TBolts Will Play Their Final Hand Against the Aces Tonight at Blair
SILVER SPRING, JULY 5—Tonight, the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts (7-19) will play the Alexandria Aces (13-14) for the fourth and final time in the regular season. The TBolts are 2-1 against the Aces, and they are coming off a 15-2 Friday night win against the Gaithersburg Giants.
In their three matchups with the Aces this season, the Thunderbolts have posted a combined 41 runs, 34 hits, 24 walks, 10 stolen bases, and have struck out 17 Aces. Their first win against Alexandria came in a 20-0 shutout at Blair on June 15. On June 20, the Thunderbolts posted a 14-run seventh inning in a thrilling 19-8 comeback win at Frank Mann Field.
On Friday, Alexandria squandered the Southern Maryland Senators 8-0 at Frank Mann Field. Outfielder Daniel McGinnis (Eastern Mennonite) went 2-4 in that contest with an RBI double. Undoubtably, McGinnis has been one of the most dominant players in the Ripken League this season. The newly named All-Star is slashing .391/.442/.511 with 22 RBIs and seven extra-base hits.
The Aces and Thunderbolts both rank highly in the hits category, but they also struggle with issuing walks; Alexandria has surrendered 201 walks, while the TBolts have given up 199. Both teams also have a high team ERA over seven, so this is expected to be a heavy offensive matchup.
Caleb Sturtevant (Millersville) will be a key name to look out for if he appears in the lineup tonight for the TBolts. Sturtevant was absent from the lineup for 11 games due to an arm injury that he suffered on June 16; during that stretch, the TBolts went 3-8. In his second game back, the righty went 3-3 with 5 RBIs and two walks against the Giants. He also hammered a first inning three-run homer that kicked off an electric offensive outburst. The second-year TBolt has shown that he provides priceless offensive firepower at the top of the order.
Speaking of power, first baseman Connor Frickey (Babson) has been prolific against Alexandria in 2026. In three games against the Aces, Frickey is 6-8 with six RBIs, six walks, and two doubles. Alexandria pitching will have to be punctual with the 6’5” righty if he is placed in the lineup.
Since this is a Sunday night showdown, the first pitch will thrown at 6 P.M. Myself and Peter Kelly will broadcasting tonight for those tuning in on the Thunderbolts’ YouTube channel.