TBolts Have No Choice but to Stay Hot Tonight at Blair
SILVER SPRING, JULY 1—July has finally arrived, and so have scorching hot summer temperatures. With that being said, teams around the Ripken League will need to hunker down in 100 degree weather for the rest of the week.
Last night, the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts took down the DC Grays in a dominant 14-2 mercy rule victory. The TBolts are looking to bask in the sun and keep their hot hitting alive tonight against the Gaithersburg Giants (10-14).
The Thunderbolts visited Gaithersburg just two days ago, and took a 10-2 loss. In that matchup, the Giants benefitted from 13 walks, and exploded for a five-run sixth inning. Outfielder Drew Cobb proved to be a tough bat to contain; the righty extended his five-game hit streak by going 2-3 with two RBIs and two walks.
Cobb and the Giants will face off with pitcher Zach Bortner (Jr., Frederick CC). Bortner’s last mound appearance came against the Metro SoCo Braves on June 25; the lefty pitched two innings, notched four strikeouts, and allowed four earned runs.
Bortner is looking to salvage his first win of 2026, and he has a brilliant defense behind him to help. The Thunderbolts have been errorless in their last four games, and a big part of that is the infield defense. Jona Acosta (So., North Florida) and Colin Gibbs (Jr., Delaware) have both been shutdown in at shortstop. With Acosta hitting as a lefty and Gibbs batting righty, Head Coach Brock Hunter has been able to swap them depending on the arm of the opponents pitcher.
Acosta was the leadoff hitter for the majority of June, and has established himself as a reliable bat for the TBolts. From June 24-29, outfielder Gabriel Pegues (So., Lynchburg) took over the one spot for Silver Spring-Takoma. Pegues’ production took a ginormous jump while leading off, and it yielded him a Ripken League Hitter of the Week award.
“We’re just trying to figure out what works,” Hunter said about the two TBolts changing lead-off positions. While Pegues was resting last night, Acosta led off and went 1-4 with a two-RBI single against the Grays. With Pegues returning to the lineup tonight, it will be interesting to see who takes charge in the lead-off spot.
The forecast predicts a 96 degree night at Blair Stadium for tonight’s 7 P.M. first pitch. Due to heat concerns, this game will only last for seven innings. For those who prefer to watch from home with air conditioning, Peter Kelly and Patrick Moran have you covered on the Thunderbolts’ live YouTube broadcast.