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Braves Grab First Win of 2025 Season
Written by Erin Hughes | Photo by Maya Brichacek
The Metro South County Braves grabbed the first win of the 2025 CRSCBL season with an 11-8 win over the Southern Maryland Senators at South County High School on Tuesday night.
Braves head coach Chris Warren was excited to get the first win of the season, both for the Braves and for the league. “Getting 1-0, that’s what you want to be every day. It feels really good when it’s opening day, it’s the first game of the season, and it’s the first game of the league.”
Nick Flores (VCU), third baseman for the Senators, began the game with a leadoff single and added two stolen bases to get into scoring position, but the Sens were unable to capitalize early.
In the bottom of the first, right fielder Michael Lavanga (Harford CC) dropped in a double to deep right-center field that scored Franklin Gomez Jr. (Fairleigh Dickinson) and Nich Francuzenko (Towson). With the Braves leading 2-0, right-handed pitcher Tom Bourque (William & Mary) tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second that included a big swinging strikeout.
The Braves continued their scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Kyndall Cassidy (Ouachita Baptist) singled to start off the frame before moving over to second on a single from Charlie Brinkman (Liberty). Cassidy advanced to third and ultimately scored on an error. Designated hitter Nate Dudeck (Fairleigh Dickinson) knocked in a single to score Gomez Jr. and Francuzenko and put the Braves up by five.
The Senators answered with three runs of their own in the top of the third. Lucas Tribble (Wofford) walked – just the second base runner of the game for the Senators – and scored quickly on a double by Flores. Flores stole third and was able to score on an error that put Carter Groen (UConn) on first. Groen eventually made his way around the bases and scored on another error.
With their lead cut to 5-3, the Braves were able to put up five runs in the bottom of the third inning. With the bases loaded and only one out, Sam Grube (Mount St. Mary’s) was hit by a pitch to bring in Terrance Rhodes (Norfolk State). Gomez Jr. then walked to plate Connor Doherty (Delaware) before Fancuzenko singled in Cassidy and Grube. Now up 9-3 over the Senators, Gomez Jr. stole home to add a 10th run for the Braves.
Neither team scored in the fourth inning, but the top of the fifth saw Adam Troch (Duke) score for the Senators on a single from Lucas Grantham (Wofford) to bring the deficit 10-4.
In the home half of the fifth inning, Lavanga drew a two-out walk and scored from first on a double by Rhodes to put the Braves ahead 11-4.
The Senators grabbed four more runs over the next four innings. A sacrifice fly from Troch scored Tribble in the top of the sixth. The next two runs for the Senators came in the eighth inning when Tribble and Flores scored from a single by Danny Suroweic (Boston College).
During the top of the ninth, the Senators looked to begin a rally when Calvin Cook (Middle Tennessee State) dropped a two-out triple down the right field line. Tribble drove in Cook with a single before Braves pitcher Matt Hollar (Emory & Henry) closed out the first win for South County.
The Braves pitching staff struck out 12 batters in Tuesday night’s game, half of which from right-hander Donovan Whitfield (Norfolk State). The Senators’ arms also added 12 strikeouts, with four coming from righty Colin Scherer (Monmouth).
Warren was “very impressed” with Whitfield’s first outing of the season for the Braves, adding that “his stuff was great and we wanted to give him an opportunity to really showcase, so he did well.”
The Braves will welcome the Olney Cropdusters to South County at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4. The Senators will be back in action against the Gaithersburg Giants at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Regency Furniture Stadium.
