Alexandria Aces Scorch Giants 20–10, Extend Blazing Win Streak to Four
ALEXANDRIA, VA –
Frank Mann Field felt less like a baseball diamond and more like a blast furnace last night. The sun’s blistering glare pushed temperatures well past 101°F, making the air thick and heavy for the full 3 hours and 22 minutes.
Every pitch, every swing, every sprint became a battle against the scorching heat. Yet, the Alexandria Aces did not survive, they unbelievably thrived. They turned the inferno into their incinerator, torching the Gaithersburg Giants 20–10 and extending a current league-best four-game winning streak. Over those games, the Aces have scorched their opponents for an astonishing forty-four combined runs.
The Giants jumped out early, plating two quick runs. But the Aces responded immediately, refusing to let the Giants take control. Cooper Hums (Western Michigan University) and Toby Hueber (George Mason) each crossed home plate in the bottom of the first, tying the game at 2–2 and igniting the crowd. Well, igniting the crowd’ might be too much so let’s just say he ‘fired them up.’
Then came the bottom of the second inning, a relentless, unforgettable 15-run eruption. The lineup roared to life. Ryley Norton (Elon) kicked things off with a sharp single, later crossing home plate. Tripp Capers (George Mason) showed patience and grit, reaching base twice, including drawing a crucial walk, and scoring himself. Hums contributed a sacrifice fly that drove in a run, drew a walk, and later scored again, proving his resilience at the plate. Toby Hueber unleashed a line-drive home run that soared over the fence, sparking wild cheers and sending a clear message: the Aces were here to dominate.
Behind them, Gavin Miller (Pitt), Eddie Echevarria (Penn), and Gavin Degnan (Penn) all kept the rally alive, reaching base and crossing home plate. Michael Powell (Penn) added to the mayhem with a bases-loaded walk, then crushed a triple that brought in three runs.
D.J. Scheumann (Ball State) doubled and drove in runs, extending the onslaught. By the time the dust settled, the Aces held a commanding 17–2 lead, the kind of explosive inning that players and fans dream about.
The Giants did not fold quietly. They chipped away in bursts, scoring runs across several innings, but Alexandria’s firepower was simply overwhelming. Gaithersburg finished with ten runs, aided by a few errors and aggressive hitting, but the night belonged to the red-hot Aces.
On the mound, Alex Von Zuben (Penn) stood tall, pitching three strong innings and striking out four batters. Lucas Smith (Illinois-Chicago) earned the win despite a rocky relief stint, and Cole Gebben (Western Michigan) along with Noah Haught (Richmond) closed the door in the punishing heat. Gaithersburg’s Hudson Green (Wesleyan) took the loss.
Aces Assistant Coach Jen Hammond reflected on the team’s rollercoaster night: “It’s fantastic to see Toby get going early with that RBI and the line-drive homer, plus the solid defense behind him. We are playing aggressively on the basepaths, and it is paying off. But with the heat climbing past 101 degrees, it was easy to lose focus. We left the door open with some missed chances, which could have saved our pitchers, especially with no off days and doubleheaders coming up.”
Now 7–6 and firing on all cylinders, tonight, Wednesday, the Aces head down I-95 South to face the Metro South County Braves at South County High School at 7:00 p.m., and fans are urged to come out and cheer them on.
Thursday brings a twin bill doubleheader against the D.C. Grays at Woodbridge Senior High School, with games starting at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., the second beginning just 30 minutes after the first ends. This is another excellent chance for Aces fans to cheer on the team on the road.
The Aces return to Frank Mann Field on Friday, June 27, to play the visiting Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts, with game time at 6:30 p.m. This is one evening when everyone can come to Frank Mann Field to help ‘pack the park.’
Saturday night’s marquee clash sends the Aces to Shirley Povich Field in Rockville, Maryland, for a heated rivalry showdown against the Bethesda Big Train at 7:00 p.m. Then, on Sunday, the Aces return home to Frank Mann Field to host the Olney Cropdusters with a 6:30 p.m. game time.
With vast amounts of free parking available for fans, there is no better time to support Alexandria’s hometown heroes as they begin to heat up their season, which marks the franchise’s seventeenth year in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League (calripkenleague.org). Tickets are available online at alexandriaaces.org/tickets.
On a personal note, I had the privilege of knowing the late, great former City of Alexandria Mayor Frank Mann (1920-2007). Mayor Mann was an enthusiastic champion of Alexandria baseball. He worked tirelessly to bring the Carolina League to the city with the arrival of the Alexandria Dukes in the spring of 1978.
Frank often stopped by a place once called ‘Mason’s’ or ‘Mason’s Ordinary,’ at 128 North Royal Street, then across from Alexandria City Hall, to visit friends, including my dear late cousin Kevin Malone, who tended bar there in the mid-seventies. On occasion Frank would see me and tell my cousin, ‘Hey, Kev, please pour a cold one for Pat.’ As such, I believe that Frank Mann would be proud to see our boys of summer, the Alexandria Aces, blazing bright this season.
Cheers to you, Frank. You lit the spark. It is ‘Game Day.’ Let the streak roll on.
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