TBolts Get Dusted 5-3 In A Frantic Show At First Responder Field
OLNEY, JUNE 19—Last night’s game between the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (3-10) and Olney Cropdusters (10-5) proved to be one of the most—if not the most—hectic and action-packed games of the season thus far.
Strange scoring, dedicated dialogue, and the cotton-eye joe gave fans in Olney a fun Friday night show. The Cropdusters rocked their signature jean overall jerseys, and Olney played the national anthem the old school way—with a trumpet!
To kick things off, outfielder Caleb Sturtevant (Jr., Millersville) wore a pitch on the shoulder, which got a loud applause from the Thunderbolts dugout. Sturtevant then scored off an E6, which was hit into the infield by Nolan Kutney (Gr., UMBC).
After the Cropdusters’ error, the TBolt defense committed mistakes of their own in the first and second innings. In the first inning, runners were able to advance after Sturtevant dropped a flyball in left field. Olney’s first runs then came courtesy of a Thunderbolts passed ball and wild pitch. On a 3-2 count, Ryan Bouma (So., Frostburg St.) drew an RBI bases-loaded walk courtesy of a TBolts pitch clock violation. After two innings, the Cropdusters led it 3-1.
Due to a nagging arm injury, Sturtevant was replaced by Joey King (So., St. Olaf) in the second inning. After taking the throne in left field, King made a royal play in the fourth inning. With runners on the corners, Bouma bashed a ball to deep left field. With King running back to his right, he leapt against the fence, reached over the wall, and reeled in the catch. Cade Walter (So., Jacksonville) came in to score off the sacrifice fly, but King saved what could have been a three-run homer.
However, this play was not so crystal clear in real time. After King’s catch, both teams headed to their respective dugouts; it seemed the umpires were discussing whether Walter took off from third early and should have been ruled out. Ultimately, Walter’s run was confirmed, and Thunderbolts head coach Brock Hunter fervently disagreed. After a heated exchange with the umpires, Hunter was ejected from the game. This was Hunter’s first ejection of 2026. Assistant Coach Max “Skip” Eckert took over the managerial duties for the rest of this contest.
With Olney leading 4-1, both teams returned to the field with two outs still on the scoreboard. Starting pitcher Zach Bortner (Jr., Frederick CC) showed no falter, and rang up the Cropdusters on strikes. This was Bortner’s second starting against Olney at First Responder Field. Through four innings, the lefty allowed five hits, struck out six Cropdusters, and issued two walks.
Without question, Hunter’s ejection seemed to ignite a fire in the Thunderbolts’ dugout. When Silver Spring-Takoma batters came to hit, their TBolt teammates erupted in support. Niche nicknames were being hollered, and everyone was elated when a batter laid off a ball.
In the fifth inning, Colin Gibbs (Jr., Maryland) and Matthew Kim (Sr., Hampden-Sydney) both sliced singles amidst the dugout chirps. Gibbs eventually scored after a wild pitch that bounced off the chest protector of Cropdusters catcher Landon Springmeyer (Sr., Northern Kentucky). The Cropdusters lead was now cut in half at 4-2.
In the sixth inning, Kai Schmelzer (Fr., Gulf Coast State) came through with an RBI groundout to cut the Cropdusters lead down to 4-3. Matthew Kim then led off the top of the seventh with a five-pitch walk. The Cropdusters attempted to pick Kim off, but the ball travelled deep into foul territory. Kim was off to the races, and eventually coasted into third. However, Silver Spring-Takoma could not cash in on this prime scoring opportunity; Olney bounced back nicely with three consecutive outs.
Matthew Calabrese (So., Frederick CC) came in to relieve his college teammate Bortner. In his third appearance, he worked wonderfully for the TBolts. In 3.1 innings, he fired away four strikeouts, allowed two hits, and issued two walks. Calabrese was able to work a 1-2-3 seventh inning, and the Thunderbolts dugout was fired following his final backwards K. Chants of “breeze” were alive in Olney, as the TBolts looked to spark a rally.
Olney kept their composure by pitching a 1-2-3 eighth inning. In the bottom half, Dylan Melton (So., UMBC) added much needed insurance with an RBI single. With a 5-3 lead, Wade Hartrick (So., Chicago) made his third appearance on the mound for the Thunderbolts. After issuing a walk and hit-by-pitch, Hartrick got the Cropdusters to pop out twice to end the inning.
Hartrick is looking to maintain a calm approach on the mound, and respond to adversity the same way he did tonight. He said after the game, “Something I’m really trying to do is be kind of like a thermostat, not a thermometer. That’s something [Ryan] Mariani has really worked with me on. No matter what happens out there, I’m at 65 degrees. I’m at room temperature, maybe it’s a little chilly.”
Unfortunately, the Thunderbolts could not adjust the thermostat well enough in the ninth. After a final flyout to center, the Cropdusters ultimately claimed the 5-3 victory for their tenth win of the season.
On the day, the Thunderbolts had five hits, four walks, nine strikeouts, and one error. Olney eclipsed seven hits, drew five walks, struck out five, and committed three errors. Oddly enough, the Melton RBI single was the only run that scored from a hit in this game. Every other run resulted from an error, passed ball, sacrifice fly, groundout, and wild pitches.
The Thunderbolts have a doubleheader set up tonight in Alexandria starting at 5 P.M. They will play the Aces after previously defeating them 20-0 this past Monday.