TBolts Will Ante Up Against The Aces In Tonight's Makeup Match At Blair
SILVER SPRING, JUNE 15—The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (1-7) will have a tough hand to play against the Alexandria Aces (6-4) tonight at Blair Baseball Stadium. Both of these teams were scheduled to face off on June 10, but every game across the Ripken League was cancelled that day due to inclement weather in the DMV.
The TBolts are currently riding a four-game losing streak after the Bethesda Big Train defeated them 13-4 yesterday morning at Shirley Povich Field. In this game, Silver Spring-Takoma committed three errors which allowed four of Bethesda’s runs to score.
Yesterday, the Aces had their three-game win streak snapped at the hands of the Southern Maryland Senators. The Aces fell behind 5-2 during this Sunday evening doubleheader, and the game was suspended in the seventh inning due to lighting in the area. Nonetheless, the Aces still lead the South Division with their 6-4 record, and have posted 10+ runs on numerous occasions in 2026.
Without question, the TBolts will have their hands full tonight against this offensive powerhouse. Alexandria currently leads the Ripken League in RBI’s (81), team slugging (.434), and on base percentage (.448). However, the Aces also have glaring weaknesses. They have struck out 20 more times than the TBolts, and currently lead the league in groundouts (70).
Daniel McGinnis (Sr., Eastern Mennonite) will need to be mitigated if the TBolts want to make the Aces fold. This summer, McGinnis has been mashing with a Ripken League leading .564 average and 15 RBI’s. To go further, McGinnis has had six different three-hit performances this season.
While Silver Spring-Takoma seems to be the wild card in this matchup, the Aces should not bet against the dangerous bats of the TBolts. Catcher Mason Kelleher (So., Frostburg St.) trails McGinnis with a .500 average this year, and has been rock solid defensively behind home plate. Moreover, infielder Jona Acosta (So., North Florida) has also been a key contributor for the TBolts these past couple of days. Acosta is on a three-game hit streak, and is tied for the Ripken League lead in stolen bases with six.
Will Heyse (So., Stevenson) will look to flush the Alexandria offense tonight on the mound. During his 10 starts last spring, Heyse struck out 40 batters, issued 23 walks, and allowed 25 earned runs. His only appearance this season came against Bethesda on June 7. In his one-inning outing, Heyse struck out one batter and allowed one hit. Since the Aces are susceptible to groundouts, Heyse may need to hold ‘em with his breaking ball in the lower half of the zone.
Fans should be advised that Blair Baseball Stadium will not be serving concessions today since this is a makeup game. For those who can’t attend, be sure to tune into the Thunderbolts YouTube channel for our radio-style broadcast. Patrick Moran and myself will be on the call. Heyse will deal the first pitch at 7 p.m.