Pegues, Sams Secure Week 4 Player of the Week Honors

By Ellie Rand

The fourth week of the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate League season showcased superior performances on both sides of the ball, with several players putting together impressive stretches as teams continued battling for position in the standings.

Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts outfielder Gabriel Pegues (Lynchburg) emerged as the league’s top offensive performer. Bethesda Big Train right-hander Jack Sams (Kentucky) delivered the week’s most efficient mound outing to earn Week 4 Pitcher of the Week honors.

Pegues Ignites Thunderbolts’ Offense

Gabriel Pegues turned in the most productive offensive showing of the week, consistently reaching base and providing extra-base power.

The Lynchburg outfielder hit .563 (9-for-16) over four games, scoring nine runs and collecting five runs batted in, one double, two triples, and a home run. 

He accumulated 17 total bases, good for a 1.063 slugging percentage, and drew six walks to finish the week with an outstanding .667 on-base percentage. 

His biggest hitting showdown came on June 24 against the Bethesda Big Train.

Batting in the middle of the Thunderbolts lineup, Pegues reached base in all six of his plate appearances, finishing a perfect 5-for-5 with three RBIs, two runs scored, a triple, and a double.

He wasted little time dominating, hammering an RBI single down the left-field line in the opening frame to put SS-T on the board before later stealing third and scoring in the same inning.

Two innings later, Pegues launched a triple into the left-center gap before coming around to score as the Thunderbolts extended their lead. He added another single in the fourth inning and capped off his remarkable evening with an RBI double in the ninth, driving in the T-Bolts' final run of the game.

The following day, Pegues remained a catalyst for Silver Spring despite recording just one official at-bat. He drew three walks and scored twice, putting pressure on the defense by reaching base in four of his five plate appearances.

His hot streak carried into June 25 against the Metro South County Braves.

Pegues finished 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored. After leading off the third by notching a single, he stole second base before scoring on a wild pitch. Two innings later, he crushed a solo homer to continue the Thunderbolts’ offensive attack.

The Virginia native closed the week with another extra-base hit against Southern Maryland on June 27. Pegues ripped a triple into right-center field and scored on a sacrifice groundout. 

He finished the contest with another RBI, extending a week in which he reached base at an elite rate while producing offensively in every game, making him a Week 4 standout.

Sams Silences Giants in Scoreless Outing

Jack Sams delivered the most noteworthy pitching performance of the week, shutting down the Gaithersburg Giants over six shutout innings to propel Bethesda to a key road victory.

The right-hander threw six shutout innings, allowing only three hits while striking out six and walking just two. The Kentucky native held opposing hitters to a .150 batting average and never allowed a runner to cross the plate.

Sams took the mound on June 26 and immediately established control.

He retired Gaithersburg in order during the opening frame after working around a two-out double by Ayden Phillips (Jacksonville), preventing the Giants from capitalizing on their first scoring opportunity.

The second inning featured more efficient work as Sams allowed a one-out single before inducing an inning-ending double play.

Gaithersburg threatened again in the third after a walk and a two-out double placed runners on second and third, but Sams remained composed. He forced a fly out to strand both runners, preserving the scoreless tie.

After issuing a leadoff walk in the fourth, Sams settled back into his groove, picking up a key strikeout before escaping the inning without allowing any damage.

His best stretch came in the final two innings of his outing.

Sams retired the Giants in order during the fifth, striking out two batters, before finishing his evening with another perfect frame in the sixth. He capped off the performance by striking out two more Giants, completing six shutout innings, and handing the ball to the bullpen with Bethesda firmly in control.

Jake Nobles (Saint Mary’s) followed with three scoreless innings to complete the shutout, but it was Sams who set the tone.

His ability to neutralize the strength of Gaithersburg’s lineup while escaping multiple scoring threats makes him the CRSCBL’s premier Week 4 pitcher.