Alexandria Aces Rally in Extras to Win Season Opener Over Thunderbolts
ALEXANDRIA, VA – With a warm breeze drifting through Frank Mann Field and an announced crowd of 165 in the stands—plus many more eager fans lining the outfield berm—the Alexandria Aces kicked off their seventeenth season in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League on Wednesday evening with a dramatic Opening Day clash against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts.
What looked like a potential runaway win for the Thunderbolts turned into a late-inning thriller. Down by six, the Aces stormed back to tie it in the bottom of the sixth, feeding off the energy of a fired-up home crowd. The Thunderbolts briefly regained the lead in the seventh, but Alexandria answered in the eighth to knot the game at seven each.
The deadlock held through the ninth, sending the opener into extra innings.
Finally, in the bottom of the twelfth, Aces’ Derek Almeda (Chaffey) singled, Toby Hueber (Pittsburgh) moved up to second, and Michael Powell (Pennsylvania) raced home from second on a clutch play to seal an 8–7 walk-off victory.
Aces’ Adan Longoria (South Florida) earned the win in relief. At the plate, E.J. Hankerson (Maryland) led the Aces’ offense with a blistering .750 average. Almeda followed at .571, Michael Powell (Pennsylvania) was solid at .500, with Braden Huebner (Ball State), Cooper Hums (Western Michigan) and Hueber each batting .333, capped with Gavin Miller (Pittsburgh) coming in with .250 on the night.
With the win, Head Coach Chris Berset (Michigan) sets his sights on a rematch with the Southern Maryland Nationals—who ended the Aces’ 2024 playoff run—tonight in Waldorf at 7:00 p.m. at Regency Furniture Stadium.
The Aces return home Friday, June 6, to host the D.C. Grays at 6:30 p.m.
