August 9, 2005

Commissioner Bill Spencer has declared that the Big Train and Thunderbolts will be the 2005 Co-Champions of the inaugural season of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, after heavy rains interrupted the Big Train's 3-0 win over the Thunderbolts on Monday and washed out Tuesday's games.

On Monday night, Nick Cleckler (Jacksonville State) had three hits, Andrew Smith (San Francisco) had an RBI triple, and Jonnie Knoble (San Francisco) scored twice and stranded the bases full of Thunderbolts in the third inning with a tremendous running catch to back Derek Caldwell (Rider), who allowed just two hits and no runs over five innings to pick up the win. Jack Lyons (GWU) allowed just one earned run (two unearned) for the Thunderbolts, but was tagged with the loss.