Baltimore Redbirds Baseball

After a record-breaking final season for the Baltimore Redbirds that ended in a co-championship, 10 Birds have been named to the 2018 All-CRCBL teams.

Eight Redbirds were named to the 2018 Cal Ripken League First-Team, including four position players and four pitchers.

Joe Zirolli (West Chester) was named the first-team first baseman after a season in which he led the league with 10 regular-season home runs. Zirolli hit .341 with 35 RBI in the regular season, and added a game-winning home run in the Birds first playoff game.

Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) is the shortstop on the first team after an incredible summer. Servideo hit a team-best .391 in the regular season with a .517 on-base percentage that set a new Baltimore record. And after hitting two home runs in the regular season, Servideo came up with three big long balls in the postseason.

Alex Tappen (Virginia) and Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) were both named first-team outfielders after strong performances this season. Tappen hit .340 and led the league in hits (51) while setting a new league record for doubles (19). Gindl hit .383 on the year and stole a team-high 20 bases while setting the tone at the top of the Baltimore order.

On the pitching side, William Fleming (Wake Forest) made the first team as a starting pitcher after posting a league-best 1.12 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 32 innings. The righty tossed seven strong innings in game two of the League Championship Series to lead the Birds to the co-championship.

Ryan Okuda (Virginia Tech) and Austin Love (North Carolina) were both named to the first team as relievers, but both were very versatile pitchers all season. Okuda struck out 32 batters and posted a 1.44 ERA over 25 innings, while Love pitched in seemingly every role this season and finished with a 1.70 ERA.

At the back end of the bullpen, Aaron McGeorge (Kentucky) was also named to the first team after allowing just two earned runs over 20 innings (0.90 ERA) and striking out 24 batters while walking just three. McGeorge closed out the clinching game two of the semifinal series against the Braves and also did damage at the plate this season, going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a walk.

On the second team, Tim Elko (Ole Miss) was given the nod at third base after he finished the season on fire at the plate. Elko hit .283 with three home runs and 26 RBI. Brendan Cellucci (Tulane) also made the second team on the mound after he pitched to a 1.80 ERA in the regular season and picked up the save in game one of then postseason.

Those 10 Redbirds, along with every other player and person involved with the organization, combined to make the final season of Baltimore Redbirds baseball a memorable one. 

On July 29, 2018, at Carlo Crispino Stadium in Towson, Maryland, the Baltimore Redbirds defeated the Bethesda Big Train 3-1 in game two of the 2018 Cal Ripken League Championship Series.

The victory for the Redbirds tied the series at one game a piece, and set up a decisive game three, but because of weather conditions and a league-wide drop-dead date of July 31, the two teams were not able finish out the series, and Bethesda and Baltimore were each given the title of 2018 “Co-Champions”.

For the Redbirds, it was their fifth Cal Ripken League title, and it means the team will be going out on top.

After 10 years under the ownership of John Carey and incredibly hard work from General Manager Dave Sutor, the two executives have decided to close out the Baltimore Redbirds program.

“After 10 successful years of supporting high-level college baseball programs and providing a great summer experience for players, we are very proud of what we delivered each year to grow the game,” Sutor said.

The Redbirds reached the CRCBL Championship Series in every one of those 10 seasons, proving to be the cream of the crop in the Ripken League. The organization set a standard for Collegiate Summer League Baseball both on and off the field.

The Birds ended up winning 34 games, a team record, in their final season on their way to the co-championship. The squad also set 11 other team records, including batting average, home runs and runs scored, under first-year Head Coach Tom Eller, who took over the team from former big-leaguer Larry Sheets, who had departed after three seasons (2015-2017).

In the CRCBL, which was formed in 2005, the Redbirds will go down as one of the best organizations of all time. The franchise helped to grow the league into one that is considered one of the best collegiate summer leagues in the country.

The Birds have more than 80 former players who have been drafted or are currently playing professional baseball (or both), and hope that number will continue to grow and include the players from the 2016, 2017 and 2018 teams.

The on-field success was obvious, but the off-the-field work was just as important for this organization. The Redbirds held multiple events supporting League of Dreams and Folds of Honor, and raised a lot of money for those two incredible organizations.

The Baltimore Redbirds would like to thank everyone who has made this program possible throughout the years. That includes not the just the players and coaches, but also the fans, host families, interns and other staff, plus the people at Calvert Hall High School who allowed this team to use their beautiful field.

The Redbirds had a remarkable run, but all good things must come to an end. Always and forever, #REDbirdland.

Behind great pitching and timely hitting in game two on Sunday night — a 3-1 victory for Baltimore — the Redbirds, with their backs against the wall, forced a winner-take-all game three to decide the 2018 Cal Ripken League Championship.

That game was scheduled for Monday night at 7 p.m. at Shirley Povich Field, but it was never played.

Due to poor field conditions at Shirley Povich Field and heavy rain in the forecast for the rest of the week, game three of the LCS was cancelled altogether, which ends the 2018 CRCBL season.

So, with the championship series tied at one, the only remaining option was to crown two champions — the Baltimore Redbirds and the Bethesda Big Train. 

With each team taking one game in the series, the two programs were named co-champions of the Ripken League in 2018. It is Redbirds' fifth title while it is the sixth for Bethesda.

The LCS Most Outstanding Player Award was also split between the two teams, with Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) winning the award for the Redbirds. Gindl hit .400 in four postseason games with two doubles, a triple and four RBI. Alec Burleson (East Carolina) received the honor for the Big Train.

The decision brought an anticlimactic end to a season in which the Redbirds set a multitude of team records. In Tom Eller's first season at the helm, the Birds picked up a franchise-best 34 wins, and could go down statistically as the best Redbirds team to date. But, despite two incredible games to start the championship series, inclement weather forced the season into an interesting ending.

However, although they have to share the spotlight, the Birds finished on top for the first time since 2015. 

On Saturday, the Redbirds squandered leads to the Big Train on three separate occasions, losing game one by a score of 9-8. The pitching also struggled, surrendering nine walks and hitting three batters. However, Baltimore flipped the script during game two, allowing only two free passes and not showing any give throughout the contest.

William Fleming (Wake Forest) got the nod for the Redbirds and stifled Big Train bats. Though he did give up ten hits, Fleming was consistently able to escape jams and limit damage, conceding only one run through seven innings. He walked only one batter and fanned four Bethesda batters during his terrific outing en route to his fourth win of the season.

With Fleming so effective on the mound, the Redbirds did not need much from their high-powered offense. Though Carlos Lomeli (St. Mary’s) pitched respectably in this LCS game two, the Redbirds jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the second. With the bases loaded and two out, Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) roped a triple down the right-field line to score Tim Elko (Ole Miss), Will Harless (Radford), and Bo Majkowski (Clemson). Gindl, who finished third in the league in average during the regular season (.383), flashed a hot bat yet again, going 4-fo-4 and finishing a home run short of the cycle. Harless finished the game 2-for-3.

Another key in game two for the Birds was their defense, which saved at least two runs. In the fourth inning, Gindl unleashed a rocket throw from left field to retire Jacob Southern (Jacksonville) at the plate to squander a potentially furious Big Train rally. Three innings later, in the seventh, first-baseman Joe Zirolli (West Chester) made an impressive over-the-shoulder grab in foul territory and then fired a strike across the diamond to throw out Fox Semones (JMU). This highlight-reel play loomed even larger since Bethesda mustered two consecutive singles in the next at-bats. However, Fleming was able to escape with no damage.

Jeff Taylor (Penn State) came in to relieve Fleming in the eighth, and mowed through the middle of the Big Train lineup. He got Justin Wylie (Arizona) to pop out, then fanned Southern and Jacob Westerman (San Francisco) to end the inning. With one out in the ninth, Kyle Blendinger (UNC) came on to shut the door and did just that. He needed only ten pitches to do so, and in the process earned his second save of the season, giving the Birds their 34th win of the season.

With the victory, Baltimore evened the League Championship Series with Bethesda. As per usual, the two squads will battle it out in a final game three to determine who brings home the 2018 CRCBL Championship Crown. First pitch of the rubber match will be at 7:00 p.m. at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda, and tickets will cost $5. Baltimore is looking to even its record in the finals against the Big Train in their tenth consecutive championship matchup.

By Matt Davis

For the tenth consecutive year, the Redbirds saw a familiar foe in the LCS Finals: The Bethesda Big Train.

It has been almost inevitable that these two rivals would battle it out again in the finals this year, and game one, once again, was a classic between the two franchises.

After a relatively quiet first inning, Baltimore got on the board first in the second inning against Big Train starter Chris Clarke (USC). Tim Elko (Ole Miss) led off the inning with a double and was singled in two pitches later by Christian Hlinka (Virginia). However, in a game that seemed to go back and forth each inning, Bethesda was able to take the lead in the bottom half of the inning off of Birds’ starter Brendan Cellucci (Tulane). Ben Martz (Santa Barbara) served up a two-run single with two outs to give Bethesda the 2-1 lead.

Clarke was able to keep the Birds’ bats down for the next two innings while the Big Train continued to chug along.  

However, after Bethesda cranked two consecutive doubles to give them two runners on with no outs in the fourth, Baltimore reliever Zach Brzykcy (Virginia Tech) came on and forced a double play and struck out the next batter to escape the jam.

With the score at 4-1 in the top of the fifth, the Redbirds knew they had to respond quickly, and they did. After Elko knocked in Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) with his second hit of the game, Hlinka came up to the plate and delivered once again. The DH lined a clutch double to deep center to score two and tie the game at four. Hlinka finished the game with three hits and three RBI.

In the sixth inning, Baltimore reclaimed its lead on a two-out bomb by Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss), his second of the postseason. The following inning, Will Harless (Radford) smashed a single up the middle to score Michael Richardson (Ohio) and tack on a valuable insurance run. With the bullpen seemingly in business and protecting a 6-4 lead, Baltimore was seemingly in control of the game heading to the bottom of the seventh.

That, however, was when the wheels began to come off. Clutch hitting by Alec Burleson (ECU) put the Big Train within one and a bases-loaded walk tied the game at six. That said, reliever Austin Love (UNC) was able to limit the damage, fanning Jacob Westerman (San Francisco) with the bases loaded.  

In another clutch display of hitting, the Redbirds went back-to-back in the top of the eighth, with Servideo annihilating his second bomb of the game and then Alex Tappen (Virginia) following suit with a moonshot to left off of Big Train ace Ryan Metz (Virginia Tech). Once again, that lead was short-lived.

The Big Train continued their furious comeback with three runs in the eighth inning, capped off by Burleson’s go-ahead two-out single to score Fox Semones (JMU). Down 9-8, the Redbirds were shut down in order by Big Train closer Gavin Hinchcliffe. The Redbirds, despite mustering eleven hits, left nine on base. The pitching staff also saw a return of control issues, as they walked nine Bethesda batters and hit an additional three.

Bethesda now takes a 1-0 series lead, though the Birds still have a shot to even the series on Sunday. They return to Carlo Crispino Stadium in a must-win game two of the LCS final. First pitch is at 6:00 p.m., and another instant classic from these two teams seems to be on the horizon.

Game one of the 2018 Cal Ripken League Championship Series between the Baltimore Redbirds and the Bethesda Big Train, which was supposed to be played tonight, Friday, July 27, at 7 p.m. at Shirley Povich Field, has been postponed due to impending weather.

The first game of the series will now be played tomorrow, Saturday, July 28, at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda. First pitch of that game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Game two of the series will now be played on Sunday, July 29, at Carlo Crispino Stadium with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. If a game three is necessary to crown a champion, it will be played on Monday, July 30, back at Shirley Povich Field. 

For the 10th consecutive season, the Baltimore Redbirds and Bethesda Big Train will face off in the Cal Ripken League Championship Series.

The Birds advanced to the the LCS with a sweep of the Herndon Braves in the semifinal round, picking up a 4-3 win in game two on Thursday to clinch the series. The Big Train took both games from the SS-Takoma Thunderbolts on Thursday to also get back to the championship series.

The championship series will get underway on Friday, July 27, at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. Game two will be played on Saturday, July 28, at Carlo Crispino Stadium at 6 p.m., and game three (if necessary), would be back at Shirley Povich Field on Sunday, July 29, at 7 p.m.

In the previous nine championship series matchups between the two teams, the Redbirds have won four times and the Big Train have won five. The Birds won four titles in the row from 2012 to 2015, but Bethesda has taken the last two championships in 2016 and 2017. Last year, the Big Train took the series in three games, winning 4-2 in the decisive game three.

Bethesda has taken three of four from Baltimore in the 2018 season series, with the last matchup going to the Big Train by a score of 12-10 in a wild game at Shirley Povich Field on July 7. The Birds win came on June 30 at Carlo Crispino Stadium in a 5-1 victory. 

Every game of the series can be seen on the Redbirds Radio Network.

The Baltimore Redbirds' playoff game against the Herndon Braves has been moved to St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., and first pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. today, Thursday, July 26. 

The game, which will be hosted by the Braves, was originally scheduled for yesterday (Wednesday), but field conditions moved the game to Thursday. Herndon's field at Annandale High School was not playable today, so the game has been moved to Lower Baseball Field at St. Albans School.

If you plan on attending the game, make sure to enter the school's campus from either Wisconsin Avenue or Massachusetts Avenue and park in one of the school's parking lots. From there it is a short walk down the hill to the field.

If you can not make it to St. Albans School, game two of the CRCBL semifinal series will be broadcast on the Redbirds Radio Network, where you can tune in to watch live. 

After winning game one by a score of 5-2 on Tuesday, a win in game two would send the Redbirds to their 10th consecutive Cal Ripken League Championship Series. A Braves win, however, would force a game three, which would be played on Friday, July 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. If the Birds can take the series, depending on the result of the other semifinal series between the Big Train and the T-Bolts, the championship series would start on either Friday or Saturday, with the location of game one still to be determined. 

Make sure to check back here or on Twitter @BmoreRedbirds for continued updates on the Redbirds postseason schedule. 

Wednesday's playoff game against the Herndon Braves has been postponed.

The Redbirds were scheduled to play game two of the semifinal series against the Braves at Annandale High School in Virginia at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday night, but because of rain and poor field conditions, that game will not be played on July 25.

The Redbirds took game one of the series by a score of 5-2 on Tuesday night, and game two is now on track to be played on Thursday, July 26. However, because of the weather, the time and location of that game is still up in the air. Make sure to check back here or on Twitter @BmoreRedbirds for continued updates on the Birds postseason schedule.

After the Redbirds bats were so hot to end the regular season, they may have gone a little cold after three days off. 

The Birds scored only one run through six innings in game one of the CRCBL semifinal series against the Herndon Braves on Tuesday night. 

But everything changed in the seventh, when Baltimore struck for three runs and took home a 5-2 victory.

Redbirds ace William Fleming (Wake Forest) got the start on Tuesday night, but he didn't seem to fully have his ace stuff. Fleming allowed a run on three hits in the first inning, but was able to work through three, allowing just two runs. Ryan Okuda (Virginia Tech) came out of the bullpen in the fourth, and he was flat-out dominant, working five scoreless frames with five strikeouts to keep the Birds in the game.

Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) was Baltimore's only offense over that stretch, as his third home run of the season was a solo shot that came in the first inning. The Birds had plenty of baserunners over the next five frames, but just couldn't come up with the big hit.

However, in the bottom of the seventh, the offense came to life. With the Redbirds trailing 2-1, Bo Majkowski (Clemson) led off the frame with a double off the wall in left. After Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) got him over to third, Servideo drew a walk to put two on base on for Alex Tappen (Virginia), who came through with a line-drive sacrifice fly to center to tie the game.

That would be it for Braves starter Sawyer Strickland (Catawba), who allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings. Austin Gilpin (Lock Haven) would take over for him to face Joe Zirolli (West Chester), and when Gilpin hung a 1-0 pitch, Zirolli did not miss it. The Redbirids power bat came up with his league-leading 11th home run of the season, a two-run mammoth shot to left that gave Baltimore a 4-2 lead. 

Gindl would deliver an RBI single in the eighth to extend the lead to 5-2, and then Brendan Cellucci (Tulane) came on in the ninth to close it out. After walking the leadoff man, Cellucci struck out the side to secure the victory and pick up his first save of the season.

The Redbirds took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series with the win, and are scheduled to travel to Annandale High School in Virginia on Wednesday, July 25, at 7:00 p.m. for game two of the series. However, more rain in the forecast could change the schedule again. Make sure to check back here or on Twitter @BmoreRedbirds for playoff schedule updates.

The Baltimore Redbirds first playoff game in 2018 has moved locations.

The game, which was originally scheduled to be played at Carlo Crispino Stadium, will now be played at Harford Community College. First pitch of the contest between the Redbirds and the Herndon Braves has been moved to 6:30 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, July 24, at the Harford Sports Complex in Bel Air, Maryland. 

Weather could still impact the game and the rest of the postseason, so continue to check back here or on Twitter with @BmoreRedbirds for game updates. 

The Baltimore Redbirds' quest for a fifth Cal Ripken League Championship is scheduled to start on Tuesday, July 24, against the Herndon Braves. 

After the fifth-seeded Braves defeated the D.C. Grays 8-6 in Sunday's wild card game and the sixth-seeded Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts beat the Gaithersburg Giants 7-4 on Monday night, Herndon will travel to Carlo Crispino Stadium on Tuesday to start a best-of-three semifinal series.

The Braves, who are 19-21 on the season, will come to Calvert Hall for the third time this season. Each team won one of the previous two matchups, but the Redbirds took three out of four in the overall season series.

Baltimore and Herndon also met in the 2016 CRCBL semifinals, which was the last time that the Braves made the playoffs. The Redbirds swept that series in two games, winning each contest by three runs.

Game one of the series is scheduled for Tuesday, July 24, at 6:00 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. Game two will then be played on Wednesday, July 25, at Annandale High School in Annandale, Virginia, and game three, if necessary, would be played back at Calvert Hall on Thursday, July 26 at 6:00 p.m. However, rain in the forecast could still play a factor in this series, so follow along here or on Twitter with @BmoreRedbirds for updates on the Redbirds postseason schedule. 

The Baltimore Redbirds, who were originally scheduled to start their quest for a fifth Cal Ripken League Championship on Monday, July 23, will have the schedule changed because of rain.

The Birds will play the Gaithersburg Giants if they win the wild card play-in game against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts. If the T-Bolts win, however, Baltimore will take on the Herndon Braves, who defeated the D.C. Grays in the other wild card game.

The game in Gaithersburg began on Sunday night, but was suspended due to rain in the sixth inning with the T-Bolts leading 3-0. Therefore, the two teams will have to come back on Monday, July 23, to finish the game. 

Because of that change, the Redbirds will not play on Monday. The Birds are now scheduled to host either the Giants or the Braves in game one of the semifinal series on Tuesday, July 24, at 6:00 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. Game two is now scheduled for Wednesday, July 25, on the road, and game three (if necessary) would be played on Thursday, July 26, at 6:00 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. 

Check back here or follow @BmoreRedbirds on Twitter for continued updates on the CRCBL postseason schedule. 

By Connor Newcomb

The Baltimore Redbirds regular season my have ended with a 7-6 loss to the Grays on Friday night, but the season as a whole will go down as one of the best in Redbirds history.

Over the course of the 2018 season, the Redbirds broke a multitude of team and league records, while finishing with a 31-9 record — the best ever for the franchise. 

The pitching was the backbone of the team this season, and that staff was led by William Fleming (Wake Forest), who led the league with a 1.13 ERA in 32 innings of work. The team finished with a staff ERA of 3.00, but it was the strikeouts that made these Baltimore arms stand out. The Redbirds struck out 367 batters this season, which was the most in the league and second-most all-time, falling just behind the 2014 Redbirds, who recorded 372 strikeouts.

The strikeouts also played a pivotal role in holding opposing offenses down, as the Birds allowed a league-low 237 hits. Opponents' batters hit only .191 against this Baltimore staff, which is the lowest mark ever in the Cal Ripken League. 

Strong pitching has always been a staple for Baltimore Redbirds teams, but it was the offense that really put this squad over the top. That offense was led by four players who truly dominated CRCBL pitching this summer.

Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) finished with a .383 batting average, good for third-best in the league, and stole 20 bases while only being caught once, giving him the best stolen base percentage (95.2%) in the Ripken League. 

Gindl's Ole Miss teammate Anthony Servideo also proved to be a difference-maker with both the glove and the bat. Servideo's .391 batting average ranked second in the league this summer, and his .517 on-base percentage ranks fifth all-time in CRCBL history. He was also able to cross the plate a league-best 35 times, helped by the fact that he could get to third base so easily. With eight triples on the summer, Servideo set a new Ripken League single-season record. Defensively, Servideo committed only five errors in 262 innings, and that .968 fielding percentage led all shortstops. 

Alex Tappen (Virginia) was also a defensive gem, showing his capabilities at six different positions throughout the season. But Tappen also flashed the bat plenty of times. While Servideo set the triples record, Tappen set the doubles record. The Virginia product produced 19 two-baggers on the summer, which surpassed the previous record of 18, held by 2010 Redbird Frank Florio. But doubles weren't the only hits that he came up with, as Tappen led the league with 51 knocks. 

While many Redbirds batters supplied big hits throughout the year, it was Joe Zirolli (West Chester) who showcased the most power. Zirolli set a Birds record with 10 home runs on the season, surpassing Jordan Poole's (2011) previous high of nine. The 10 big flies tied Zirolli for the top spot in the league and made him only the fifth player in CRCBL history to hit at least 10 home runs in a season.

Zirolli, Tappen, Servideo and Gindl may have been the stars, but it was the entire Baltimore offensive attack that helped to set plenty of team records. The Birds hit .296 as a team this season, which topped the league and set a new Redbirds all-time record. The Redbirds also set franchise records in runs scored (296), slugging percentage (.445), doubles (84), triples (14) home runs (30), RBI (255), total bases (605), and hits (405) — a category in which they also led the Ripken League this summer.

All-in-all the Redbirds may have put together their best regular season of all time, but the team still has work to do. The semifinal round of the Cal Ripken Playoffs is scheduled to start on Monday, July 23, at 6:30 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. The Redbirds are scheduled to host the winner of Sunday night's wild card game between the Gaithersburg Giants and SS-Takoma Thunderbolts, but weather could greatly impact the playoff schedule. Follow @BmoreRedbirds on Twitter to stay up to date on Redbirds postseason scheduling. 

If you have been to a Baltimore Redbirds game at Carlo Crispino Stadium, you have heard Richard Keller, the voice of the Redbirds. His work includes starting lineups, pitching and position changes and in-game announcements.

On Saturday, June 23, 2018, Richard called the 2400th game of his announcing career as the Redbirds hosted the Gaithersburg Giants. Richard has been the P.A. Announcer for the Redbirds for all 14 seasons in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League (CRCBL), starting in 2005. He called games for all four Redbird CRCBL Champions (2012-2015).

He is completing his 22nd season of announcing at junior colleges, colleges and high schools in the mid-Atlantic area. His resume includes 17 national tournaments (including two NCAA field hockey finals), 87 regional tournaments, 11 all-star games and seven international events. In 2010, the National Association of Sports Public Address announcers selected Richard as the Junior College Announcer of the Year.

The Redbirds congratulate Richard for this achievement and thank him for his service to the organization.

By Matt Davis

In their final two home games of the season, the Redbirds hosted the Rockville Express for a five-inning affair and then a whole nine-inning affair. The first game was a continuation of the first game of the season that was shortened due to rain on June 5.

Unfortunately for the Birds, the score was 5-3 in the fifth in favor of the Express, and Rockville kept pouring it on. With Austin Love (North Carolina) on the mound, the Express took advantage of two crucial Redbirds errors and found holes through the infield to tack on an additional three runs in the sixth.

Although the Redbirds were able to muster a run in the seventh, they were unable to find success off of Express reliever Connor Larkin (Penn State). Larkin was sensational in this one, firing five innings, allowing one run on two hits, and fanning eleven. He is now tied for the Ripken League in strikeouts (41) despite appearing in only six games. Although this ended the Redbirds winning streak at eight, they were able to respond in the second game.

In game two, Brady Stamper (Liberty) got the start for Baltimore and was able to continue his recent string of success. Stamper hurled three solid innings, surrendering only one hit and giving up two runs (both of them unearned). Meanwhile, the Redbirds bats were able to jump out early against Express starter Po-Han Suh (Taiwan National University).

With one out in the first inning, Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) mashed his league-record eighth triple of the season and then scored following a Tim Elko (Ole Miss) RBI single. In the following inning, Michael Richardson (Ohio) scorched a one-out double off the center-field fence and then scored following a Bo Majkowski (Clemson) single up the middle. In the next at-bat, Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) hit a deep double in the right-centerfield gap to score Majkowski and make the lead 3-0.

That lead was short-lived, however, as the Express scored two unearned runs in the top of the third. One run came in on a sac fly and then Evan Blum skied a two-out home run to left field, his third of the season, to bring the Express within one. Jeff Taylor (Penn State) took over for Stamper following the third and shut down the Express – he allowed only one baserunner in two innings.

Although the Express were able to even the score in the sixth, timely hitting from the Birds once again put them on top. After being robbed of a home run in his previous at-bat, reigning Offensive Player of the Week Tim Elko clobbered a no-doubt, go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Baltimore a 4-3. The Birds did not look back after that, as their top-tier pitching staff took care of the rest.

Justin Campbell took the reins in the seventh and fired two hitless innings. He struck out three and earned his second win of the season.

Newcomer Justin Fox (North Carolina A&T) came on in the ninth and got the job done. Fox fanned one Rockville batter and got Alex Yi-Chen Jou (National Taiwan U) to fly out to secure the 4-3 win and earn his first save of the summer.

Following the split, the Redbirds move to 31-8 on the season, while the Express fall to 17-22. While the Redbirds are firmly locked in as the second seed in the Cal Ripken League playoffs, the Express, tied with the Silver Spring-Takoma T-Bolts, are vying for a spot in the postseason. The Redbirds, in their last game of the 2018 regular season, pay a visit to D.C. to take on the Grays on Friday, July 20. First pitch is set for 7:00 pm., and you follow along on Twitter @BmoreRedbirds for updates.

By Matt Davis

Going into Wednesday's contest, the Redbirds had an eight-game winning streak. After a showdown with the second-place Gaithersburg Giants (20-18) at Carlo Crispino Stadium, that streak increased to nine.

The Birds’ used a familiar formula to outlast Gaithersburg, and it was timely hitting and dominant pitching that put them on top.

Aaron McGeorge (Kentucky) got the start for the Redbirds – his second of the season – and was nothing short of spectacular. After walking two batters in the first inning, McGeorge settled down and kept Giants hitters off balance throughout his entire start. He did not allow a hit until the fifth, when Ryan Brown (UMBC) lined a single into right field. The righty escaped the inning without any damage done, capping off five flawless innings. He allowed only one hit, walked two batters, and struck out five to lower his ERA to an impressive 0.90.

Despite being shut down by Giants starter Grant Young (San Francisco) in the first two innings, the Birds’ bats began to catch fire in the third. They quickly loaded the bases following a Michael Richardson (Ohio) leadoff walk, Alex Tappen (Virginia) single, and Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) single. With one out in the inning, Joe Zirolli (West Chester) served a single just past the reach of third baseman Sam Bertelson (Texas). The hit scored two, giving Zirolli his 32nd and 33rd RBI of the season. Two pitches later, reigning Offensive Player of the Week Tim Elko (Ole Miss) lined a single to right field to score an additional two and give the Redbirds a 4-0 lead.

Although Young was effective in the following three innings, a four-run lead for Baltimore was more than enough. After McGeorge exited the game following the fifth inning, Kyle Blendinger (North Carolina) came on for the Birds. Blendinger was also brilliant in this one, firing four scoreless innings to stifle the Giants. He allowed five hits over those four innings and struck out five Giants. Blendinger earned his first save of the season while McGeorge garnered his third win.

In the contest, Baltimore mustered a total of six runs on eleven hits, and four Redbirds – Tappen, Zirolli, Elko, and Richardson – finished with multi-hit games. With the win, Baltimore moves to 30-7 on the year with just three games remaining. They play their last two home games of the season on Thursday, July 19, against the Rockville Express, first finishing a suspended game then playing a full nine-inning game. First pitch of the continued game will be at 4:30 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium.

Redbirds infielder Tim Elko has been named the Cal Ripken League Offensive Player of the Week for the week of July 9 to July 15.

Elko went 13-for-26 (.500) at the plate in six games last week while hitting one home run, two doubles, and driving in 11 runs. 

The Ole Miss product had a hit in each game, and posted four multi-hit performances over the seven-day span. Although he walked only once, Elko struck out only three times in six games last week and used his deceptive speed to pick up two stolen bases.

Through 33 games this season, Elko is hitting .280 with a .314 on-base percentage. The rising sophomore has two home runs, eight doubles and 22 RBI while holding down third base defensively for the Redbirds. 

Elko is the second Redbird to win a weekly award this season. William Fleming (Wake Forest) was named Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 18 to June 24. 

By Connor Newcomb

Over the last few games, the Redbirds have used the sixth inning to put teams away.

They did so again on Sunday.

Using a seven-run sixth inning, the Redbirds took down the Baltimore Dodgers 10-4 on Sunday night as the Birds picked up their eighth straight victory.

Yet again, Baltimore took an early lead in the ballgame on Sunday. After an Alex Tappen (Virginia) single in the first inning, Joe Zirolli (West Chester) cranked a double off the left-field wall to get the Birds on the board first. Tim Elko (Ole Miss) followed that up with an RBI double of his own, and then Christian Hlinka's (Virginia) RBI single made it 3-0 after one.

Redbirds starter Justin Campbell (Tulane) kept that lead for the entirety of his outing. Campbell tossed three scoreless, hitless innings on the day with two strikeouts and no walks.

The Dodgers got two runs back in the fourth, and then tied the game in the sixth off of Redbirds reliever Billy Phillips (Maryland). However, the run was unearned, and Phillips worked through two solid relief innings without allowing an earned run.

With the scored tied at three, the Baltimore offense went to work in the bottom of the sixth. Will Harless (Radford) started the frame with a double, and then Michael Richardson (Ohio) followed with an RBI double of his own to give the Birds the lead. A few batters later, Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) came through with another double, this one scoring both Richardson and Matt McGee (Thomas Jefferson) to make it 6-3 Redbirds.

Next up was Tappen, who bounced one over the wall in left field for a ground-rule double. The hit brought Servideo home and gave Tappen his 18th double of the season, which tied the all-time Cal Ripken League single-season record. 

Zirolli was up next, and he proceeded to blast a two-run home run to left for his ninth big fly of the season, which ties him for the league lead. Richardson came up with an RBI single later in the frame, and the Baltimore offense ended up putting a seven-spot on the scoreboard in the sixth inning. 

That would be last of the Redbirds runs for the day, but the 10-3 cushion was plenty big enough for the Baltimore bullpen. Zach Brzykcy (Virginia Tech), Austin Love (North Carolina), and Justin Fox (North Carolina A&T) combined to allow just one run over the final three innings and close out the victory. 

With the win, the Redbirds improved to 29-7 on the season while the Dodgers fell to 11-24 with the loss. The Birds will now get Monday and Tuesday off before returning to action against the Gaithersburg Giants on Wednesday, July 18, at Carlo Crispino Stadium. First pitch of that game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and can be seen on the Redbirds Radio Network. 

By Connor Newcomb

Redbirds outfielder Bo Majkowski (Clemson) struggled at the plate early in the summer, and noticeably began to work on his swing with head coach Tom Eller every day during batting practice.

On Saturday night, that work paid off big-time.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh of a 1-1 game, Majkowski stepped to plate and delivered his signature hit of the season. The left-handed hitter blasted one over the fence at Frank Mann Field for a grand slam — his first home run of the season — to give the Redbirds the lead.

Powered by Majkowski's bat and more dominant pitching, the Birds went on to defeat the Alexandria Aces 7-1 on Saturday night and pick up their seventh consecutive victory.

It was a scoreless game through four innings between Baltimore and Alexandria, but Tim Elko (Ole Miss) got the offense going in the fifth, leading off the frame with the Birds' first hit off of Aces starter Cole Lalonde (Century College). Later in the inning, Will Harless (Radford) came up with an RBI single, scoring Elko and giving the Redbirds the lead. 

An Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State) solo home run tied things up in the bottom of the fifth, but that would be all the Aces offense would get against Redbirds starter Cole Beavin (East Carolina). The right hander allowed just five hits and struck out two over five innings of work. 

The score remained tied until the seventh when Christian Hlinka (Virginia), Harless, and Matt McGee (Thomas Jefferson) reached against Alexandria relievers Keegan Foge (Columbia State CC) and Matt Moore (Purdue), sending Majkowski to the plate with the bases loaded and two down. The outfielder delivered his grand slam on a 1-2 pitch, putting Baltimore back on top.

In the ninth inning, the Birds offense added a couple more insurance runs. Majkowski bounced into an RBI fielder's choice, scoring Harless to make it a 6-1 game and giving the Clemson product five RBI on the day. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Alex Tappen (Virginia) plated Michael Richardson (Ohio) to make it 7-1 later in the frame.

Aaron McGeorge (Kentucky) came back out in the ninth inning and shut the door on the Aces. McGeorge worked three scoreless frames out of the bullpen, striking out two and picking up his second save of the season. He took over for Brendan Cellucci (Tulane), who worked a scoreless sixth inning in relief of Beavin. 

The win moved the Redbirds to 28-7 on the season, while the Aces fell to 14-20 and currently sit on the outside of the playoff picture with six games to play. Next up for the Birds is a date with the Baltimore Dodgers back at home on Sunday, July 15. First pitch of that game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. 

On Thursday night against the D.C. Grays, the Baltimore Redbirds scored eight runs in the sixth inning on their way to victory.

Friday night against the Riverdogs, they did it again.

Using another eight-run sixth inning to power their offense, the Redbirds took down the Loudoun Riverdogs 16-2. 

The offensive firepower started early for Baltimore, as the Birds struck for three runs in the first inning. They loaded the bases with one out against Riverdogs starter Carter Strain (Christopher Newport), and Tim Elko (Ole Miss) poked an RBI single into right field to give Baltimore the lead. Later in the frame, Michael Richardson (Ohio) laced a single up the middle, scoring two more for the Birds.

The score stayed the same until the third, when the Redbirds struck for a couple more. After Alex Tappen (Virginia) was hit by a pitch to lead things off, Joe Zirolli (West Chester) launched his team-leading eighth home run of the season to make it a 5-0 game. 

Loudoun got one run back in the fourth, but that was all they could muster against Redbirds starter Jeff Taylor (Penn State). Taylor tossed four innings in his second start of the summer, allowing just three hits while striking out three.

Elko came through with his second RBI single of the game in fifth to make the score 6-1, and then the offensive onslaught began in the sixth. 

The Birds loaded the bases with nobody out, and then Will Harless (Radford) drew a walk to force in the first run of the inning. Christian Hlinka (Virginia) followed with an RBI single, and Tappen did so as well to extend the lead to 9-1. The newest Redbird, Matt McGee (Thomas Jefferson), came up next and delivered a two-RBI double, and then Elko came through with another single, this one driving in two.

Richardson's RBI groundout would finally put a cap on the scoring in the sixth, as Baltimore put up eight runs on six hits, sending 12 batters to the plate in the frame.

The Riverdogs got one back in the top of the seventh off of Ryan Okuda (Virginia Tech), who tossed three innings in relief with three strikeouts, but Baltimore went right back to work after the stretch. With Nick D'Amore (Georgia Southern) on first after a leadoff single, Harless cranked one down the left field line for his second home run of season and a 16-2 Redbirds lead.

William Fleming (Wake Forest) and Justin Fox (North Carolina A&T) finished out the win with each righty pitching a scoreless inning in relief.

With the win, the Redbirds improved to 27-7 on the season, while the Riverdogs fell to 9-24. The Birds now head back to the road to take on the Alexandria Aces on Saturday, July 14. First pitch for that game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Frank Mann Field. Follow along with @BmoreRedbirds on Twitter for updates. 

By Matt Davis

After sweeping two consecutive doubleheaders, all the Redbirds needed to do Thursday night to clinch the division was win.They did just that, and they did it in the typical dominating fashion against the visiting D.C. Grays.

After a scoreless first inning, the Grays jumped on Redbirds starter Mark DiLuia (Maryland) in the top of the second. Jahleel Sewer (Virginia State) led off the inning with an opposite field homer, and then Cory Moore (Santa Clara) hit a two-run home run later in the inning, giving D.C. an early 3-0 lead.

Redbirds’ first-baseman Tim Elko (Ole Miss) continued to sizzle at the plate, pummeling a leadoff home run in the bottom of the second to make the score 3-1. The slugfest ensued in the top of the fourth, when Moore belted his second tater of the game, a solo one, to increase the D.C. lead to three.

As they have done so consistently this season, the Redbirds found a way to respond in the middle innings. In the bottom of the fourth, Baltimore put up three with an Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) two-run triple and a Christian Hlinka (Virginia) RBI single.

DiLuia exited the game following the fourth, hurling four innings while giving up four runs on six hits and striking out four. Grays starter Mike Delio (SUNY-New Paltz) went five innings, surrendered eight hits, and gave up four runs.

With Delio out of the game, Baltimore broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth. Reliever Chris Kelly (University of the Sciences) came in relief and struggled with his command, issuing five walks in only one-third of the inning. Coming into the game as the second-best hitting team statistically in the Cal Ripken League, the Redbirds took advantage.

After a quick walk to Hlinka, Alex Tappen (Virginia) mashed an RBI double into the gap and scored after an Elko sacrifice fly. Michael Richardson (Ohio) later earned an RBI walk in the inning, and Aaron McGeorge (Kentucky) delivered a clutch two-run single in the following at-bat.

Servideo further padded the lead with a two-run double and scored after another double by Hlinka. Servideo, who raised his average to a scorching .398, finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBI. Hlinka also finished 3-for-5, adding three RBI of his own. The Birds’ bats came to life again in the eighth, adding four more runs to the total score.

With the Redbirds up comfortably late in the game, relievers Kyle Blendinger (North Carolina) and Justin Campbell (Tulane) finished the game. Blendinger pitched the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, allowing two runs in the process while striking out five. He also earned his second win of the year. Meanwhile, Campbell finished out the final two innings, allowing one run on three hits, to give the Redbirds a 16-7 win.

The win cements the Redbirds as the North Division Champions and gives them a first-round bye in the 2018 CRCBL playoffs. They also move to 26-7 and lie 2.5 games behind the Bethesda Big Train (29-5) for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Grays, still in the thick of the playoff race, fall to 16-18, though still remain favorites to claim a playoff berth. Next, the Birds will host the Loudon Riverdogs (9-23) on Friday, July 13. First pitch is at 6:30 as the Birds look to catch Bethesda.

By Connor Newcomb

The Baltimore Redbirds' magic number to clinch a playoff berth going into Monday was two, meaning a sweep over the Rockville Express in the doubleheader would send the Redbirds to the postseason for the 10th consecutive year.

Tom Eller's team got the job done.

The Redbirds swept the doubleheader in Rockville, taking game one by a score of 6-3 and game two by a score of 6-2, to clinch at least a Wild Card berth in the 2018 Cal Ripken League postseason.

In game one, Rockville took an early 1-0 advantage with a run in the first inning, but the Redbirds would answer back in the fourth. After Tim Elko (Ole Miss) reached on an error to start the frame, Alex Tappen (Virginia) singled him home to tie the game. A Will Harless (Radford) single kept the rally going, and then Kevin Madden's (Virginia Tech) RBI single gave Baltimore a 2-1 lead. 

The Express tied things a two with a run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Birds took the lead right back in the fifth. Trent Gast-Woodard (Towson) led off the frame with a single, and then the red-hot Christian Hlinka (Virginia) plated Gast-Woodard with a double to put the Redbirds back in front 3-2. 

Baltimore starter Brady Stamper (Liberty) worked a scoreless bottom of the fifth to finish off his day on the mound. He allowed just two runs on three hits in five innings on the hill, while striking out four and walking four. Billy Phillips (Maryland) relieved Stamper and worked a scoreless sixth, and then the Redbirds offense got back to work in the seventh.

Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) started the inning with a single, and then Hlinka continued his hot streak at the plate with an RBI triple. The next batter was Elko, who followed up Hlinka's triple with a three-bagger of his own to extend the lead to 5-2. Tappen came up next and made it three consecutive extra-base hits for Baltimore, bringing Elko home with an RBI double and extending the lead to four.

Phillips allowed a run in the bottom of the seventh but closed out the seven-inning victory on the mound, earning his first save of the season. 

In game two it was the Redbirds who took the lead early. After Bo Majkowski (Clemson) started the second inning with a double, Michael Richardson (Ohio) brought him home with an RBI single to open the scoring. Richardson would cross the plate on a passed ball later in the frame to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead. 

Going back to work in the fourth inning, the Redbirds put runners on the corners with two away. Elko stepped to plate and continued his power surge, belting a double that brought in two and doubled the lead to 4-0.

Rockville got two of the runs back in the bottom of the fourth, but the Birds kept adding to the lead in the fifth. Richardson reached on a one-out walk and then came around to score on an error to make it a 5-2 ballgame. 

Redbirds starter Aaron McGeorge (Kentucky) came back out and pitched a scoreless fifth, closing the book on his stellar day on the mound. In his first start of the season, McGeorge allowed just one earned run over five innings. He gave up three hits while striking out six and not issuing a walk all day.

Another RBI double off the bat of Tappen in the sixth scored Elko and gave Baltimore a 6-2 lead, and then Nick Turnbull (Maryland) came on in the bottom of the inning in relief of McGeorge. Turnbull worked two perfect innings out of the bullpen, retiring all six batters he faced to complete the doubleheader sweep of the Express and clinch the payoff berth for the Redbirds. 

The Birds improved to 25-7 with the two wins and will head into the all-star break with a seven-game lead over the Giants in the North Division, and their magic number to win the division is just one. The Express fell to 14-16 with the two losses.

Most of the Birds players will now get two days off starting on Tuesday, but the 11 Redbirds who were selected will play in the 2018 CRCBL All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 11, at 7:00 p.m. at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda. Baltimore will then be back in action on Thursday, July 12, against the D.C. Grays (15-17) at 6:30 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. A win in that game would give the Redbirds the North Division title. 

By Matt Davis

Prior to yesterday’s doubleheader, the Redbirds met the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts three times in the 2018 summer season. In those games, the Redbirds pounded T-Bolts pitching, scoring nine, 13, and 18 runs respectively. The outright Baltimore dominance continued on Sunday.

In the first matchup, William Fleming (Wake Forest) took the hill for the Redbirds, and continued to lower his already minuscule ERA, which was at 0.85 heading into the ballgame. Fleming kept T-Bolts hitters on their heels the entire game, hurling six scoreless innings while allowing only two hits and one walk. He fanned six T-Bolts and now is second in the Cal Ripken League with his 0.67 ERA.

After being shut down in the first two innings by Silver Spring starter Noah Luckenbaugh (Holy Cross), the Birds bats began to come to life in the middle innings. In the third, following a leadoff single by Will Harless (Radford), Christian Hlinka (Virginia) came to the plate and lined an RBI double into the gap to break the tie. Hlinka later came around to score on a wild pitch to make the score 2-0 in the bottom of the third. The Birds added another insurance run in the fourth following a Harless RBI single that scored Tim Elko (Ole Miss).

In the sixth inning, the Birds found themselves comfortably ahead 4-0, and that's when the offense began to let loose. They racked up eleven runs on ten hits in the next three innings.

In the sixth, Alex Tappen (Virginia) made Silver Spring pay for a costly error with his team-leading 12th double of the season. After putting up four total runs in the sixth, the Redbirds scored an additional two runs in the seventh before blowing the game wide open with five runs in the eighth.  

In the eighth, after Joe Zirolli (West Chester) singled, Elko annihilated a two-run homer to left-center field to put the Birds into double digits. An ensuing Kevin Madden (Virginia Tech) single, DJ Poteet (Wake Forest) double, and Michael Richardson (Ohio) walk loaded the bases for Harless, who singled in his third and fourth RBIs of the game. Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) doubled him in the following at bat, putting the Birds up 14-2. Servideo finished the game 2-for-3 with an RBI and three walks.

Austin Love (North Carolina) finished off what Fleming started, throwing three solid innings to help the Birds earn their 22nd win of the 2018 season.

A shortened game two was a different story – well, somewhat. While the Redbirds bats were not as dominant in the seven-inning affair, their pitching was equally as spectacular. Cole Beavin (East Carolina) got the start for Baltimore and delivered a beauty, throwing a complete game two-hitter that featured only one hit through the first six innings. Beavin went seven innings and struck out ten batters to earn his first win of the season.

With Beavin mowing down hitters throughout the game, the Redbirds did not need much from their offense. They squared up T-Bolts starter Yash Rane (Lehigh) and earned a quick run in the second inning courtesy of a Hlinka RBI double. Tappen padded the Redbirds tight lead with another RBI double in the fifth inning. He finished game two 3-for-3 to raise his batting average to a crisp .336.  
            

After adding three more in the sixth inning, Beavin went out to finish what he started, though had some initial trouble doing so. Silver Spring catcher Zach Buck (Holy Cross) reached on of a dropped third strike with one out, and then Nick Atkinson (Shepherd) was hit by a pitch. Two pitches later, Hunter Pearre (Barton College) lined a two-run double in the gap, causing some temporary apprehension at Carlo Crispino Stadium.

The very next pitch, Josh Simon (VCU) mashed a high fly ball to the track in left field, but Hlinka made a twisting, highlight-reel catch to rob Simon. He doubled off the runner Pearre to end the game at 5-2, clinching Baltimore’s 23rd win of the season.

After winning both games, the Redbirds move to 23-7 and head to Rockville to face the Express in another doubleheader on Monday, July 9.  First pitch of game one will be at 5:00 p.m. Baltimore will then send eleven players to the 2018 CRCBL All-Star Game in Bethesda at Shirley Povich Field on Wednesday evening.  

Eleven Redbirds will be taking part in the 2018 Cal Ripken League All-Star Game this week. The six position players representing Baltimore will be catcher Justin Vought (Maryland), infielders Joe Zirolli (West Chester), Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) and Kevin Madden (Virginia Tech), and outfielders Alex Tappen (Virginia) and Carl Gindl (Ole Miss).  

All of these players have performed admirably at the plate this year, with Gindl (2nd) Servideo (4th) and Madden (7th) among the league-leaders in batting average. Tappen has been a staple in the middle of the Redbirds order this year, accumulating a .306 batting average to go along with two home runs and 13 RBI heading to the All-Star break. Zirolli is second in the league with seven home runs and third in the league with 25 RBI. Vought, who was batting .362 with 3 HR at the time of his injury, will not be participating in the event.

It is fitting, however, that the Redbirds, who came into Sunday leading all Cal Ripken League teams in all major pitching categories, sent five pitchers to the All-Star Game. Of the five, two are regular starters: Brendan Cellucci (Tulane) and William Fleming (Wake Forest). Cellucci, who is 2-0 on the season, came into Sunday with a 1.96 ERA, while Fleming is 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA.  

The three relievers that were nominated to the All-Star team were Ryan Okuda (Virginia Tech), Zach Brzykcy (Virginia Tech), and Austin Love (North Carolina). Love is still yet to surrender an earned run in the 2018 summer season, while Okuda and Brzykcy have a combined record of 3-1 with 43 strikeouts in just under 30 innings pitched.  We congratulate all these Redbirds on a well-deserved nomination.

The 2018 Cal Ripken League All-Star game will be played at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda on Wednesday, July 11, at 7:00 p.m.

By Connor Newcomb

The Baltimore Redbirds are rolling right now, and that roll continued on Friday night in Gaithersburg.

Powered by some big innings and an electric relief outing, the Redbirds cruised to a 15-4 win over the Giants for their eighth straight victory. 

The Birds jumped ahead right away in this one, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. After a one-out double from Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss), Joe Zirolli (West Chester) singled him home to give Baltimore the early lead. Although Zirolli did not homer in the ballgame, he finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

The score would hold at 1-0 until the fourth when the Redbirds got the bats going again. Baltimore loaded the bases with one away and Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) came through with a sacrifice fly to center field to double the lead. Servideo followed Gindl with a two-RBI triple to left, and then Alex Tappen's (Virginia) RBI single made it a 5-0 Baltimore lead.

Mark DiLuia (Maryland) got the start on the mound for the Redbirds, and was solid through three scoreless innings, but he struggled in the fourth. After DiLuia allowed back-to-back singles, Sam Bertelson (Texas) tagged him for a three-run home run and Adam Spurlin (Elon) followed with a solo shot to cut the Baltimore lead to 5-4. A pitching change thereafter brought Ryan Okuda (Virginia Tech) into the game for the Birds, and he retired the next three hitters, setting himself up for what would be a marvelous day on the mound. 

Holding that 5-4 lead into the sixth, the Redbirds offense went back to work. After a leadoff single by Trent Gast-Woodard (Towson), Servideo came through with his second triple of the game, this one bringing home one run and giving Baltimore a 6-4 lead. After a strikeout and a walk followed, TIm Elko (Ole Miss) stepped to the plate and smashed a two-run double into the gap in left-center that doubled the Redbirds lead to 8-4.

Baltimore continued to pour it on in seventh when Christian Hlinka (Virginia) started the inning with a single. Hlinka finished the evening 3-for-6 at the plate — his first three-hit game of the season. With runners on the corners and one out, Gindl came through with his second sacrifice fly of the game to extend the lead to 9-4. Gindl, the league's leading hitter, was the only Redbird without a hit on Friday night, but still contributed with his two RBI.

Later in that seventh inning, two runs would cross when Tappen bounced into a fielder's choice, and then one more scored when Elko came up with a two-out RBI single. It finished as a four-run frame for the Redbirds, who took a 12-4 lead into the stretch.

Tom Eller's offense would then polish things off with three more runs in the top of the eighth. After Hlinka and Bo Majkowski (Clemson) reached base to start the inning, Gast-Woodard smacked a single into right field and picked up his first RBI of the season. The Baltimore catcher finished the night a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, picking up his first multi-hit game of the summer. Majkowski and Gast-Woodard both crossed the plate later in the frame on wild pitches to extend the lead to 15-4.

While the Redbirds offense was firing on all cylinders, Okuda was just motoring through the Giants order. The lefty retired 13 Gaithersburg batters in a row to finish the ballgame, and all-in-all tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out 11 batters while walking only one. 

With the win, the Redbirds improved to 21-6 on the season and have now won 17 of their last 19 games. The Giants fell to 15-13 with the loss and are now 6.5 games back of Baltimore in the North Division. The Birds are back in action on Saturday, July 7, to take on the Bethesda Big Train at Shirley Povich Field. First pitch of that game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and it can be seen on the Redbirds Radio Network. 

By Matt Davis

Although the Redbirds and Dodgers were opponents on the baseball field Thursday, they teamed up in a different but significant way. With their game scheduled a day after July 4, the two teams saw it would be fit to honor the sacrifice of our nation’s fallen heroes by giving to Folds of Honor. Folds of Honor, a non-profit organization founded in 2007, has aimed to provide scholarships to spouses and children of disabled or fallen veterans and has worked with the Redbirds in previous years.

Coming into the game at Carlo Crispino Stadium, both Baltimore teams made it their goal to raise $2500 for the Folds of Honor organization. That goal was met.

After a night filled with a terrific display of baseball and unity among the baseball community, the Redbirds were extremely proud to announce that over $2,700 was raised for Folds of Honor. In the end, although the Redbirds came out on top 7-6, it seemed like everyone won after giving back to such a great cause.

By Connor Newcomb

In close games this season, it has seemingly been the eighth inning that has sparked the Baltimore Redbirds.

That did not change on Thursday night.

Using a three-run eighth inning that included two home runs, the Redbirds came back to beat the Baltimore Dodgers 7-6 at Carlo Crispino Stadium, making it seven wins in a row for Tom Eller's team.

The Redbirds got on the board first in this one, opening the scoring in third inning. With two on and one out, Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) laced an RBI single to left field that scored Bo Majkowski (Clemson) and gave the Birds the lead. Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) crossed the plate on a wild pitch later in the frame to make it a 2-0 ballgame.

The Dodgers got a run back in the fourth inning, but that was all they would get against Redbirds starter Jeff Taylor (Penn State). Taylor, in his first start of the summer, allowed just one run on two hits while striking out five over four innings of work.

The Dodgers offense put up three runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead, but the Redbirds would not go down without a fight. The Birds immediately responded in the bottom of fifth with an RBI triple off the bat of Servideo that scored Gindl and cut the Dodgers lead to one.

After a scoreless sixth from Billy Phillips (Maryland), Alex Tappen (Virginia) tied the game with one swing in the bottom half of the inning. Tappen's first home run of the season made it a 4-4 game as he led off the frame with a blast to left field. 

Noah Skirrow (Liberty) came out of the bullpen in the seventh for the Birds and kept the game tied with two scoreless innings. In the bottom of the eighth, DJ Poteet (Wake Forest) worked a leadoff walk against Dodgers reliever Paul Nixon (Harford CC) and then the red-hot Joe Zirolli (West Chester) came through again. 

Zirolli launched a two-run shot to left field — his sixth home run in his last five games — to give the the Redbirds a 6-4 lead. But the offense wasn't done, as Tappen would go back-to-back with Zirolli, leaving the yard for the second time on the night and making it a 7-4 game.

Skirrow came back out in the top of the ninth, but was not nearly as effective. He allowed the first four batters of the inning to reach base, and Eller went to the bullpen, bringing in Aaron McGeorge (Kentucky) and tasking him with holding a 7-5 lead with the bases loaded and nobody out.

Jake Ruby (Ohio State) bounced into a RBI fielder's choice to make it a 7-6 game, but with runners on the corners and one away, McGeorge completely shut the door. The righty struck out Jared Melone (West Chester) and got Paul DiPino (High Point) to bounce one right back to him to secure the Redbirds victory and pick up his second save of the season.

With the win, the Redbirds improved to 20-6 on the season, and maintained a 5.5 game lead in the North Division. The Dodgers fell to 8-17 with the loss. Next up for Baltimore is a road game against the Gaithersburg Giants (15-12) on Friday, July 6. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Criswell Automotive Field and can be seen on the Redbirds Radio Network. 

By Matt Davis

Prior to Monday’s game, the Redbirds owned a league-best 2.61 ERA and had allowed only one run in three of their last five games.

When the D.C. Grays came into town, the team ERA dwindled down to 2.54.

Austin Love (North Carolina) took the mound for the Birds on Monday evening, and was nothing short of spectacular. Love kept Grays batters off balance throughout his entire start, ascribing his success to his off-speed stuff.  Although he did finish with a no-decision, Love exited the game after firing five scoreless innings, surrendering only three hits and striking out seven.

In the sixth inning, the Birds found themselves down by one after the Grays were able to muster a run off of Baltimore reliever Nick Turnbull (Maryland). However, just like the Redbirds have done so well during their six-game win streak, they responded quickly and with a bang. Michael Richardson (Ohio) led off the inning with a walk, and Bo Majkowski (Clemson) followed it up with a single. The Grays, who came into the game with a league-worst 46 errors on the year, committed two straight errors, allowing Richardson to score and load the bases.

The next batter was the last batter Grays starter Isaac Olson (Cincinnati) wanted to see — Joe Zirolli (West Chester). Zirolli, who hit two home runs in Sunday’s doubleheader in Herndon, continued his blistering streak at the plate, hammering the first pitch he saw over the 300 foot sign in left field.

Joe’s second grand slam of the year was an absolute no-doubter, and it essentially opened the game up for the Birds. It also ruined an otherwise brilliant start from Olson, who gave up three earned runs in six innings of work despite allowing only three baserunners in the first five innings. Zirolli is now tied for second in home runs in the Cal Ripken League with six and in third in RBI with 21.

The Birds added another insurance run in the seventh inning after Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) tripled to score Carl Gindl (Ole Miss). This run would not matter in the end, mostly due to the efforts of reliever Zach Brzykcy (Virginia Tech).  Brzykcy mowed down the Grays hitters, hurling 3.1 innings while giving up only two hits and an unearned run in the process. Zach closed out the game with his seventh strikeout of the evening, fanning Mitch McIntyre (BYU) for the final out.

Following the matchup, the Birds extendrf their winning streak to six and moved to 19-6 on the year, while the Grays fell to 12-14. Next, Baltimore will host the Dodgers on July 5 on Folds of Honor Night. The Redbirds would like to encourage all donations to support the Folds of Honor organization, which serves to provide scholarships to spouses and children of disabled or fallen soldiers. First pitch will be at 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcasted on the Redbirds Radio Network.

By Connor Newcomb

The Baltimore Redbirds came into Sunday's road doubleheader against the Herndon Braves with a three-game winning streak. 

When they left Herndon, the winning streak was five.

The Birds got out to a fast start in game one, setting the tone for the day. Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) led off the game with a single and eventually came home to score the first run of the game on an error.

But the Braves would fight back against Baltimore starter William Fleming (Wake Forest). Herndon picked up one run in the fourth inning and one in the fifth against Fleming to take the lead. Fleming would come back with a strong sixth inning, finishing the day with only those two runs against him and four strikeouts over six frames.

Joe Zirolli's (West Chester) sacrifice fly got one back for the Redbirds in the top of the sixth, but they trailed 3-2 heading into the eighth inning. DJ Poteet (Wake Forest) came up as a pinch hitter to start the frame, and he did not disappoint. Poteet launched his third home run of the season to tie the game, but the Baltimore offense wasn't done yet. Gindl doubled to start the rally again, and then Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) followed with another double that scored Gindl and gave the Redbirds the lead.

Zirolli capped off the big inning later in the frame with a two-run home run to extend the Baltimore advantage to 6-3. 

Cole Beavin (East Carolina), who took over on the mound for Fleming in the seventh, polished off the 6-3 victory with strong eighth and ninth innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out two over three scoreless relief innings. 

It was an exhilarating comeback win for the Redbirds, but the team had to come back 30 minutes later and do it again in game two of the double dip.

Tom Eller's team again struck first in game two, but this time the run came in the third inning. Zirolli kept his hot streak alive with a two-out RBI single that scored Trent Gast-Woodard (Towson) and gave Baltimore the lead.

But Zirolli wasn't done, and he decided to cap off his monster weekend in a big way in the fifth. With two on and one out, Zirolli got into another one, coming through with a three-run home run to put the Birds up 4-0. His power surge has resulted in four home runs in his last three games. 

Those four runs would be plenty for Redbirds starter Holt Jones (Clemson), who may have put together the best start by any Redbirds pitcher this season. Jones tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out 12 — the highest strikeout total by any Redbirds pitcher this summer. 

Kevin Madden (Virginia Tech) knocked in one run more run for the Birds in the top of the sixth, and Jeff Taylor (Penn State) relieved Jones in the final frame of the seven-inning affair. Taylor allowed a run, but struck out two batters to finish off the 5-1 win and the sweep. 

With the two victories, the Redbirds improved to 18-6 on the season and have now won five games in a row and 11 of their last 12. With the two losses, the Braves fell to 11-11. The Birds now travel back home for a game against the D.C. Grays (12-13) on Monday, July 2. First pitch of that contest is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium, and you can watch the game on the Redbirds Radio Network. 

By Matt Davis

On Saturday, the Redbirds longtime rival and current South Division leader, the Bethesda Big Train, paid a visit to Carlo Crispino Stadium for the second time this season.

The first two matchups between these teams ended up as fairly one-sided affairs, as the Big Train prevailed by three runs in game one and cruised to a 9-2 victory in the rivals’ second meeting. The story Saturday was a completely different one, and the Redbirds pitching staff played a huge role in that.

The game started out as a marquee pitcher’s duel, with Brendan Cellucci (Tulane) on the mound for the Redbirds and Alec Burleson (ECU) throwing for the visitors. The Redbirds struck first in the third after an error by shortstop AJ Lee (Maryland) allowed Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) to score.

Burleson began to find his groove shortly thereafter, though he was eventually chased out of the game in the sixth inning. Kevin Madden (Virginia Tech) continued to swing a hot bat, lining a double into right field to start off the sixth. Tim Elko (Ole Miss) then knocked him in with a single for his second hit of the game.

Cellucci, meanwhile, had little trouble mowing down the Big Train, who came into the game leading the league in every major hitting category. Cellucci, who attributed his success to consistently throwing his slider for a strike, fired six scoreless innings, allowing only four hits and striking out seven. The lefty did not surrender a walk and lowered his season ERA to a minuscule 0.90.

The Redbirds added crucial insurance runs in the seventh and eighth off of Bethesda reliever Anthony Piccolino (James Madison). After a DJ Poteet (Wake Forest) double and Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) single, Madden came through in the clutch again with a two-out single to score both. That made the score 4-0, and Baltimore found itself with a nice cushion heading into the final two innings.

Ryan Okuda (Virginia) pitched two scoreless innings in relief, striking out two in the process.

In the bottom of the eighth, Will Harless (Radford) scored the Birds fifth run of the evening following a Gindl RBI groundout. Aaron McGeorge (Kentucky) came on to close things out, striking out the side despite allowing one run.

The win for the Redbirds improves their record to 16-6 on the year, while the Big Train drops to 18-3. Both teams, however, remain comfortably in the driver’s seat in their respective divisions, each holding leads of five or more games. The Redbirds will next visit Herndon in a doubleheader on Sunday, July 5, and then will host the D.C. Grays at Carlo Crispino Stadium on Monday. First pitch will be at 6:30 pm, and the game can be seen on the Redbirds Radio Network.

On Saturday, June 29, the Baltimore Redbirds organization is thrilled to welcome the League of Dreams organizations to Carlo Crispino Stadium. The event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and will be a great community event to support a great cause.

The League of Dreams organization, which is based in Baltimore, aims to give all people and kids, irrespective of their physical and mental ability to play the amazing game of baseball. The Baltimore Redbirds organization has worked with League of Dreams extensively year after year, and looks forward to once again to making players’ dreams come true!  We encourage all those who are able to come out to welcome and support all of the players.

Follow this link for footage of last year’s League of Dreams event! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POrQDSFY1us   

By Connor Newcomb

In two previous games against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts this season, the Baltimore Redbirds had scored 22 runs on 25 hits.

The offensive explosion continued on Friday night.

The Redbirds scored 18 runs on 17 hits in this one en route to an 18-5 victory over the T-Bolts.

The offense started for Baltimore in the third inning when Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) poked an RBI single into center field to get the Birds on the board. Will Harless (Radford) followed Gindl with an RBI single of his own, and then Kevin Madden's (Virginia Tech) 2-run double off the wall in left gave the Redbirds a 4-0 lead.

The Birds started up again in the fifth inning, loading the bases with no outs and Tim Elko (Ole Miss) stepping to the plate. Elko came through with a double down the left field line that scored two more runs and made it a 6-0 ballgame. Bo Majkowski (Clemson) came up next, and he ripped a double into the gap in right-center field, plating two more runs and giving Baltimore an 8-0 lead. The Birds would add one more in the frame on Michael Richardson's (Ohio) RBI groundout. 

Justin Campbell's (Tulane) day on the mound would end for the Redbirds after a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth, but he was absolutely dominant on Friday night. The lefty tossed four scoreless, hitless innings while recording two strikeouts. 

Billy Phillips (Maryland) worked a scoreless fifth for Baltimore, and then the bats went back to work in the top of the sixth. A sac fly off the bat of Madden made it a 10-0 game, and then Majkowski and Christian Hlinka (Virginia) delivered back-to-back RBI singles later in the inning to put the Redbirds in front 12-0. 

The T-Bolts picked up four runs in the bottom of the sixth, but the Birds got those right back in the seventh. After Gindl and Harless reached to start the frame, Zoe Zirolli (West Chester) demolished a baseball onto the firehouse in left field at Montgomery Blair Stadium to put the Redbirds ahead 15-4. Later in the inning, Madden crossed the plate on an error and Gindl picked up a bases-loaded walk to increase the lead. 

The Baltimore offense would have one last hurrah in the eight inning when Zirolli led off the frame with another home run to left field, giving the Birds 18 runs on the day.

Brady Stamper (Liberty) finished out the game on the mound with three solid innings of relief for the Redbirds. He allowed only one run on one hit and struck out four batters.

With the win, the Redbirds improved to 15-6 on the season, while the T-Bolts fell to 7-13 with the loss. The Birds now return home to Carlo Crispino Stadium on Saturday, June 30, for a showdown with the Bethesda Big Train (18-2). First pitch of that game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and you can watch the game on the Redbirds Radio Network. 

By Connor Newcomb

Coming into Wednesday's game agains the Baltimore Dodgers, the Redbirds had just had a six-game winning streak snapped, but were still riding a three-game home winning streak.

The Birds extended that streak with a 5-1 victory over the Baltimore Dodgers.

The Redbirds offense jumped on the board early without a hit against Dodgers starter Jason Reynolds (Lehigh). Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) drew a walk to start the first inning, and after two stolen bases, he came home on an error to score the opening run of the ballgame.

Tom Eller's team would strike again in the third inning when Alex Tappen (Virginia) picked up the Birds' first hit of the day — an RBI single to right field that plated Michael Richardson (Ohio) and gave the Redbirds a 2-0 advantage. 

On the mound, Redbirds starter Noah Skirrow (Liberty) pitched through four solid innings in his second start of the summer. The right-hander allowed just one run on three hits while striking out six Dodgers batters.

Kyle Blendinger (North Carolina) took the mound in the fifth inning, and after loading the bases with one out, got a strikeout and a groundout to escape the jam and maintain the Birds' 2-1 lead in his Redbirds debut. Blendinger tossed two scoreless innings on the day, allowing just one hit and striking out two.

Reynolds would settle down on the hill for the Dodgers and allowed only one hit through five innings of work, but in the sixth the Redbirds would deliver the crushing blow. After singles by Joe Zirolli (West Chester) and Kevin Madden (Virginia Tech) with one away, Will Harless (Radford) came through with a towering three-run home run to left field to extend the Redbirds lead to 5-1. 

Austin Love (North Carolina) would come out of the bullpen in the seventh and proceed to shut the door on the Dodgers. Love tossed three scoreless frames in relief, giving up just one hit and striking out five on his way to his first save of the season.

With the win, the Redbirds improved to 14-6 as they hit the halfway point of the season. The Dodgers fell to 6-11 with the loss and are now 6.5 games back of the Redbirds in the North Division.

The Redbirds will next travel to Montgomery Blair High School to take on the SS-Takoma Thunderbolts (7-12) on Friday, June 29, at 7:00 p.m. You can watch that game on the Redbirds Radio Network. The Birds then return home to face the Bethesda Big Train (17-2) on Saturday, June 30. 

As a complement to their hot bats, the Redbirds’ pitching has been phenomenal in the past week, allowing only 10 runs over the past five games. The story on Monday against the visiting Louduon Riverdogs was much of the same.

Mark DiLuia (Maryland) got the start for Baltimore and did not disappoint, limiting the Riverdogs to only one unearned run through four innings.  DiLuia allowed only three baserunners and fanned four Louduon batters.

Despite scoring an astounding 25 runs in Loudon on June 16, the Redbirds struggled to find consistency against the visiting starter, Daniel Albrittain (Elon). The Birds found themselves down 1-0 early, though they were able to manufacture the tying run in the fourth after shortstop Kevin Madden (Virginia Tech) scored following a throwing error by third baseman Clayton Baine (Radford).  

Although the Birds were able to hit the ball hard on several occasions, this was the most success they would find against Albrittain in the game.

The Riverdogs responded immediately in the top of the fifth inning with two consecutive doubles by catcher Collin Casey (Northeastern) and second baseman Brady Lloyd (East Carolina) off of Redbirds reliever Nick Turnbull (Maryland).  urnbull settled in shortly after, allowing only one hit over the next two innings, and keeping the score at 2-1.

Down by one in the bottom of the eighth, the Redbirds bats finally started to regain the spark that had powered the team over the previous nine games. With one out in the inning, Christian Hlinka (Virginia) mashed a double down the left-field line off of reliever Praise Thorsen (Lander). Two pitches later, Madden lined a clutch single up the middle to even the score at two.

The deciding play, however, came off the bat of the league-leader in batting average, Carl Gindl (Ole Miss). After a first-pitch strike, Gindl, who came in as a pinch hitter, knocked a single up the middle to score Madden and give the Redbirds a one-run lead in the eighth. That was all the Birds would need, as they turned to southpaw Ryan Okuda (Virginia Tech) to finish the job in the final two innings. Okuda stymied the Riverdogs, striking out five of the six batters he faced while earning his first win of the season.

The win extended the Birds’ winning streak to six games and moved them to 13-5 on the year, while Loudoun fell to 3-10.  

Baltimore is now 9-1 in its last ten games and will look to continue its success on Tuesday, June 26, when visiting the Big Train to continue last week’s suspended game. On Wednesday, June 27, the Birds will head to Rockville to square off against the second-place Express. First pitch for both games is scheduled for 7:00 pm.   

By Connor Newcomb

After sweeping a doubleheader with the Gaithersburg Giants on Saturday, the Baltimore Redbirds took to the road on Sunday night to face the Alexandria Aces.

And there, the winning continued. 

Sparked by more consistent pitching and timely hitting, the Redbirds extended their winning streak to five games with a 7-2 victory over the Aces.

The top of the lineup has been dominant for the Birds so far this season, and it got things started again on Sunday night. Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) led off the game with a single and stole second base. Then after Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) got him to third with a productive out, Servideo came in to score on a passed ball to give Baltimore the lead.

The Redbirds offense got right back to work in the second inning, loading the bases with one away for Servideo. He would work a run-scoring walk to double the lead, and then Gindl's sacrifice fly tacked on another run. But the big blow came one batter later, when Justin Vought (Maryland) laced a single into center field, scoring two and giving the Birds a 5-0 lead.

However, the Baltimore offense wasn't done yet. With two outs in the third inning, Alex Tappen (Virginia) doubled to center and DJ Poteet (Wake Forest) drove him in with a single to extended the Redbirds lead to 6-0.

The Aces fought back with a run in the fourth and run in the fifth, but that was all they would muster against Redbirds starter William Fleming (Wake Forest). The right-hander was dominant yet again, working five innings and allowing two unearned runs while striking out four batters and walking just one. The great start kept Fleming's ERA at 0.00 for the season.

In the sixth inning, Tom Eller would hand the ball over to Colin Donnelly (Quinnipiac) to hold down the Aces offense, and the lefty delivered. Donnelly kept the score at 6-2 through three scoreless innings of work, and then the Redbirds tacked on an insurance run in the ninth, courtesy of a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kevin Madden (Virginia Tech).

Donnelly polished off the victory in the bottom of the ninth, and the lefty finished with five strikeouts over four scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

With the victory, the Redbirds improved to 12-5 on the summer, while the Aces fell to 8-6 with the loss. Next up for Baltimore is a game back at home against the Loudoun Riverdogs (3-9) on Monday, June 25. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. 

By Matt Davis

This season has been a tale of two halves for the Redbirds, as they have averaged 8.0 runs per game on the road and just 3.6 runs per game at Carlo Crispino Stadium. It would be an understatement to say that they flipped the script on Saturday against the Gaithersburg Giants.

In game one, the Giants were the ones to jump out early, putting up three quick runs in the first inning against Baltimore starting pitcher Justin Campbell (Tulane).  But the Birds’ bats heated up in response against Giants starter Nick DeCarlo (Mount Olive), as an Alex Tappen (Virginia) RBI double, an ensuing passed ball, and a two-run double by Justin Vought (Maryland) gave Baltimore a 4-3 lead in the second.

Giants left-fielder Scout Knotts (Shippensburg) tied the game at four in the third with an RBI single, though that was all Gaithersburg would be able muster offensively in the ballgame.

Austin Love (UNC) came on in relief for Campbell and was nothing short of terrific, hurling 4 1/3 scoreless innings and fanning three Giants. Baltimore assumed the lead once again in the third after an RBI groundout from Michael Richardson (Ohio) scored Joe Zirolli (West Chester). Richardson, who finished the day 2-for-3 to raise his summer batting average to .318, drove in another run with an RBI single in the fifth to cushion the lead.  

The dagger of the game, however, came off of the scorching bat of Vought. In the eighth inning, Vought mashed a towering home run over the left-center field fence to put Baltimore up 9-4. That blast, his third of the year, cemented Justin at second in the league in RBI (14) and third in home runs (3). Noah Skirrow (Liberty) closed out the final two innings with ease, striking out four batters without allowing a hit.

In the abbreviated game two, Baltimore was able to replicate its offensive performance of the matinee, piling up eight runs on 12 hits. The story of the game, on the other hand, was starter Holt Jones (Clemson). Jones delivered his best start of the season, tossing four scoreless innings and striking out five batters. He consistently attacked Giants hitters, allowing three hits and walking only one.

As has been so common lately for Baltimore, the Redbirds were able to muster an early lead in the ballgame. Tappen led off with a single in the first and Zirolli singled him home. In the top of the second, middle infielders Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) and Kevin Madden (Virginia Tech) executed a brilliant 6-4-3 double play to get Jones out of the inning. In the bottom half, the duo teamed up again, with Servideo doubling and Madden scoring him with a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-0 game.

The game finally broke open in the bottom of the sixth inning when Zirolli blasted a grand slam to give Baltimore an 8-1 lead. He finished with five RBI in his second start in a Redbirds uniform. Zirolli, Tappen, Vought, and Tim Elko (Ole Miss) all finished with multi-hit games for Baltimore.

Brady Stamper (Liberty) and Aaron McGeorge (Kentucky) finished off the game two victory on the mound, combining for three solid inning of work in relief of Jones.

With the sweep, the Redbirds improved to 11-5 and extended their lead in the North Division to 3.5 games. Meanwhile, the Giants fell to 7-8. The Birds, who have won seven of their last eight games, travel to Alexandria to take on the Aces (8-5) on Sunday, June 24, at 6:30 p.m. before returning home to host the Loudoun Riverdogs (2-9) on Monday, June 25. First pitch from Carlo Crispino Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 pm.

By Connor Newcomb

After Wednesday's game against the Bethesda Big Train was suspended by rain in the third inning, the Redbirds would get to play a full nine innings on Thursday, and would make the most of that opportunity.

Using solid pitching and relentless hitting, the Redbirds picked up a 13-2 win on the road against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts on Thursday night.

Like they've done so many times on the road this season, Baltimore got on the board early. DJ Poteet (Wake Forest) led off the game with a solo home run to right field off of T-Bolts starter Jaren Zinn (Harvard), and then Justin Vought (Maryland) delivered an RBI double to put the Birds up 2-0 in the first inning. 

The offense would get right back to work in the third, scoring two more runs off of Zinn. Tim Elko's (Ole Miss) RBI double made it a 3-0 game, and then Michael Richardson (Ohio) drove him in with a single for his first RBI of the summer.

The Redbirds chased Zinn in the fourth inning after loading the bases with no outs, and Carl Gindl's (Ole Miss) single brought home two more runs for Baltimore against T-Bolts reliever Cheng-You Chen (NTSU-Linko). 

Brendan Cellucci (Tulane) got the start on the mound for the Redbirds, and he was dominant yet again. The left-hander worked four innings, allowing just one unearned run on two hits while striking out two batters. In three starts this season, Cellucci has posted a minuscule 0.69 ERA. 

Nick Turnbull (Maryland) relieved Cellucci and tossed three solid innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one run on two hits. 

The Redbirds would take a 6-2 lead into the eighth and proceed to break the game wide open. With two on and one out, Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) tripled to left-center field to give the Birds an 8-2 advantage. But the rally wasn't over. After Vought walked, Alex Tappen (Virginia) came up as a pinch-hitter and roped a two-RBI double to left field on the first pitch he saw.

That would spell the end of the day for Chen, and the T-Bolts turned to right-hander Noah Luckenbaugh (Holy Cross) in relief. But Luckenbaugh was not able to find the strike zone, and the righty walked all five batters he faced, which led to three more Redbirds runs. In the end it was a seven-run frame for the Birds, effectively putting the game away.

Jeff Taylor (Penn State) came out of the bullpen in the eighth and recorded the last six outs for Baltimore while picking up four strikeouts. 

With the 13-2 victory, the Redbirds improved to 9-5 on the season and have now won five games in a row on the road. The Birds are back in action on Saturday, June 23, for a doubleheader against the Gaithersburg Giants (7-6). First pitch of game one is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. 

By Connor Newcomb

The Baltimore Redbirds' offense has been almost unstoppable on the road this season, and that would continue on Monday night at Joe Cannon Stadium.

The Birds got key hits early and often, and more great pitching helped Baltimore to a 9-1 win over the Baltimore Dodgers.

The bats started to get hot in the third inning of this one, when Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) drove in two runs with a single, and then came around to score to give the Birds a 3-0 lead. Gindl's Ole Miss teammate Anthony Servideo would keep the offense going in the fourth with a sac fly that gave Baltimore a four-run cushion. Gindl and Servideo each had multi-hit games on Monday night and are now each hitting over .390 on the summer.

Those four early runs would be plenty for Redbirds starter William Fleming (Wake Forest), who tossed five scoreless frames, allowing just four hits and striking out four without allowing a free pass. It was another dominant start for Fleming, who has yet to (technically) allow an earned run this season. 

After the Ole Miss firepower early, it was a Clemson connection that helped add to the Baltimore lead in the sixth. Bo Majkowski doubled to lead off the inning and then Mac Starbuck singled him home to put the Redbirds up 5-0.

The offense would then put things away in the seventh. Majkowski would pick up an RBI of his own, bringing home Christian Hlinka (Virginia) with a two-out single, and then Servideo put the nail in the coffin later in the inning with a three-run home run that put the Birds on top 9-0.

The Dodgers picked up their only run in the bottom of the seventh off of Cole Beavin (East Carolina), but Beavin was otherwise solid out of the Redbirds bullpen. The righty allowed only that one run in four innings of strong relief while recording four strikeouts, and he struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth.

With the win, the Redbirds improve to 8-5 on the season, and the Dodgers fall to 3-8 with the loss. The Birds are back in action on Wednesday, June 20, at Shirley Povich Stadium against the Bethesda Big Train (11-1). First pitch of that game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and you can listen to the game on the Redbirds Radio Network. 

By Connor Newcomb

After sweeping their three-game road trip over the weekend, the Baltimore Redbirds returned home on Sunday, and fell to the Herndon Braves by a score of 5-3.

The Braves struck first in this one off of Redbirds starting pitcher Holt Jones (Clemson). With two on and two outs in the second inning, Herndon catcher Frank Nigro (Wilmington) laced a double into left-center field that scored a couple of runs and gave the Braves an early 2-0 lead.

The Redbirds got on the scoreboard quickly as well. With Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) on first base in the bottom of the third, the Birds perfectly executed a hit-and-run, as Kevin Madden (Virginia Tech) roped a double into the gap that brought home the runner. However, the Braves answered right back with two runs in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead.

Carl Gindl's (Ole Miss) RBI groundout in the fifth cut the Herndon lead to 4-2, but that was all Baltimore would muster against Braves starter Robert Hamby (Winthrop). Hamby tossed seven solid innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out five. 

Herndon put up one more run in the seventh off of Redbirds reliever Ryan Okuda (Virginia Tech), but it was unearned, and the only run the lefty allowed on the day. In long relief of Jones, Okuda pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out two batters. His Virginia Tech teammate Zach Brzykcy also had a good day out of the bullpen, tossing a scoreless ninth inning.

The Redbirds came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth needing three runs to tie the game, and got one across on Servideo's one-out RBI double. Madden would reach first base representing the tying run with two down, but the Baltimore offense couldn't bring him home to tie the ballgame.

The loss dropped the Redbirds to 7-5 on the season, but the team still holds a one-game lead atop the North Division. With the win, the Braves improved to 7-3 and sit in second place in the South Division.

The Redbirds are back in action on Monday, June 18, at Joe Cannon Stadium against the Baltimore Dodgers (3-7). First pitch of that game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Birds will then have two more games on the road this week before returning home on Saturday, June 23, for a doubleheader against the Gaithersburg Giants. 

By Connor Newcomb

Going into Saturday's doubleheader against the Loudon Riverdogs, the Redbirds were averaging 4.6 runs per game.

In game one, Baltimore scored a franchise-best 21 times.

The offensive output in game one led to a 21-7 Redbirds victory, briefly improving the squad to 6-4 on the season. 

The Redbirds starter on the day was Austin Love (North Carolina), but before he could even take the mound, his offense had already spotted him four runs. Two-run home runs from Adam Hackenberg (Clemson) and Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) gave Baltimore an early 4-0 lead.

After Love worked a scoreless first, the Redbirds offense would go right back to work in the second inning. Triples from DJ Poteet (Wake Forest) and Tim Elko (Ole Miss) would each bring runs home, and Baltimore ended up scoring five times in the frame to take a 9-0 lead.

The Riverdogs got three runs back in the third, but the Birds would answer right back in the fourth. Hackenberg delivered his second two-run home run of the game, and his third in two games, to push the Baltimore lead to 11-3. Love would work a clean bottom of the fourth, finishing his day with two strikeouts an no earned runs against him, and hand the ball over to Brady Stamper (Liberty) for the Redbirds.

Alex Tappen (Virginia) added to the Baltimore lead with an RBI single in the sixth, and then Poteet's two-run homer in the seventh opened up a 10-run lead for the Birds.

Loudon got three back in the bottom of the seventh, but the Redbirds would put things away in the top of the ninth. Kevin Madden (Virginia Tech) opened the inning's attack with an RBI single, and after Bo Majkowski (Clemson) came in to score on a wild pitch, Justin Vought (Maryland) delivered the knockout blow. Vought's grand slam gave the Birds 20 runs on the day, and Servideo's RBI single later in the frame would add one more for good measure.

On the mound, Stamper closed things out in the bottom half, finishing his relief appearance by working five innings and allowing only one earned run while striking out three batters. 

Despite the historic offensive output in game one, game two of the doubleheader was a completely different contest, except for the final result.

It was the pitching that dominated game two, with Baltimore starter Justin Campbell (Tulane) tossing five dominant, scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out eight batters. His stellar outing led the Redbirds to a 4-0 victory in game two of the double dip.

The Baltimore bats again started hot in game two. Vought blasted a solo home run in the first inning, his second in as many at-bats, to get the Birds on the board first. 

Campbell was able to hold that one-run lead with his nasty stuff on the mound for four innings, and then the Redbirds got him some insurance in the fifth. With two outs and nobody on base, Vought doubled, and then Tappen delivered an RBI single to double the Baltimore lead. 

The offense wasn't done, however, and in the top of the sixth, the Birds added to the lead. Carl Gindl's (Ole Miss) RBI single and Vought's bases-loaded walk gave Tom Eller's team a 4-0 advantage. 

Colin Donnelly (Quinnipiac) entered the game out of the bullpen in the sixth inning, and after loading the bases with one out, recorded back to back strikeouts to escape the jam. Donnelly would come back out in the seventh and finish off the seven-inning victory with another scoreless frame.

The two victories got the Redbirds to 7-4 on the season, while the Riverdogs fell to 2-6. The Birds are back in action on Sunday, June 17, as they return home to face the Herndon Braves. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. 

By Connor Newcomb

Trying to snap a three-game losing streak, the Redbirds sent Brendan Cellucci (Tulane) to the mound on Friday, looking for a solid start.

Cellucci delivered. 

The left hander allowed only one run over five innings while striking out seven batters, and leading the Redbirds to a 5-1 road win over the Rockville Express. 

By the time Cellucci stepped on the mound in Rockville, the Redbirds offense had already given him a lead. After a two-out error in the top of the first extended the inning, Adam Hackenberg (Clemson) made the Express pay with a two-run home run. The long ball was Baltimore's first of the summer.

The Redbirds would add to the lead in the fourth inning, when Mac Starbuck (Clemson) singled home a run and then came around to score himself to double the Baltimore lead. Rockville would answer with a run in the bottom half, but that is all the Express would muster offensively against Cellucci. 

Hackenberg would again cross the plate in the fifth as the Redbirds ended up scoring five runs off of Rockville starter Adan Reinoso (Chesapeake College) over his eight innings of work.

After Cellucci's five strong innings, Tom Eller turned to Aaron McGeorge (Kentucky) to make his first appearance out of the bullpen for the Redbirds this summer. McGeorge was phenomenal, allowing just one hit and striking out five batters over four scoreless innings to close out the game.

With the win, Baltimore improved to 5-4 on the season, snapping its three-game losing streak, while Rockville fell to 3-4 on the year.

The Redbirds are back in action on Saturday, June 16, for a doubleheader in Loudon against the Riverdogs (1-4). The twin billing will consist of two seven-inning games, with first pitch of game one scheduled for 5:00 p.m. The Birds will then return home on Sunday, June 17, to take on the Herndon Braves at 6:30 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. 

After falling victim to the Big Train and Giants earlier this week, the Redbirds dropped their third straight game on Thursday against the Alexandria Aces. The game was a microcosm of the entire week, as the Birds, despite solid pitching and sound defense, were unable to find enough spark out of their bats.

The game first appeared as if it would be a pitcher’s duel, with Redbirds starter Jake Kuchmaner (East Carolina) and Aces starter Carter Bosch (Georgetown) each mowing hitters down through the first four innings. But the offense picked up after that. Four consecutive hits by Alexandria gave the Aces a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning, though the Redbirds responded quickly after Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) singled to bring home Mac Starbuck (Clemson).

The Birds’ fifth-inning run ended up being only a minor blemish on an otherwise impressive day from Bosch, as he limited Baltimore to only one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed five hits and only one walk while striking out seven.

As usual, the Redbirds bullpen performed admirably, with Jeff Taylor (Penn State) coming in and tossing three scoreless innings while fanning four Aces.  ole Beavin (East Carolina) appeared in the ninth inning, allowing one run on one hit while striking out two. On the offensive end, shortstop Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) led the charge, going 2-for-4 at the plate to improve his batting average to .333.

The loss evens the Redbirds record at 4-4, but despite losing three straight, Baltimore is still tied for first place in the North Division.  

The Redbirds, looking to break their current losing streak, have a busy road weekend coming up. It starts with a game game away from home against the Rockville Express (3-3) on Friday, June 15 at 7:00 p.m. The Birds then have a crucial doubleheader against the Loundon Riverdogs (1-4) on Saturday, June 16. The first pitch of the first game will come at 5:00 p.m., with the first pitch of the second game scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

By Matt Davis

In a rematch of last year’s league championship, the Redbirds fell to the Bethesda Big Train 7-4.

The Big Train jumped on the Birds bright and early in this one, putting up four runs in the second inning, one more in the third, and an additional pair in the fourth. After Justin Wylie’s (Arizona) third round-tripper of the year in the second, Bethesda was able to muster an additional three runs without recording a hit; hitters reached on two hit-by-pitches, one error and three walks in the inning alone.

In the following two innings, a pair of RBI singles by Fox Semones (James Madison) and Jacob Southern (Jacksonville), along with a sacrifice fly from shortstop AJ Lee (Maryland) gave Bethesda a 7-1 lead in the fourth.

The Birds began to nip away at the lead in the bottom of the third, when Anthony Servideo (Ole Miss) stole two bases en route to scoring Baltimore’s first run of the evening. In the bottom of the fourth, Adam Hackenberg (Clemson) scored from second base after an errant throw from Bethesda catcher Ben Martz (Cal State Northridge) skipped into shallow right field.

In the following inning the Birds tacked on another two runs. After Mac Starbuck (Clemson) was hit by a pitch and Tim Elko (Ole Miss) walked, Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) smashed an RBI double off the centerfield wall to score Starbuck. Justin Vought (Maryland) then brought in Elko on a sac fly to cut the lead to three.

The Redbirds were unfortunately unable to replicate their late-inning success that led them to victories against the Aces and Grays. Big Train relievers Josh Nelson (Wayne State) and Hunter Brown (Wayne State) were able to limit the damage from Baltimore’s lineup, despite the former allowing leadoff baserunners in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Brown shut the door in the ninth to earn the save.

Reliever Colin Donnelly (Quinnipiac) was one of the bright spots for the Redbirds on Tuesday night. After taking over for Ryan Okuda (Virginia Tech), Donnelly fired four scoreless innings, surrendering only two hits and two walks while striking out an impressive six batters. At the plate, Carl Gindl continued to impress, going 3-for-4 with an RBI to raise his already sizzling batting average to .700.

Following the matchup, Baltimore falls to 4-2, but still maintains its lead for first place in the North Division. The Redbirds will next visit the Gaithersburg Giants in a divisional matchup on Wednesday, June 13, at 7:00 p.m before returning home to take on the Alexandria Aces on Thursday, June 14 at 6:30 p.m.

The Baltimore Redbirds were locked in a 1-1 tie heading into the seventh inning in the nation's capital on Monday night. 

Then the bats got hot.

The Redbirds sent 11 men to the plate in the top of the seventh inning, scoring seven runs on five hits and powering Baltimore to a 9-2 victory over the D.C. Grays. 

Baltimore struck first in this one when a wild a pitch and an error allowed Tim Elko (Ole Miss) to come in to score in the second inning. Redbirds starter Noah Skirrow (Liberty) held that lead in his first start of the season, tossing four scoreless innings and striking out four batters. 

The Grays would tie things up in the fifth on Cory Alexander's (Old Dominion) two-out RBI double, but Alexander got greedy for an extra base, and the Birds' relay retired him at third on an outfield assist from Alex Tappen (Virginia). 

In the seventh, with the game tied at one, the Redbirds loaded the bases with two down. DJ Poteet (Wake Forest) stepped to the plate, and with two strikes, came through with a two-run single to give Baltimore a 3-1 lead. Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) then followed with his team-leading 11th hit of the season, a two-run double to extend the lead to 5-1.

Three more scoring plays in the inning, including an RBI single off the bat of Tappen, gave the Redbirds an 8-1 lead at the seventh inning stretch. 

Jake Kuchmaner (East Carolina) would hold the lead in relief, tossing three solid innings in his first appearance of the season, and the Birds would add one more run in the eight inning to seal the deal.

The Grays answered with a run in the bottom half, but Zach Brzykcy (Virginia Tech) shut the door to secure a 9-2 win for Baltimore. The victory got the Birds to 4-1 on the season, while the Grays dropped to 2-4.

The Redbirds are back in action on Tuesday, June 12, at Carlo Crispino Stadium against the rival Bethesda Big Train (5-0) in a rematch of the 2017 CRCBL League Championship Series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and Baltimore will send RHP Holt Jones (Clemson) to the bump for the first time this summer. 

June 10: Tonight's game against the Bethesda Big Train has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up this Tuesday, June 12th at 6:30 PM. Calvert Hall will remain the location for this game.

The Redbirds (3-1) started their weekend home stand on an ideal note, besting the FCA Herndon Braves (2-1) 6-1.  

Starting pitcher Brendan Cellucci (Tulane) delivered four shutout innings for the Birds, walking two and allowing only an infield single to Braves’ catcher Bryce Leasure (The Citadel) in the first inning.  Reliever Austin Love (UNC) was equally as brilliant, cruising through the following three innings with only one walk allowed. Love, who earned the win, recorded three punch-outs as well. Braves starter Brett Kreyer was tabbed with the loss despite allowing only three runs on seven hits through 6 1/3 innings.

Baltimore got on the board first, producing two runs in the third inning. After a walk to DJ Poteet (Wake Forest), Carl Gindl (Ole Miss) was able to continue his blazing hot start to the 2018 CRCBL season, singling into right-center field. An ensuing sacrifice fly by right fielder Alex Tappen (Virginia) followed by an RBI single off the bat of Justin Vought (Maryland) quickly made the score 2-0, giving the Birds an early lead that they would not relinquish.

It was no secret that runs were hard to come by on this Saturday evening, and Baltimore’s performance on the base paths and superb defense were instrumental in helping the Birds secure their third win of the season. The Redbirds ran wild against Herndon, racking up nine stolen bases.

Defensively, third baseman Tim Elko made a beautiful sliding grab in the third inning to rob Herndon outfielder Devin Mangum (Mars Hill College) on a sacrifice bunt attempt. In the next at-bat, Cellucci was able to pick off the runner, Vinnie Costello (Hofstra), to erase any momentum Herndon seemed to have at the time. Later, in the sixth inning, second baseman Mac Starbuck (Clemson) and Servideo were able to team up for a smooth 4-6-3 double play to erase a leadoff walk.

Baltimore added two runs in the seventh inning and another two insurances runs in the eighth inning to make the score 6-1.  

Three of those runs were produced by Carl Gindl, who finished the day 4-for-5 with three RBI to elevate his season batting average to a scorching .818.  Alex Tappen produced the other run with an RBI single of his own; he finished the evening 2-for-3 with two RBI. Finally, reliever Billy Phillips shut the door for the Redbirds, finishing out the final two innings to help Baltimore maintain its first place standing in the North Division.

The Redbirds will square off next against their longtime rival, the Bethesda Big Train, in what would be a rematch of last year’s championship series. The first pitch will be at 6:30 pm on Sunday, June 10, at Carlo Crispino Stadium.

By Connor Newcomb

After two games on the road, the Baltimore Redbirds (2-1) return home to Carlo Crispino Stadium to take on the Herndon Braves (2-0) on Saturday, June 9.

The Redbirds first traveled to Joe Cannon Stadium for a matchup with the Baltimore Dodgers on Thursday, but found themselves in a deep early hole. The Dodgers scored seven runs in the first inning off of Redbirds starting pitcher Brady Stamper (Liberty).

Despite the early deficit, the Redbirds bullpen had a great showing, as Nick Turnbull (Maryland), Jeff Taylor (Penn State) and Colin Donnelly (Quinnipiac) combined to allow only two earned runs and strike out seven batters over 7.2 innings. Tom Eller's team got two runs in the fourth as Justin Vought (Maryland) and Christian Hlinka (Virginia) came in to score, but in the end the Dodgers offense was too much to handle. The Redbirds lost 10-2 to fall to 1-1 on the season.

Although Thursday's loss was tough, the Redbirds responded with a bounce back win on Friday over the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts. 

The Birds took an early 3-0 lead in the second inning, aided by Kevin Madden's (Virginia Tech) two-run single. But the T-Bolts would answer back, scoring two in the third and two in the seventh to take a 4-3 lead. 

The Baltimore offense, however, would not quit. DJ Poteet's (Wake Forest) RBI single tied the game and then Anthony Servideo's (Ole Miss) hustle on an infield grounder plated two more runs to gave the Redbirds a 6-4 lead in the eighth. The Redbirds loaded the bases again in the ninth and scored three more runs, capped off by a two-run single off the bat of Adam Hackenberg (Clemson), to take a 9-4 lead.

David Moore (Pitt) finished off his three solid innings of relief work in the bottom of the ninth as the Redbirds secured the victory to get back over .500 on the season.

Now returning back to Calvert Hall, head coach Tom Eller will send LHP Brendan Cellucci (Tulane) to mound for his start of the season, while Brett Kreyer (Lafayette) will take the mound for the Braves. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Carlo Crispino Stadium. After Saturday's game against Herndon, the Redbirds will stay home to take on the rival Bethesda Big Train (4-0) on Sunday, June 10 at 6:30 p.m.

By Connor Newcomb

After three days and a full 40 rounds of the 2018 MLB Draft, 14 current and former Redbirds have a chance to take their games to the next level. 

The highest-picked former Redbird was catcher Nick Fortes (Ole Miss), who hit .286 for the Birds in 2016. Fortes was selected in the fourth round (No. 117 overall pick) by the Miami Marlins and will now get to play close to his hometown, DeLand, Florida.

Fortes was the only Redbird picked in the first two days of the draft, but the third day saw plenty of former Birds come off the board. The first was shortstop Kyle Datres (North Carolina), who patrolled the middle infield and hit .378 for the Redbirds back in 2016. Datres was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 12th round.

Datres was followed by four of his 2016 Redbirds teammates. Dallas Woolfolk (RHP, Ole Miss) went to the Oakland Athletics in the 13th round, Cam Simmons (OF, Virgnia) went to the Rangers in the 15th round, Cole Aker (RHP, North Carolina) was taken in the 18th round by the Cardinals, and Andrew Miller (LHP, Kentucky) went to the Marlins in the 40th round.

The only two-time Redbird taken the draft was Marty Costes (OF, Maryland), who was drafted by the Houston Astros for the second consecutive year, this time in the 22nd round. Costes played for Baltimore in both 2015 and 2016, and hit .299 with nine home runs over that span.

Three of Costes' 2015 Redbirds teammates were also selected on day three of the draft. Will Golsan (OF, Ole Miss) went to the Rockies in the 26th round, Jason Morgan (RHP, North Carolina) was taken by the White Sox in the 35th round, and Zack Gahagan (INF, North Carolina) was selected by the Cardinals in the 39th round.

As for the more recent Redbirds, three members of the 2017 team were drafted on day three. Andy McGuire (RHP/OF, Texas), who started his baseball comeback with Baltimore last summer, was taken by the Blue Jays in the 28th round. Alec Maley (RHP, Kentucky), a 2017 Cal Ripken League All-Star, was picked by the Nationals in the 32nd round, and 2017 Cal Ripken League Pitcher of the Year Parker Caracci (RHP, Ole Miss) was selected by the Blue Jays in the 37th round. Caracci was a breakout star for the Redbirds last summer, allowing only three earned runs in 38.2 innings. 

The lone 2018 Baltimore Redbird off the board was catcher Adam Hackenberg, who was taken by the Kansas City Royals in the 39th round. It was a big day for Hackenberg, who also picked up a game-winning three-run double in the eighth inning of Baltimore's 4-1 win over the Alexandria Aces. 

The 14 Redbirds taken in this year's MLB Draft gets the organizations total up to 80 all-time draft picks. 

By Matt Davis

After having their first game suspended due to rain, the Redbirds (1-0) earned their first win of the 2018 CRCBL season in thrilling fashion. With the bases loaded and the game knotted 1-1 in the bottom of the 8th inning, first baseman Adam Hackenberg (Clemson) stepped up to the plate and to the challenge, ripping a three-run double into the right-center field gap to put Baltimore up for good. Reliever Zach Bryzcky (Virginia Tech) did not allow a hit in the final three innings, earning the save and sealing the win for the Birds.

Marquee pitching performances from both sides was the story of the game, as the Redbirds and Aces were only able to muster a combined ten hits. Redbirds starter Ryan Okuda (Virginia Tech) put his lively fastball on full display, firing three hitless innings and striking out five. Billy Phillips (Maryland) then followed suit, allowing only one run over three innings while striking out four. Aces starter Carter Bosch (Georgetown) also dominated, pitching five scoreless innings and striking out four.

Since runs were hard to come by, defense was at a premium and the play of the day was made in the fourth inning. With runners on second and third and no outs, Redbirds right fielder Bo Majkowski (Clemson) went full extension to rob Alexandria hitter Ethan Cady (Columbia State Community College) in what seemed be worthy of an appearance on SportsCenter’s Top-10 segment. Following the acrobatic catch, Majkowski gunned down the tagging runner, Chris Alleyne (Maryland), at third base to complete the double play.  Baltimore escaped the jam with only one run allowed.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh, the Redbirds bats soon came to life, as a one-out Hackenberg single seemed to spark the offense. Shortstop Mac Starbuck (Clemson) kept the rally alive with a two-out single into right-center. Then, Hackenberg, the player of the game, scored on a passed ball to tie the game up at one. The following inning, Hackenberg’s clutch three-run double proved to be the difference in what was an electrifying first win for first-year manager Tom Eller and his ballclub.

The Redbirds will square off against their local rivals, the Baltimore Dodgers, Thursday, June 7, at Joe Cannon Stadium at 7:00 p.m. The Birds, looking to gain some early season momentum, will then visit the T-Bolts in Silver Spring on Friday, June 8, before beginning a two-game homestand this weekend.

The Baltimore Redbirds have announced that Tom Eller will become the next manager of the Redbirds starting in the 2018 season. Eller comes from Harford Community College where he has been the Owls Head Coach for 11 seasons. He was named Maryland JUCO Coach of the Year in 2015. 

He replaces Larry Sheets who managed the Birds for the last three seasons and took them to three straight Ripken League Championship appearances. He brought one title back to Towson in 2015 and led the Birds to two straight division titles in 2016 and 2017.

For the second straight year a Redbirds pitcher has been named the Ripken League Pitcher of the Year. In 2016 it was Hunter Parsons (Maryland), in 2017 it's Parker Caracci (Ole Miss). Caracci finished the summer tying the league record with seven wins and picking up five saves. He also led the league with 48 strikeouts during the regular season. 

In addition, eight total Birds earned first or second team All-League honors. The Baltimore honorees are listed below.

First Team: Cole Zabowski (Ole Miss)... Randy Bednar (Maryland)... Zach Attianese (North Carolina)... Greer Holston (Ole Miss)... Parker Caracci (Ole Miss)

Second Team: Drew Blakely (Virginia)... Jack Cunningham (Boston College)... Colin Peluse (Wake Forest)

By: Harrison Swartz

After blowouts in games one and two, Baltimore and Bethesda met one final time for all the marbles. Game three was a much closer game, but was taken by the Big Train 4-2. 

It started out as a pitchers duel. Colin Peluse (Wake Forest) got the start for Baltimore and allowed no runs on three hits through three innings. His counterpart, Tyler Smith (East Carolina) hadn't allowed a run on just one hit after four innings.

Bethesda came to bat in the bottom of the fourth and something finally clicked. They loaded the bases against Peluse and that's when Justin Morris (Maryland) stood in. He cranked a bases-clearing double to right field and put his team up 3-0. He scored that same inning on a throwing error to make it 4-0.

Baltimore couldn't score off Smith who went five innings and allowed two hits.

It wasn't until the seventh inning when Baltimore got on the board. A couple of runs thanks to an AJ Lee (Maryland) RBI single and one of the shortest sacrifice fly's you'll ever see made it 4-2.

That would be it for the scoring. Baltimore stranded two on in the ninth with the tying run on at first. Bethesda won their second straight title and their sixth overall.

The Redbirds finish the summer 29-16 overall.

By: Harrison Swartz

After rain pushed game two to Saturday, Baltimore and Bethesda returned to action in Towson. The Birds brought the lumber busting out 14 hits en route to a 15-4 victory. 

It was Bo Weiss (North Carolina) for Baltimore and Kevin Milam for Bethesda getting the starts on the mound.

Cole Zabowski (Ole Miss) blasted a two run shot to right in the bottom of the first and Randy Bednar picked up an RBI in the fourth to make it 3-0 Baltimore.

Bethesda finally got on the board in the fifth with a Jordan Sergent (High Point) RBI single. At the halfway mark in the game, it was 3-1 in favor of the Birds.

Baltimore made in 7-1 in their half of the fifth on a Drew Blakely (Virginia) RBI single and a two-run home run off the bat of Bednar, his second homer in two days.

Alec Maley (Kentucky) came in to pitch the sixth and struggled mightily. He faced four batters and couldn’t record an out. Parker Caracci (Ole Miss) came on to get the final three outs, but Bethesda added three to bring the score to 7-4.

No more runs were scored until the bottom of the seventh when Baltimore blew the game open with six runs, five of which came on walks or hit batter with the bases loaded. Bethesda used four pitchers in the inning.

Bednar hit another home run in the eighth, a two-run blast to make it 15-4. He has three home runs in the championship series.

Caracci closed out the ninth for his sixth save of the summer and Baltimore tied up the series at one game apiece.

Game three is scheduled for tomorrow night, July 30th at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda. First pitch at 7:00 p.m.

By: Harrison Swartz

For the ninth straight year, Baltimore and Bethesda are playing for the Ripken League title. Game one didn't go as planned for the Birds as they fell 14-3 on the road.

It was a promising start for Baltimore. They picked up a run in the top of the first thanks to an Andy McGuire (Texas) sac fly. The Birds even had one of their top starters, Greer Holston (Ole Miss) on the mound.

Bethesda brought their bats though and picked up two runs early. They didn't stop there, adding two more in the second and third before putting up four runs in the fifth. At the end of five, they led 10-1.

Randy Bednar (Maryland) led off the sixth with a solo blast to make it a 10-2 game, but then the rain came putting game one in a delay.

When action resumed, Baltimore added one more on a wild pitch to make it 10-3, but that would be it for them offensively. 

The Train added four runs in the eighth and went on to win 14-3. Bethesda needs one more win for their second straight title, while Baltimore needs to string together back-to-back wins for their fifth in franchise history. 

Today's game two matchup against Bethesda has been postponed due to rain. It will be made up tomorrow at Carlo Crispino Stadium beginning at 1 p.m.

A reminder that admission is $5 for anyone over the age of 10. 

Game one of the championship series between the Redbirds and Big Train has been moved to tonight, Thursday July 27th at 7 p.m. due to incoming rain in the area on Friday and Saturday. Game two is scheduled for Friday night at Carlo Crispino Stadium with a 6 p.m. first pitch. If a game three is necessary, it is scheduled for Saturday at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda.

You'll be able to catch the action of each of these games on the Redbirds Radio Network.

Admission to all postseason games is $5 for anyone over the age of 10. 

By: Harrison Swartz

The Redbirds got the semifinal round underway against the Dodgers on Tuesday evening in Towson. They picked up their first win of the four needed to earn the title by downing their Baltimore foe 4-0.

Colin Peluse (Wake Forest) got the start for the Birds and was pretty darn good. He fell an out short of going a complete five innings, but left the game allowing no runs on two hits. 

The Redbirds got the scoring started in the fifth on an RBI double off the bat of Christian Long (Wake Forest). A Cole Zabowski (Ole Miss) RBI double in the sixth made it 2-0. 

They added two more runs in the eighth on RBIs from Drew Blakely (Virginia) and another from Zabowski. They finished the game with eight hits. 

Larry Sheets used six pitchers during the game that combined to throw the shut out. The 4-0 victory was the third shut out for the Redbirds pitching staff this summer. 

Tonight, they hit the road to face the Dodgers at Joe Cannon Stadium in Hanover. A win and the Birds are off to the League Championship Series. A loss and there will be a game three tomorrow night in Towson. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

By: Harrison Swartz

For the final time this regular season, Baltimore took on Alexandria and it was an all-around solid effort from the Birds. Great pitching and some early offense gave Baltimore a 7-1 win.

Zach Attianese (North Carolina) got the start and dazzled. After allowing a run in the first on a walk and a double he settled in after that and kept the Aces off the board for the next three innings. He would strike out five over four innings.

The Birds bats got hot early. They scored one run in each of the first two innings and then put up a four spot in the third against Jacob Parker who allowed the first five batters of the inning to reach. In the sixth, Jack Cunningham (Boston College) made a 7-1 ballgame with a solo blast to right field, his second home run of the year.

Larry Sheets used his bullpen from the fifth inning on, relying on names such as Colin Peluse (Wake Forest), Evan Odum (North Carolina) and Culver Hughes (West Chester) to shut the door on Alexandria. 

Baltimore won 7-1 and improved to 24-14 on the year. They also finished up the season series against Alexandria with a winning record of 3-1.

The Birds head to Joe Cannon tonight to take on the Dodgers. First pitch at 7 p.m.

By: Harrison Swartz

The Redbirds took on Rockville on Wednesday just two days after defeating this same ball club on the road 7-3 in 10 innings.

Nic Enright (Virginia Tech) got the start for Baltimore, but lasted just one inning after leaving the game due to an illness. Redbirds head coach Larry Sheets would have to use six pitchers throughout the game.

Mike Vasturia (Maryland) came on to throw the next four innings and allowed just one unearned run while striking out five. 

Down 1-0 in the third, Baltimore picked up two runs on RBIs from Christian Long (Wake Forest) and A.J. Lee (Maryland). 

After a couple of quiet innings for each side, the bats woke up in the sixth. Rockville scored three unearned runs in the inning against Bo Weiss (North Carolina) thanks to a couple of errors in the inning. Alec Maley (Kentucky) had to come on to get the final out.

Down once again, Baltimore got their bats going in that same sixth inning.

Back-to-back doubles from Jack Cunningham (Boston College) and Lee made it a one run game and then Randy Bednar (Maryland) stood in and hit his team best sixth home run. The blast gave Baltimore a 5-4 lead. It was Bednar's fourth home run this summer that has given the Redbirds a lead in the sixth inning or later. 

Baltimore added an insurance run in the eighth on a sac fly from Laney Orr (North Carolina) and then Parker Caracci (Ole Miss) shut the door in the ninth for his fifth save.

The Birds won 6-4 and finish the summer series against Rockville with a perfect 5-0 record. They're back at it tonight when they host Alexandria at 6:30 p.m.

Due to the possibility of rain on Friday, our home game against the Gaithersburg Giants has been moved up one hour to 5:30 p.m.

By: Harrison Swartz

Another twin bill with the T-Bolts? You bet. It was the third doubleheader between these two over the last two seasons. 

Game one featured the Bolts as the home team as it was a makeup for the rain out in Silver Spring last Thursday. Nic Enright (Virginia Tech) got the start for Baltimore and allowed two earned runs in 4.1 innings. It was a solo blast given up to Michael Fitzsimmons that gave the "home" team a 1-0 lead.

Baltimore added two runs in the top of the fifth to take a 2-1 lead before Benito Santiago tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with a solo blast of his own.

Silver Spring tacked on two more in the sixth and turned a game ending double play in the seventh to win 4-2.

Game two featured a disastrous start for Baltimore. The T-Bolts scored three runs in the first off of starter Bo Weiss (North Carolina) thanks to three hits and three Redbird errors. Only one of the three runs were earned.

Baltimore got two runs back in their half of the first thanks to RBIs from Randy Bednar (Maryland) and Andy McGuire (Texas). They trailed 3-2.

Weiss settled down not allowing another run over the next 3.1 innings. Baltimore put up two more runs in the fourth on a Bednar RBI double and a Drew Blakely (Virginia) ground out that brought in AJ Lee (Maryland).

It was up to the Baltimore bullpen from there. A combination of Mike Vasturia (Maryland), Zach Thompson (St. Mary's Maryland) and Parker Caracci (Ole Miss) kept the bolts off the board the rest of the way. Baltimore won 4-3, earning a split and improving to 21-13. 

On July 19th when we host the Rockville Express at 6:30, host families will be honored prior to the game. We will also welcome back the League of Dreams participants to enjoy a night of baseball at Carlo Crispino Stadium.

More information about League of Dreams Night will be made available as more details emerge.

By: Harrison Swartz

In the fourth and final meeting of the regular season between the Redbirds and Big Train, Baltimore came out on top by a final of 2-0.

Zach Attianese (North Carolina) threw a perfect first and that was a followed by an AJ Lee (Maryland) solo home run down the left field line. It was the first pitch of the inning. 

In the bottom of the second, Cole Zabowski (Ole Miss) smacked his first home run of the summer, another solo blast to make it 2-0 Baltimore. 

Attianese would go six scoreless en route to his second win. The last three innings were taken care of on the mound by Culver Hughes (Virginia Tech), Alec Maley (Kentucky) and Parker Caracci (Ole Miss) in that order. Caracci picked up his third save about four hours after he was named the Ripken League Pitcher of the Week.

Baltimore now holds a record of 20-12 and have won six of their last seven games. The Birds finish the summer 3-1 against Bethesda, but if history holds true, these two teams will meet very soon in the playoffs. 

The Thunderbolts come to town today for two. A couple of seven inning games that will begin at 5 p.m.

The Redbirds took on the DC Grays last night, which proved to be a close game until late. 

After three scoreless innings, Baltimore took a 3-0 lead in the fourth and did not look back from there.  Andy McGuire (University of Texas) put the first run on the board with an RBI groundout.  Then Randy Bednar (University of Maryland) and Cole Zabowski (University of Mississippi) each knocked in a run with a single and double respectively.

Greer Holston (University of Mississippi) kept the Grays bats quiet, throwing 5 innings and only allowing 2 hits.  This ended up being Holston’s first win as a Redbird, and the team’s fourth win in which he pitched. 

Zabowski added his second RBI in the 6th inning when he drove in Andy McGuire.  Jack Cunningham (Boston College) stole a run in the 8th inning when he stole home on a throw down to second base, pushing the lead to 5-0. 

DC showed some life in the bottom of the 8th due to a 3-run homerun from Christian Robinson (Stanford University). 

The Redbirds would slam the door shut on any comeback by scoring 5 runs in the top of the 9th, extending the lead to 10-3.  Cayman Richardson and Drew Blakely, both from the University of Virginia, would pick up their own RBI’s and put the game out of reach. 

Mike Vasturia (University of Maryland), Keagan Gillies (Tulane Univesity) and Jon Dignazio (University of Maryland) all pitched out of the bullpen and did a great job of limiting the damage and securing a Redbirds win. 

The Baltimore Redbirds have extended their win streak to 4 games and look to increase upon that as they take on the Herndon Braves.  They will be completing the suspended game from July 1st, and then will play their previously scheduled game at 7PM.  Tune in to see if the Birds can continue their win streak. 

The league has announced the rosters for the annual North vs South All-Star game. This season, the Redbirds will have 10 players heading down to Bethesda to play.

Catcher: Drew Blakely (Virginia)

First Base: Cole Zabowski (Ole Miss)

Third Base: Andy McGuire (Texas)

Outfielder: Randy Bednar (Maryland)

Outfielder: Laney Orr (North Carolina)

Pitcher: Parker Caracci (Ole Miss)

Pitcher: Greer Holston (Ole Miss)

Pitcher: Alec Maley (Kentucky)

Pitcher: Nic Enright (Virginia Tech)

Pitcher: Colin Peluse (Wake Forest)

The game will be held this Monday, July 10th at Shirley Povich Field.

By: Harrison Swartz

Extra innings again? You bet. It seems to be a every other day thing with this team. After the ballgame, Redbirds Manager Larry Sheets said it felt like his teams 10th extra inning game.

Luckily for Baltimore, they pulled out a win this time winning 8-7 over Bethesda.

The Birds fell behind 5-0 in the third inning for the second straight game. Nic Enright (Virginia Tech) got the start for Baltimore, but was not an his "A" game and left before he could go two full innings. 

Bethesda added another in the sixth and the Birds finally got on the board in their half of the sixth. An Andy McGuire (Texas) RBI single and bases loaded walk to Laney Orr (North Carolina) made in 6-2.

Another Bethesda run in the seventh made it 7-2, but Baltimore really picked it up offensively shortly after.

They responded with one in the seventh and four runs in the eight to tie the game up at 7-7. It was the Birds third 4-run inning this week.

Fast forward to the bottom of the tenth. Runners of first and second for Baltimore and Lael Lockhart (Houston) stands in. A base hit to right field brings in Andy McGuire and Baltimore won 8-7.

They're now 16-11 on the summer and 2-1 against the Train.

By: Harrison Swartz

Finally!

Probably the exact thought of Redbirds Manager Larry Sheets following the Redbirds 13-8 victory over Loudoun on Monday night. The win snapped the Redbirds longest losing streak since 2014.

The game didn't start well for the Birds who fell behind early by a score of 5-0. Bo Weiss (North Carolina) struggled with his command allowing seven hits and walking three. It was his shortest outing of the summer as he couldn't make it through three innings. 

Down 5-0 in the bottom of the second, Baltimore began to chip away at Loudoun's lead. They put up one run in both the second and third and after Loudoun added one of their own in the fourth, the Redbirds responded with two more thanks to a two-run double off the bat of Austin McNicholas (Texas). 

At the end of four, it was 6-4 Loudoun.

Baltimore stayed hot in the fifth by putting together one of their biggest innings of the summer. They sent 11 batters to the plate and crossed the plate seven times. They now led 11-6 and from there, they never looked back.

Each team added two more runs in the final four innings so Baltimore took this one by a final of 13-8.

Shane Kubrak (Wake Forest) picked up his first win of the summer and Parker Caracci (Ole Miss) got his second save. 

The Redbirds are off today for the holiday, but tomorrow they host Bethesda at 6:30 p.m. Please join us at Carlo Crispino Stadium for Folds of Honor Night.

The Cal Ripken League is sending down a roster of some of the top prospects in the league to play in the Southern Collegiate Showcase in Kannapolis, N.C. The showcase is held on July 15-16 and will be played in tournament style format with a number of other top summer leagues from around the country.

Five Redbirds will be making the trip south and will be coached by Bethesda Big Train Manager Sal Colangelo. 

Drew Blakely: Catcher, University of Virginia

Randy Bednar: Outfielder, University of Maryland

Parker Caracci: Pitcher, University of Mississippi 

Greer Holston: Pitcher, University of Mississippi

Colin Peluse: Pitcher, Wake Forest University 

By: Harrison Swartz

A solid start from Colin Peluse (Wake Forest) and 13 hits weren't enough for the Redbirds as they fell to Alexandria 6-4 in 10 innings. 

The Redbirds took the lead early on a Cole Zabowski (Ole Miss) RBI single in the second inning. They relinquished that lead in in the fifth when the Aces scored two unearned runs off Peluse.

The Aces, now with a 2-1 lead, didn't hold onto it for long as Baltimore tied it up in their half of the inning with back-to-back doubles from Austin McNicholas (Texas) and Christian Long (Wake Forest). The Birds added two more in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead.

It was a battle of the bullpens at this point and Baltimore's couldn't get it done. Alexandria scored four unanswered runs in the final three innings and won 6-4.

Baltimore is now 14-9 on the summer and 8-5 at home. They're back in action today against Herndon at home. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m.

By: Harrison Swartz

On June 16th, the Redbirds and Dodgers began a ballgame, but were unable to complete it because of a light curfew at Carlo Crispino Stadium. 12 days and 21 hours after the first pitch was thrown, the Redbirds picked up a win against the Dodgers.

It's a game that took 15 innings to complete and it ended on a walk-off throwing error that gave the Redbirds a 6-5 victory. 

Jack Cunningham (Boston College) got the win after he threw the final five innings scoreless, including three today, facing nine batters and retiring all nine. Josh Hejka (Johns Hopkins) got the loss when the unearned run scored in the 15th. 

After that was completed, the Dodgers stuck around for the game that was actually scheduled for today.

It was a pitchers duel for the most part between Redbirds starter Bo Weiss (North Carolina) and Dodgers starter Mark Michael (King's College). Through three innings, neither had allowed a run.

That changed in the top of the fourth when Austin James homered, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. That's the only run Weiss allowed. He went five innings, allowed four hits and struck out six.

Redbirds center fielder Christian Long (Wake Forest) tied the game up in the sixth on the first pitch of the inning with his first home run of the summer. That's the only run the Redbirds produced in the game.

The Redbirds bullpen wasn't effective tonight as it allowed three runs over the final two innings to the Dodgers. They got two runs in the eighth on three hits and then added another in the ninth on a sac fly off the bat of Joey Ortiz.

The Dodgers won 4-1 and are now 2-1 against the Redbirds this summer. The Redbirds fell to 14-7 on the year, one game shy of Bethesda for the second best record in the Ripken League.

The Birds are back in action tomorrow in D.C. to take on the Grays. First pitch at 7 p.m. 

By: Harrison Swartz

Baltimore extended its win streak to five last night after they turned a close ball game ugly in the seventh inning, upending the Rockville Express 8-1.

Zach Attianese (North Carolina) got the start for Baltimore and was masterful. He'd throw five innings of scoreless baseball and didn't allow a hit until there were two outs in the fourth inning. He would allow just three and strike out three, but was given a no decision. 

The Birds would finally get the scoring started in the fifth with an RBI single from Cole Zabowski (Ole Miss). 

A quiet ballgame in the seventh with Baltimore still on top, Rockville would tie up the ballgame on a throwing error from left fielder Randy Bednar (Maryland). Jack Barry would cross the plate and score the only Rockville run.

The floodgates would open in the bottom of the seventh after Express Head Coach Rick Price pulled his starter, Anthony Hernandez from the game. Baltimore would put up five runs on six hits against Rockville reliever Milo Sklar. Austin McNicholas (Texas) would pick up a couple of RBIs in the inning on his only hit of the evening. 

The Birds added two more in the eighth on a two RBI single from AJ Lee (Maryland) who would be named the Player of the Game after recording two hits and driving in three.

Alec Maley (Kentucky) pitched the ninth for the second straight night and would pick up another strikeout. He has not allowed a run yet this summer.

Baltimore is now 13-6 and are riding their longest win streak since 2016. They have the day off today before they welcome the Dodgers to town tomorrow for the conclusion of the June 16th suspended game and then their regularly scheduled game after. First pitch at 5:30 p.m. 

By: Harrison Swartz

The Redbirds earned themselves a couple of wins yesterday over the Silver Spring Takoma Thunderbolts thanks to a dramatic comeback in game one and a pair of big innings late in game two.

It was a pitchers duel for the most part in game one. Nic Enright (Virginia Tech) went four strong on the mound and struck out six Bolts batters. It was Huei-Sheng Lin for the T-Bolts and he nearly went the distance until disaster struck in the seventh.

Christian Long (Wake Forest) and Austin McNicholas (Texas) would reach to begin the seventh for Baltimore, but Lin would get the next two batters out.

Down 5-1, the Redbirds needed a miracle... Baltimore would end up sending six more batters to the plate in the inning.

The Thunderbolts made a pitching change bringing in Garrison Vandeventer, who would face just two batters including Christian Long, who was hitting for the second time in the inning. Now tied up 5-5, Long put down a bunt on the first pitch he saw and Drew Blakely (Virginia) would race home to score the winning run.

Baltimore picked up a 6-5 walk-off victory thanks to five, two-out runs.

Game two was a bit different. Redbirds starter Greer Holston (Ole Miss) didn't look as sharp as usual and left the game after two innings, not long after he was hit on the leg by the barrel of a broken bat.

Baltimore trailed 2-0 early, but had comeback on their minds once again. They would add one in each the second and third innings, before the Bolts would again add another in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. 

This is where the Baltimore bats picked up the pace.

Dusty Baker (East Carolina) led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo blast over the right field wall and that would get the Birds going. They put a six spot up in the fifth and add two more in the sixth. 

Alec Maley (Kentucky) would close the door in the seventh and Baltimore picked up the sweep winning game two 10-3.

The Redbirds are now 12-6 and have a comfortable first place lead in the North. They're back in action today at 6:30, when they host the Rockville Express.

By: Harrison Swartz

Baltimore won their first game in Bethesda since the LCS in 2015 thanks to a solid performance on the mound from Colin Peluse (Wake Forest) and a seven run outburst in the eighth inning.

The Birds added a run in each of the first two innings thanks to an RBI single from Drew Blakely (Virginia) and an RBI triple from Laney Orr (North Carolina).

Bethesda wouldn't score until the 6th and that would be the only run Peluse would allow. He went 6.2 innings, allowed just five hits and striking out three.

In the top of the eighth, Baltimore would explode for seven runs, sending 13 men to the plate, but recording just one hit. It was a combination of poor pitching from the Big Train and patience at the plate from Baltimore with the Birds drawing five walks in the inning. 

Baltimore won by a final of 9-3. Peluse picked up his first win of the summer and the Birds earned their 10th victory. They're back home today for a doubleheader with the Thunderbolts. First pitch is at 3:30 p.m. 

July 1: Join us for League of Dreams Day at Carlo Crispino Stadium at 11 a.m. The Redbirds partner up with League of Dreams every summer to bring a number of individuals regardless of physical or mental disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy, challenges and personal growth from playing the great game of baseball. Our players work directly with the participants in drills and then later play a game right on the field. It's the best day of the summer for the Baltimore Redbirds organization and we hope to see you there!

Link: http://www.leagueofdreams.org/

July 5: The Redbirds are partnering up with Folds of Honor, an organization that provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of America's fallen and disabled service-members. When we host the Bethesda Big Train on July 5th and 6:30 p.m. there will be a text-to-donate feature set up that evening to help raise money for this stellar organization. We hope to see you in attendance at Carlo Crispino Stadium to help make this a great night for Folds of Honor. 

Link: https://www.foldsofhonor.org/

By: Harrison Swartz

It was another exciting one in Towson tonight. In fact, it was another one run game, but this time Baltimore came out victorious with a 9-8 win over the Gaithersburg Giants. 

Bo Weiss (North Carolina) made his third start of the summer and it didn't begin according to plan. The first five Giant batters reached against him and four runs came into score. That included a monster three-run shot from Giants first basemen Mark Fraser. 

Baltimore would respond in the second when Laney Orr (North Carolina) cracked his first home run of the summer, a two-run shot to right that made it a 4-2 game. The Birds would add another in the third after AJ Lee (Maryland) tripled to lead the inning off and then would later score on a Dusty Baker (East Carolina) groundout.

Weiss would calm down significantly striking out eight batters and allowing just one more run over the next four innings. He wouldn't receive a decision, but would give his team a chance to win.

Down 5-3 entering the bottom of the fifth, Baltimore added four runs thanks to six hits including one from each of the first four batters up. At the end of five, the Birds had their first lead of the night up 7-5.

That lead wouldn't last long though. The Giants put together another big inning with three runs on three hits in the sixth. They now led 8-7, but would be kept off the board the rest of the evening. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Randy Bednar (Maryland) would pinch hit for Jack Cunningham (Boston College) and smack a clutch, two-run shot over the left field wall to give his team a 9-8 lead. That was Bednar's team best third homer of the summer. 

Parker Caracci (Ole Miss) and Alec Maley (Kentucky) would combine to throw the last three innings and keep Gaithersburg off the board. Baltimore won 9-8 and now sit at 9-6 on the summer. They hit the road tomorrow for a trip to Bethesda and a matchup with the Big Train. First pitch at 7 p.m.

NOTE: We mentioned on the air tonight that we would be broadcasting tomorrow nights game in Bethesda. There unfortunately will be no broadcast. We're back on the air Sunday for our doubleheader against the Thunderbolts. 

By: Harrison Swartz

Baltimore returned home after a 3-0 road trip and were slowed down by Loudoun who entered the game with the worst record in the league at 11-4. The River Dogs would win 5-4.

The Dogs would score a run in each of the first two innings. Jimmy Goldsmith would drive in Jared Enders in the first and Enders would drive in a run on a bases loaded sac fly in the second. 

The fourth inning was huge for Loudoun tonight. They would chase Redbirds starter Zach Thompson (St. Mary's Maryland) from the game after the first two batters reached against him. Jeff Taylor (Penn State) would enter the game and walk the first batter he faced. The first three Loudoun batters would reach and score, elevating their lead to 5-0.

Redbirds right fielder Laney Orr (North Carolina) would drive in two in the fourth on a two-out double. They would be the first of four unanswered runs for Baltimore. RBI singles from Andy McGuire (Texas) and Cayman Richardson (Virginia) in the sixth and seventh innings respectively would make it 5-4 Loudoun.

Baltimore was held off the board in the last two innings and would fall by that same 5-4 score. They are now 8-6 on the year and 3-3 at home. Tomorrow the Redbirds host Gaithersburg at 6:30. 

The Redbirds were able to pick up their fourth straight win on the road by defeating the Herndon Braves 13-8.

The Redbirds started the game scoring six of their 13 runs in the first three innings.  Each team scored in the first with Baltimore picking up one in the top half. However, the Braves would respond by scoring twice in the bottom of the first.

Still hot in the top of the second, the Redbirds would score three more and take a 4-2 lead. Both Christian Long (Wake Forest University) and Bryce Blaum (Texas A&M) would score, followed by an unearned run from Laney Orr (University of North Carolina). 

In the top of the third, Baltimore would again add to their run total. Andy McGuire (University of Texas) would blast a two-run shot, his second home run of the summer.

After a quiet fourth and fifth innings from both teams, the Redbirds turned the heat back up in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs and followed that with three more in the seventh thanks to a three-run shot from Bryce Blaum.

Baltimore would add another run in both the eighth and ninth innings upping their lead to 13-2.

In a last ditch effort to even out their eleven run deficit, the Braves scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth. They would fall short though, losing 13-8.

The Redbirds finished up their road trip going a perfect 3-0 and outscoring their opponent 29-11. They return home Thursday to face Loudon. First pitch at 6:30. 

By: Harrison Swartz

For the second straight night, the Redbirds gave their fans "free" baseball, but tonight they actually finished the game. Unfortunately for them, they finished on the wrong side of the outcome, falling to D.C. 5-2 in 11.

Baltimore starter Bo Weiss (North Carolina) was efficient through four innings of work. He kept his pitch count low, but gave up two runs in the third. The Redbirds would respond with two of their own in the fourth thanks to an RBI single from Bryce Blaum (Texas A&M) and a Sac Fly from AJ Lee (Maryland) that brought in another. Those would be the only runs the Redbirds score tonight.

Things were quiet until the 11th inning when D.C. scored three unearned runs with two outs following an AJ Lee error. Three consecutive hits from the top third of the Grays lineup made it a 5-2 ballgame. 

The Grays bullpen would seal the deal by retiring the final seven Redbirds of the night. They improved to 5-6 and are now 2-0 halfway through their four game road trip. 

Baltimore is back at .500 with a record of 5-5. They begin a three game road trip tomorrow in Rockville. First pitch set for 7 p.m.

Baltimore had a great start in the first inning, scoring four runs.  The first two runs came as a product of a double hit by Drew Blakely (University of Virginia) who sent home AJ Lee (University of Maryland) and Cayman Richardson (University of Virginia).  The Redbirds third run came when Lael Lockhart Jr. (University of Houston) scored on a Brian Dempsey (Boston College) single to right.  They added another when Jack Cunningham (Boston College) brought home Cole Zabowski (Ole Miss) from third on a groundout.

The bottom of the first, and the three innings following that would be quiet for both teams, but the silence would be broken when the Bolts scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Jimmy Cain (Millersville University) hit a double and later made his way to third off a putout. He would score off of a single hit by Ace Felder (Grambling State University). 

In the top of the sixth, the Redbirds would have another impressive offensive performance scoring three more runs to cap off their runs for the night. Lockhart scored from second off of a single by Brian Dempsey (Boston College), scored the first run.  Then with Brian Dempsey and Jack Cunningham (Boston College) on second and third respectively, Laney Orr (University of North Carolina) singled and brought his teammates home after an error by the center fielder, leaving Orr on second.  These would be the last runs of the night for the Redbirds.

Facing a 7-1 deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning, the T Bolts needed to turn things up offensively to keep themselves in the game, but their efforts would fall short. Carson Klepzig (Ole Miss) scored in the bottom of the sixth after Jimmy Cain was walked with the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the game got much more competitive with the T-Bolts scoring three more runs to bring their deficit down to only two.  For a moment, the momentum seemed to shift from the Birds to the Bolts when Garrett Stonehouse (Elon University) hit a three-run blast.

The T-Bolts almost completely closed the deficit to the Redbirds in the bottom of the eighth inning when Jimmy Cain scored off of a single from Grayland Fowler to bring the score to 7-6.   

Due to some solid defense by the Birds, the T-Bolts could not complete the comeback and fell by a final of 7-6.  Baltimore is now back above .500 with a record of 5-4. 

For the second straight year, 13 current and former Baltimore Redbirds have been selected in the MLB Draft. This amount ties the program record and takes the total number of Redbirds drafted up to 66. (Note: two players drafted this year are repeats from previous drafts - Gavin Sheets and Aaron McGarity). Below is the list of the 13 players selected.

By: Harrison Swartz

In the first of two straight road games, Baltimore took on Bethesda, the two teams that have met in the Ripken League Championship Series the last eight summers.

Baltimore got the scoring started in the top of the first with lead off hitter Austin McNicholas (Texas) mashing a solo blast over the left field wall, his first of the summer, off of Big Train starter Ken Waldichuk (St. Mary's College). 

It wouldn't take long for Bethesda to respond as they put up two runs in the second inning thanks to a two-run double from Logan Driscoll (George Mason). 

Then back came Baltimore who scored twice in the fourth thanks to a Cayman Richardson (Virginia) RBI double and a Sac Fly from Brian Dempsey (Boston College). Driscoll would pick up his third and final RBI of the evening in the bottom of the fourth and the game was tied up at three.

Redbirds starter Greer Holston (Ole Miss) looked good at times picking up seven strikeouts, but also allowed seven hits and walked four batters over a span of 4.2 innings. After each team picked up a run in the fifth, he would exit with the game tied 4-4.

It was up to the bullpens at this point and tonight, Bethesda's was just a bit better. Shane Kubrak (Wake Forest) would allow a two out triple to Fox Semones (James Madison) in the seventh and the very next batter, Tanner Allen (Mississippi State) drove him in as the go-ahead run with an RBI double. 

Baltimore would threaten with the bases loaded in the eighth and nobody out, but Stephen Schoch (UMBC) came in to pitch for Bethesda and struck out the side without allowing a run. He'd do the same thing in the ninth and picked up his second save of the summer and help Bethesda to their seventh victory.

Bethesda is now 7-1 while Baltimore fell to 4-4. The Redbirds finish up their two game road trip at Silver Spring tomorrow before returning home Friday to face the Dodgers. 

After a close win in Alexandria, the Redbirds returned home to face the Herndon Braves.

The game started out with a back and forth first inning.  Herndon came out swinging and scored a run in the top of the first inning.  However, Baltimore answered right back and scored two in the bottom half.  The Redbirds picked up RBI's from Drew Blakely (University of Virginia) and Lael Lockhart (University of Houston), both making their home debuts with the team.  After the first inning, both pitching staffs settled in and put up consecutive scoreless innings.

The Braves then were able to tie the game in the 4th inning, thanks to a Cayden Stover (Lock Haven U) RBI single.  

In the top of the 5th, Herndon took the league and did not look back from there.  Sammy Stevens (Georgetown U) drove in the go-ahead run, which effectively closed the book on Redbirds starter Bo Weiss (UNC Chapel Hill).  Bowen Plagge (Towson U) provided an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to extend the Braves lead to 4-2.  

In the bottom of the 6th, the Redbirds were able to trim the deficit to one when Lockhart recorded his second RBI of the night bringing home Randy Bednar (University of Maryland College Park).  However, this ended up being the last run of the night for the Redbirds.

The Braves bats came alive as they were able to put up three runs in the seventh and then two runs in both the eighth and ninth innings.  The final score ended up being 11-3 Herndon.  

The Redbirds are back in action tonight, Sunday, June 11th, as they take on the Loudoun Riverdogs at Carlo Crispino Stadium.  Due to a scheduling conflict, the Redbirds will be the away team for this game.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:30PM.

After losing a tough game 3-2 against the Gaithersburg Giants on the road, the Baltimore Redbirds regain some momentum with a solid 3-2 win against the Alexandria Aces at Frank Mann Field in Alexandria, Virginia.

Baltimore started the game extremely strong scoring three runs early in the game.  The first two runs came from an absolute bomb of a home run by Andy McGuire (University of Texas), who brought in Dusty Baker (East Carolina University) from second base in the top of the first inning.  In the same inning, Ryan Sloniger (Penn State) made his way to third base due to a walk, a wild pitch, and a putout. He was then able to swipe home and score another run for the Redbirds off a wild pitch.  These would be the last runs Baltimore would score for the rest of the game.

After an extremely quiet first eight innings from the Aces, offensively, they were finally able to score two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.  After two immediate strikeouts from Baltimore’s closer, Jack Cunningham (Boston College).  The Aces tried to make a come back thanks to a triple by Eli Boggess (Morehead State University) which scored Mason Nadeau (Penn State) and Max Schuemann (Eastern Michigan University), the team's only two runs.  The game ended when Logan Goodnight (Penn Sate) struck out to close the game and secure the win for the Redbirds.

The Redbirds hope to keep the momentum going tomorrow night when they face the Herndon Braves at Calvert Hall, in Towson, Maryland.

By: Harrison Swartz

After falling to the Dodgers on the road 1-0, the Redbirds returned to Towson for their home opener and picked up the first win of the summer by a score of 4-1 over the D.C. Grays. 

Baltimore fell behind in the third inning when starting pitcher Nic Enright (Virginia Tech) allowed an RBI single off the bat of Grays center fielder Will Johnson. That would be the only run D.C. puts up and Enright would get a no decision. 

Grays Starter Michael Parsons was solid for the first four innings keeping the Birds off the scoreboard and striking out three, but he would relinquish the lead in the fifth when returning catcher Ryan Sloniger (Penn State) drove in Brian Dempsey (Boston College) to make it a 1-1 game. 

Baltimore would add another run with a Laney Orr (North Carolina) sac fly in the sixth and then two unearned runs in the seventh. Sloniger drove in one of those runs in the seventh to lead the charge with two RBIs tonight. 

The Redbirds would win 4-1 and improve to (1-1), while D.C. fell to (0-2). Parker Caracci (Ole Miss) picked up the win after he threw three scoreless innings, while Mike Vasturia got the save throwing a scoreless ninth.

The Birds are back in action tomorrow evening in Gaithersburg where they will take on the Giants. First pitch is at 7 p.m.