NEWS

By Brandon Schwartzberg

The Cropdusters entered their matchup against the Thunderbolts having scored first in half of their six games this season — winning two of those contests — as the recipe to strike early has paid off through the first week of their 2023 campaign.

Monday night was a similar story.

Cropdusters catcher Jack Cannizzaro (James Madison) stepped into the batter's box with the bases loaded in the opening inning and connected on a Beck Urofsky (Cornell) 0-1 pitch, sending the ball back up the middle for a two-run single to start the game’s scoring.

Olney’s early damage didn’t stop there, as Urofsky walked in a run in the first frame and the Cropdusters scored twice in the second — capped off by a Grant Painter (James Madison) home run over the left field wall — to put his club up 5-0 before Urofsky recorded six outs.

The Cropdusters (4-3) used their excellent first two innings to hold off a late-inning Silver-Spring Takoma comeback, defeating the Thunderbolts (3-4), 8-7.

“It’s big to be able to get an early lead,” Painter said. “Just to kind of set the tone.”

Olney jumped out to a big six-run lead through three innings as starter Kade Ruffner (Purdue) settled in beautifully after starting his night with a lead, striking out three while allowing just one hit.

But Ruffner faced trouble in the fourth frame, allowing RBI singles to Joseph Kaleck (West Chester) and Cameron Jones (Frederick CC), ending his night after recording only one out in the inning.

Ruffner was charged for three hits, one walk and two runs — one earned — in 3.1 innings of work while punching out three in his first start of the season.

Silver-Spring Takoma chipped further into its deficit in the bottom of the sixth, getting to reliever Alec Snyder (East Stroudsburg). Snyder walked back-to-back batters with one out in the frame, prompting a mound visit from his dugout.

Snyder’s 2-1 pitch in the proceeding at bat to Amani Jones (Stevenson) was launched over the wall in right-center — the Thunderbolts’ second home run of the year and Jones’ first extra-base hit of the season — providing his club with life as they trimmed a six-run hole into a two-run deficit by the end of the sixth inning.

Jones was part of the bottom-five of Silver Spring Takoma’s lineup that provided all of the Thunderbolts’ offense, combining for four of the Thunderbolts’ seven hits and all seven runs batted in.

Silver Spring-Takoma entered the bottom of the ninth down 8-5, needing another rally to either end the game or force extra innings.

Zane Gross (Barry) started the frame with an out at the plate, but then three-straight Thunderbolts got on to load the bases and force a pitching change as Sam Daniels (UMBC) entered to try and close out the win for the Cropdusters.

Daniels allowed an RBI single and a run-scoring fielder’s choice to his first two batters faced, sending Cameron Jones to bat with runners on second and third, down by only one run.

“We stayed confident, we stayed poised,” Painter said.

Daniels struck Jones out swinging on a 1-2 fastball, thwarting the Thunderbolts’ comeback attempt as the Cropdusters held on to move over .500.