically at retaining players. 

Josh Erd is a huge part of that effort. 

Josh hails from Rockville, Maryland, and played his high school ball at Wootton. Former T-Bolts player turned pitching coach Ryan Mariani overlapped with Erd starting in sixth grade. When Mariani was a senior, he noticed Josh hanging around the high school club in eighth grade since Erd was the next man up for the Wootton Patriots. 

After high school, Erd spent two years at Frederick Community College in the JUCO ranks. He put together a great career, playing in 77 total games and posting a .346/.500/.510 slash line with three home runs, 38 RBIs, and 72 hits. 

“JUCO ball is the best,” Josh said when reflecting on his time with the Cougars. “I still talk to all of my JUCO teammates literally everyday, every single one of them. They’re brothers for life. It’s a true family and it’s really special.” 

During that stretch of his career, Josh started his time with the T-Bolts in 2024 as a rising sophomore. “My buddy played for this team the year before and I didn’t have anywhere to go play summer ball after my freshman year. He hooked me up with [Head Coach] Brock [Hunter] and [Brock] welcomed me onto the team.” 

His first summer in Silver Spring-Takoma, Erd played in 33 games and hit .250 with a .409 on base percentage and drove in 15 runs. He saw action at both middle infield spots, but 32 of his starts came at shortstop; one was at second. 

The 2025 season rolled around, and Josh came back to the Bolts. His playing time was cut as he only appeared in 19 games, but he was still consistently doing what the team needed. He also saw a more even split of defensive reps with six games at third base and ten at shortstop. 

Once he finished year two, Erd wrote the next chapter in his baseball story by leaving Frederick Community College. He made the jump to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) with East Stroudsburg University. In limited action, Josh hit .333 as he continued to stick on the dirt. 

“They’re a really good baseball school and at that point Division Two was looking like my best option. My JUCO coach knew their head coach so he hooked me up with the East Stroudsburg coach. It looked like a good spot and I went there,” Josh said on his decision to go be a Warrior. 

All of a sudden, a switch flipped for Erd in an effort to see the field more. He wanted to become a pitcher. 

“I threw a bullpen and we went from there,” Josh said. “Then, I talked to Brock and Skip (T-Bolts Assistant Coach Max Eckert) on the phone and Mariani since he’s a pitching coach here. I sent them some video and they were like yeah, let’s do it. We’ve got a lot to work on.”

When Head Coach Brock Hunter was approached with the idea, it was unexpected but in a good way. “I was surprised when he told me, but when you think about it it makes sense. He’s always probably had the best arm on the left side of the infield in the League.”

As Erd is currently learning how to pitch in game situations, those coaches have been with him every step of the way. “They’ve been helping me so much and it’s a blessing that they’re here being able to do what they’re doing with us”. 

So far this season, Josh has thrown six innings out of the bullpen with eight strikeouts. His best outing was on June 18 at home against the D.C. Grays where he fired two hitless innings with six punchouts. 

Pitching Coach Dean Wandell called it a “huge step forward for him.” “He looked a lot better, a lot less robotic, a lot more synced up with everything.

“It can be tough sometimes,” he said about Erd’s transition process. “Moving from being an infielder to a pitcher, you automatically want to become more robotic when the reality is you have to maintain being an athlete. He’s a strong kid, [both mentally and physically], so I think he’s going to power through and figure it out.” 

Ryan Mariani, who works alongside Wandell in the pitching department, said the experience is “awesome.” “[I've known] Erd for the last couple of years as a shortstop and since sixth grade and he’s never been on the mound. When he texted me this spring of him getting on the mound at school I was like ‘no way dude, let’s get it,’” he said when he found out Josh was going to pitch.  

“He’s just one of those guys that wants the ball all the time whether he’s able to throw or not the next day he’s telling me ‘Hey I’m fresh,’ even though the pitch count rule is not letting us throw him. He’s a pleasure [to work with], he just gets after it everyday.”

When Josh isn’t on the field, he’s the director of vibes. It comes from his buzzed head, the smile on his face everyday, and the passion he has for the game and his teammates. 

“He’s probably one of the best guys to have in the dugout,” Bolts second baseman Aydin Prell said. “He’s always cheering for the boys, getting out [to the field] early even when he doesn’t have to. He’s got that dog in him, he’s awesome.”

Utility man Nolan Kutney echoed many of the same sentiments as Prell. “He’s a huge energy guy, he loves to be out here. He’s probably the first one out here every single day. We usually show up for early work around three o'clock [in the afternoon], he’s here at two o'clock doing whatever he wants to do. I wish him the best through the season and also through his life because he’s just an absolutely great guy.”

Now that they share even more time together than before, reliever Michael Preske can attest to the player and person Josh is. “He works hard and he gets the job done any way and any how. He finds a way, I love him.”

Max Eckert, who has also spent a prolonged period of time with Erd, knows him well. Eckert said he brings “vibes and personality” to the team and “he’s just a good dude to be around. I’d love to spend seven to eight hours with him out on the baseball field anytime.” 

Even coaches see the type of player and person Josh is. “He’s a great teammate,” Eckart said. “Someone that keeps things positive, willing to put in work for himself and his peers.”

In terms of the growth Erd has made on and off the field, Eckert said he’s “more or less the same person.” “He went from being a plus bat and glove to a guy trying to figure it out [on the mound]. Now he’s got a rocket arm, just trying to learn the mechanics and nuances of being a pitcher but he works hard so I have no doubt he’ll be there.”

Second baseman Matthew Kim, who spent the 2025 season at Frederick Community College with Josh, and is also in year three with the T-Bolts, knows him better than most. “As a baseball player, he’s the epitome of grit. His best strength is knowing how to simplify things mentally,” Kim said.

“As a person, you’ll never meet anyone who is more about service and others first than Josh Erd. He's just the best guy out there, always looking out for others above himself.”

Since Erd keeps coming back to the Bolts to play summer baseball, what makes him so eager to return every year? The answer is mostly the “coaching staff, on and off the field,” Josh said. 

“These guys are truly there for you. They know ball really well, they’ll help you with the mental side of the game, which is huge for a lot of people, and that’s an overlooked aspect. They do a lot of mental preparation with us and work with us really well on the mechanical and fundamental side of the game, too. And the brotherhood that we have here, it’s always so fun and special,” he said.

Now that he’s in his last year of eligibility to play in the Ripken League as a rising senior, he’s soaking it all in. “I’ll miss playing ball in this area and this staff, playing for these guys has been awesome. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had playing ball for sure.”

It’s safe to say Josh Erd has maximized his time as a T-Bolt. He’s created memories that will last forever, made a lasting impression on everyone involved with the team, and been the perfect embodiment of what it means to play for the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts.

PARTNERS

SPONSORS