Camacho Jr. Homers, TBolts Fall 8-2 to Olney
OLNEY, JULY 15—For the seventh time this season, the Olney Cropdusters (22-11) stamped a win over the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (11-23). In this 8-2 outing, Olney scored their runs in a handful of ways. While the TBolts had fiery defensive flashes, they struggled to break things open offensively.
Cropdusters pitcher Kyle Rogers (West Chester) made his second start of 2026. Overall, the righty went six innings, allowed two hits, issued two walks, and struck out five. Rogers kept the TBolts in custody for four innings before they got their first hit of the ballgame.
For the Thunderbolts, Michael Preske (Cecil CC) also made his second start of the summer. In the first inning, Cade Walter (Jacksonville) and Donis Rodriguez (Millersville) both delivered RBI singles off Preske to give Olney a 2-0 advantage.
After taking an early lead, the TBolts made two terrific plays to get out of turmoil. Catcher Mason Kelleher (Frostburg St.) fired a snap throw to third, and Sam Camacho Jr. (Clarion) applied the tag to eliminate Sammy Berman (Maryland) on a stolen base attempt. Sequentially, Camacho fielded a chopper in the hot corner, and launched a long throw to first to end the inning.
In the second, DH Zakye Hawkins (New Mexico) hammered a right-field sac fly to make it 3-0. Afterward, Kelleher collected his second assist of the night. Dylan Melton (FAU) flicked a base hit to left, and Olney held up Kanen Kreafle (St. Olaf) rounding third. While Melton looked to leg out a double, Kelleher received a throw from the outfield. Emphatically, he fired a strike to the second baseman Matthew Kim (Hampden-Sydney) to gun down Melton.
In the third, Camacho Jr. continued his gold glove defense by making a diving stop, jumping to his feet, and slinging it to Nolan Kutney (UMBC) at first. Later, Olney laced three base hits off Preske in the fourth; Brian Scott (Frostburg St.) then secured an RBI groundout to make it 4-0 Cropdusters.
Rogers carried a no-hitter into the fifth, but it was quickly torn down by the TBolts. Center-fielder Griffin Puvel (Rider) toasted a single to left, and Silver Spring-Takoma finally entered the hit column. In the sixth, Rogers rocked back into rhythm by securing a strikeout, groundout, and flyout.
In the bottom of the sixth, TBolts pitcher John McGowan (Trinity) made his fourth mound appearance of the summer. The righty quickly secured a strikeout, but ran into turmoil by letting up three Cropduster runs. Hawkins hammered a left-field RBI double, Melton recorded an RBI groundout, and Rodriguez worked a bases-loaded walk. All of a sudden, the scoreboard read 8-2 Cropdusters.
Batting in the top of the seventh, Camacho Jr. worked a 2-1 count after Rogers threw a splitter, fastball, and another splitter. On the fourth pitch, he crushed a fastball right down Broadway over the left field fence. This was Camacho’s first home run of the season, and the Miami native was stoked to see the ball sail out of the ballpark.
“It felt amazing. That’s what everybody dreams of. Try to hit the ball as hard as you can and try to hit a home run,” Camacho told me after the game. “There’s many more to come. It’s God’s plan.”
In the seventh inning, Franco Pistella (Oberlin) appeared as the third pitcher of the night for the TBolts. After surrendering an RBI walk in the seventh, Pistella pitched a perfect one-two-three eighth inning. In total, the Pittsburgh native piled on three strikeouts, and allowed zero hits.
In a fun sequence of events, relief pitcher—and former everyday shortstop—Josh Erd (East Stroudsberg) pinch hit for Camacho Jr. in the ninth inning. While up to bat, the Cropdusters dugout ruthlessly chirped, “He’s a pitcher!” Much to the delight of the TBolts dugout, Erd responded with a base hit up the middle. The hype was short lived, as Olney officially secured an 8-2 victory.
Simply put, Olney’s pitching poisoned the TBolts batters last night. Rogers allowed no hits through four innings, and the Thunderbolts amassed just three for the entire game; this is the second time the TBolts have been three-hit by the Cropdusters this summer. The TBolts were also K’d nine times, which is the most they have struck out since July 8 at Bethesda.
The Thunderbolts are back in action tonight at Blair Stadium, where they will square off with the Southern Maryland Senators.