Box Score │ LCS Stats │ Highlight: Lang goes deep, Terry Hayes on the call

Tuesday, July 29

By Isaac Braun

Tuesday's heat did not stop the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts from defeating the Rockville Express 9-8, kicking off the 2008 Cal Ripken, Sr. League Championship Series at Shirley Povich Field. Even with temperatures as high as 96 degrees, Thunderbolts first baseman Heath Weatherford (Wingate) went four-for-four with a homer and two doubles, while Jabari Graham (Alcorn State) also went four-for-four with two doubles and two singles, and, after an incredible back-and-forth game, Mike Lang (Rutgers) led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo walk-off home run to advance the T-Bolts into the next round of the LCS.

The Thunderbolts got on the board first in the third. Graham doubled down the left field foul and advanced to third when Brett Connor (William & Mary) was hit by a pitch. The next batter, Weatherford, doubled to deep right, scoring Graham.

The Express tied the game up in the next inning. After two quick outs, Todd Eskelin (Cal State-Northridge) was hit by a Wade Newman (Winthrop) pitch. Two pitches later, Eskelin stole second. To finish off the two out rally, Kyle Obal (Temple) blooped a hit to shallow left, scoring Eskelin.

But the Thunderbolts wouldn't go away, scoring three times in the sixth. Matt Baden (St. Mary's (MD)) doubled to lead off the inning. The following hitter, Lang, singled, advancing Baden to third. Jeff Jones (William & Mary) then singled to right, scoring Baden and advancing Lang. A couple pitches later, Lang and Jones pulled off a double steal. Graham then hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Lang. After Jones stole third, Gerardo Hernandez (West Virginia Tech) hit a sacrifice fly, very similar to Graham's, and scored Jones. In the seventh, Weatherford hit a solo homer to center, making it 5-1 Thunderbolts.

However, the Express came back with four runs in the eighth. Even with three pitching changes, the Thunderbolts couldn't stop the Express from tying the game. The Express scored in three consecutive at bats and reached on three singles, two walks, and an error.

The Thunderbolts threatened to put the game away in the bottom of the eighth when Weatherford drove in two more runs. Weatherford's fourth RBI of the night made the score 7-5 Thunderbolts. Weatherford then scored on Brandon Boykins' (Rutgers) double, making the score 8-5. But the Express would not give up, hitting five singles in the ninth and tying the game once again at eight.

Lang then led off the 9th with a solo shot to left-center, ending the game and the Express' season. The Thunderbolts advance to play the College Park Bombers (23-18) Tuesday night.