"You cannot win them all." Last night, the Southern Maryland Senators were reminded of this when they were defeated for the second time this season by the Alexandria Aces. After a nine-game winning streak during the season's first ten games, the Senators fell to the Aces, 8-7.

The Senators started strong in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs to gain an early lead. After Adam Troch (Duke) doubled, Steven Kraus (Binghamton) did the same, bringing Troch home. Then Kraus came in to score when Danny Surowiec (Boston College) singled.

When the Aces came back to bat in the second inning, they scored two runs to even the game, but in the bottom of the frame, Southern Maryland responded big. 

Dawson Smail (Xavier) started the rally by working a one-out walk. The right fielder came around to score after advancing to second after Logan Tribble (Wofford) reached on an error and Nick Flores (VCU) singled, which brought the Senators the lead. With the bases loaded, Kraus stepped up to the plate, and on the first pitch he saw, he smoked it for a single, bringing home the second and third runs of the inning. The fourth run came across as Surowiechit a double, which brought Troch home.

After putting up one more run in the third, the Senators held a five-run lead until the top of the fifth inning came around. Kyle Hard (Iona) relieved starting pitcher Nick Wimberly (Florida Atlantic). 

Hard faced seven batters and allowed the Aces to score five runs, which tied the game at seven. Jacob Seek (Frederick CC) came in to try and salvage the fifth and managed to get the last two outs of the inning.

Seek pitched three innings, allowing only two hits, while the Senators' bats tried to find the heat they had in the first three innings. The Senators had runners in scoring position multiple times but couldn't capitalize in the later innings.

However, the Aces did when Dawson Wetherald (Mt. Aloysius) came in to pitch in the ninth, getting into a quick bases-loaded jam. Wetherald would be taken out of the game just after facing three batters.

Tyler Mitchell (Norfolk) came into the ninth, getting the first out of the inning, but a sacrifice fly scored the Aces' eighth run. 

One more run was all Alexandria needed. They shut down the Senators in the bottom of the ninth, snapping their nine-game win streak.

Despite the loss, the Senators remain the top team in the Cal Ripken League. They will be back in action on June 23 at Regency Furniture Stadium, where they will face the Bethesda Big Train.