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.

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