'Big' bat wins Home Run Derby
By Stuart Crosby
The Times-Herald
If ESPN was in attendance Thursday at Northgate High for the Great South League Championship Series Home Run Derby, announcer Chris Berman would have liked Adam Russell's evening.
Representing the Alabama Big Train, Russell drilled a total of 20 home runs in three rounds to win the event and walk away with a $100 giftcard from event sponsor Toyota of Newnan and a commemorative bat from the league.
In the first round, Russell and Newnan Braves player Edmond Sparks went "back, back, back" four times each while Nick Brennen of the Augusta Nationals had home runs.
A tie for fourth place existed between Ryan Lloyd of the Braves, John Hennecken of the Nationals along with Tennessee Styx teammates Michael Brown and Tyler Cross.
An extra round was needed for the foursome with Brown qualifying for the second round as two of his hits hit the fence.
In the second round, Russell came alive with six long balls while Sparks drilled three, Brennen hit one and Brown hit the wall again.
The championship round would feature Russell and Sparks who were tied for the lead in the GSL home run race during the regular season and that is where the Big Train first baseman came to life as he drilled pitch after pitch over the fence.
The home run barrage came much to the chagrin of the many outfielders that consisted of three teams from the Sharpsburg AABC League and Newnan Braves player Zach Farmer.
Farmer may have had the strongest effort of the evening by serving as the catcher the entire evening under very hot temperatures while youthful members of the Cardinals, Indians and Red Sox simply wanted to chase baseballs.
When Russell hit the final out of the round off his father Greg Russell, he finished with a total of 10 while Sparks struggled with a pair of home runs in the round to finish with nine.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Big Train Prepares for Playoffs
Adam Russell will be representing the Big Train Wednesday night in the HR Derby at Newnan and Tournament play begins Thursday night. A complete schedule will be available soon.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Train Downs Stars 13-2
Adam Russell had 6 RBI's including a 2 run Homer and a line drive double to pace the Big Train to a 13-2 win over the visiting Georgia Stars from LaGrange, Georgia. Trey Vice (5-0) pitched a 6 inning, 2 hit game with 1 earned run. The Train had a 6 run 3rd inning and a 6 run 6th inning to continue to advance toward the GSL playoffs with today's win. The Big Train plays the Tennessee Styx in Chattanooga tomorrow.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Train Comes Back to Beat Braves (Newnan Times-Herald)
Four-run fifth costs Newnan Braves against Big Train
By Stuart Crosby
The Times-Herald
BIRMINGHAM-The Alabama Big Train scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and held off a late rally to defeat the Newnan Braves 7-5 in a Great South League game played Friday afternoon at Lawson State Community College.
The loss dropped the Braves to 7-7 as they host the Georgia Stars this afternoon at 12:30 at the Heritage School.
The game was scoreless in the first three innings a Bryan Blough of the Braves and Big Train ace Trey Vice had a solid pitching battle brewing.
The Braves had the first opportunity to break the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning as Jesse Wierzbicki reached on an infield error, Edmond Sparks walked and Brandon Behenna loaded the bases on a bloop single to right.
However, Vice recovered to retire the next two batters on strikeouts and ended the inning as Zach Farmer grounded out to second.
The Big Train got on the board in the bottom of the inning as Braves starter Bryan Blough allowed an unearned run to score on a single by Saxon Butler while a second run came home when Adam Russell hit into a double play.
Newnan came back in the top of the fifth inning and was able to get some offense off Vice as nine batters went to the plate with three runs scoring.
The first batter of the inning was retired on a groundout, then Derek Hooper and Justin Jones had consecutive singles and Wierzbicki reached on a dropped flyball by the right fielder setting the stage for Sparks who responded with a two-run single to left that tied the game at 2-2.
The Braves took a 3-2 lead when Wierzbicki scored on a two-out single by Ryan Lloyd then Vice walked Lepchitz and had a 2-0 count on Farmer before he was lifted in favor of Chad Miller who retired Farmer on a groundout to end the inning.
After Blough pitched four quality innings, Charlie Boring took over in the bottom of the fifth inning and looked to be off to a pleasant start as he retired two of the first three batters he faced.
Control would get Boring into trouble as a hit batter and two walks led to a run that tied the game at 3-3 before he was lifted in favor of Alex Riopelle who was making his Newnan debut.
Unfortunately, Riopelle's first outing was a struggle as he allowed a walk that brought home the lead run for Alabama followed a bloop RBI single by Steven Groves and a walk to Jose Marin that led to another run and a pitching change.
Eric Burdette came into the game and was able to put out the fire as he retired the next batter on a groundout to end the frame and managed to pitch a solid sixth inning as a bonus.
George Grote took over in the seventh and surrendered a run before Anthony Winborne took over in the eighth and retired the side allowing one hit.
The Braves cut into the margin in the top of the eighth inning as Farmer reached on a one out single and Hooper reached on a two out walk before Jones lined a shot along the right field line for a two-run double.
The top of the ninth inning began on a positive note for the Braves as Sparks and Behenna reached on walks before a pitching change was made and the rally ended as reliever Eric Deese retired the next two batters on strikes and ended the game as Seth Newton hit a line drive to shortstop.
By Stuart Crosby
The Times-Herald
BIRMINGHAM-The Alabama Big Train scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and held off a late rally to defeat the Newnan Braves 7-5 in a Great South League game played Friday afternoon at Lawson State Community College.
The loss dropped the Braves to 7-7 as they host the Georgia Stars this afternoon at 12:30 at the Heritage School.
The game was scoreless in the first three innings a Bryan Blough of the Braves and Big Train ace Trey Vice had a solid pitching battle brewing.
The Braves had the first opportunity to break the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning as Jesse Wierzbicki reached on an infield error, Edmond Sparks walked and Brandon Behenna loaded the bases on a bloop single to right.
However, Vice recovered to retire the next two batters on strikeouts and ended the inning as Zach Farmer grounded out to second.
The Big Train got on the board in the bottom of the inning as Braves starter Bryan Blough allowed an unearned run to score on a single by Saxon Butler while a second run came home when Adam Russell hit into a double play.
Newnan came back in the top of the fifth inning and was able to get some offense off Vice as nine batters went to the plate with three runs scoring.
The first batter of the inning was retired on a groundout, then Derek Hooper and Justin Jones had consecutive singles and Wierzbicki reached on a dropped flyball by the right fielder setting the stage for Sparks who responded with a two-run single to left that tied the game at 2-2.
The Braves took a 3-2 lead when Wierzbicki scored on a two-out single by Ryan Lloyd then Vice walked Lepchitz and had a 2-0 count on Farmer before he was lifted in favor of Chad Miller who retired Farmer on a groundout to end the inning.
After Blough pitched four quality innings, Charlie Boring took over in the bottom of the fifth inning and looked to be off to a pleasant start as he retired two of the first three batters he faced.
Control would get Boring into trouble as a hit batter and two walks led to a run that tied the game at 3-3 before he was lifted in favor of Alex Riopelle who was making his Newnan debut.
Unfortunately, Riopelle's first outing was a struggle as he allowed a walk that brought home the lead run for Alabama followed a bloop RBI single by Steven Groves and a walk to Jose Marin that led to another run and a pitching change.
Eric Burdette came into the game and was able to put out the fire as he retired the next batter on a groundout to end the frame and managed to pitch a solid sixth inning as a bonus.
George Grote took over in the seventh and surrendered a run before Anthony Winborne took over in the eighth and retired the side allowing one hit.
The Braves cut into the margin in the top of the eighth inning as Farmer reached on a one out single and Hooper reached on a two out walk before Jones lined a shot along the right field line for a two-run double.
The top of the ninth inning began on a positive note for the Braves as Sparks and Behenna reached on walks before a pitching change was made and the rally ended as reliever Eric Deese retired the next two batters on strikes and ended the game as Seth Newton hit a line drive to shortstop.
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