Giants Mount 11-Run Fourth Inning, TBolts Fall 15-8 at Criswell
GAITHERSBURG, JULY 12—Last night, the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (10-22) squared off with the Gaithersburg Giants (14-17) for the seventh time in 2026. This was the final game of a four-game road stint for the TBolts, and it proved to be an action-packed Sunday night show.
In their 15-2 win over Gaithersburg on July 3, the TBolts kicked off the first inning with a Caleb Sturtevant first inning three-run homer. Last night, Aydin Prell (Dickinson) reflected the same result. Sturtevant and Gabe Pegues (Lynchburg) both got aboard with leadoff singles. Shortly after, Prell punished a no doubt, three-run jack to right. Left-fielder Trent Lopez (Cornell) followed suit by blasting his fourth home run of the summer to a similar spot in right field.
Josh Erd (East Stroudsberg) played his first two seasons with the Thunderbolts at shortstop, but recently converted to become a full-time reliever. With all three shortstops away from the team last night, Erd entered his old stomping grounds in the six-hole. In his first at-bat, the righty hit a squibber to second to plate another TBolt run. Silver Spring-Takoma sprang out to an early 5-0 lead.
Thunderbolts pitcher EJ Youngling (Moravian) made his second start of 2026. The righty was rampant through three innings, allowed no runs, and picked up two strikeouts. The Giants loaded the bags in the third, but Breydan Ruiz-Weiss (Yale) hit a hotshot lineout to Erd to end the inning. It’s safe to say he’s still got it.
Gaithersburg retired Silver Spring-Takoma quickly to begin the fourth, and it was followed with a Giant onslaught in the bottom half. Shane Murphy (Frostburg St.) came in for Youngling, but the righty struggled to escape the inning. Miguel Leon (Maryland) smacked a two-RBI single to center, and Ryan Strnad (Seton Hall) stifled a bases-clearing double. With one out, Murphy was replaced by Franco Pistella (Oberlin). Unfortunately, Pistella’s luck proved to be just as fatal. The Giants worked back-to-back bases loaded walks, and Dylan Anderson (Rutgers) was hit in the waist to plate another.
Back for his second at-bat of the fourth, Leon lasered another two-RBI single to center. Leon then advanced on a wild pitch, and Anderson snuck into home despite a hustle play by Pistella covering home. Michael Preske (Cecil CC) was inserted as the third pitcher of the inning, and the righty registered a groundout to end the explosion.
In total, Gaithersburg notched five hits, drew six walks, and scored 11 runs in the fourth inning.
The TBolts recorded the first out of the sixth in a rundown play between third and home. However, Preske’s subsequent pickoff attempt to second trickled into center field. A sprinting Leon journeyed from second around third but abruptly pumped his brakes. After making up his mind, the terrapin trekked into home sliding head first to put Gaithersburg up 12-5.
In the seventh, Gabe Pegues picked up his second putout of the day with a diving catch in straightaway center. Afterward, catcher Kai Schmelzer (Gulf Coast State College) made a nice catch near the Gaithersburg dugout while falling to his knees. However, Ruiz-Weiss was able to steal third, and the attempted throw-out ricocheted off his body. As the ball got by, Ruiz-Weiss scampered home to put Gaithersburg up 13-5.
In the top of the seventh, Sturtevant smacked an RBI single to left, and Lopez lashed an RBI double to left-center. The TBolts chopped the lead down to 13-7, and it gave way for Josh Erd to transition from shortstop to the mound for a relief appearance. Erd fanned Alexander Martin (Richmond) on a high heater, but surrendered an RBI triple to Eli Livingston (Maryland). The Giants continued to run up the table on the TBolts, as a balk brought in another run to make it 15-7.
As the last run of the game, Thunderbolts third baseman Sam Camacho Jr. (Clarion) banged a ninth-inning RBI double off the wall in dead center.
In a high scoring affair, Gaithersburg finally came out on top 15-8. The Giants drew 12 walks, hammered nine hits, and racked up six strikeouts. Even though the statsheet reads one error, the Thunderbolts allowed the Giants to score a multitude of runs off of mental lapses and throwing mistakes. Overall, the TBolts struggled to get back into striking distance after losing their five-run lead.
Despite the brutal loss, Pegues and Lopez had magnificent days at the plate. Pegues went 3-5 with a walk, and Lopez went 2-5 with a home run and a double. EJ Youngling did his job dutifully, but the rest of the staff struggled to find their groove.
Silver Spring-Takoma is off today, but will be back in action tomorrow night against the Alexandria Aces in a resumed matchup.