By rssfeeds-admin 
In a post to the X platform on Thursday, the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts announced that their game was impacted due to “gallons of water…sprayed over the fence from the fire department after a ball hit a pickup truck parked by the station.”
The incident resulted in a “pond” forming in the center of the baseball field located at Blair Local Park, resulting in the game being postponed — and then cancelled altogether
“I was excited to play,” Thunderbolts player Michael Preske said. “I wanted to win.”
Preske and Jay Wandell are pitchers for the Thunderbolts. They were gearing up for a big game at Blair Stadium Thursday evening when they said they witnessed something out of the ordinary.
“It was just pouring water straight onto the grass and there wasn’t any room for the water to sit, so it just basically flooded our field, and we weren’t able to play anymore,” Wandell said.
Wandell and Preske say a firefighter told them he was spraying the field because one of their teammates hit a home run and the ball hit a truck parked at the fire station. Thunderbolts founder Richard O’Connor said he went over to talk to the captain afterwards.
“I asked him why, and he said, ‘I wanted to get your attention.’ That’s the only reason he gave,” O’Connor said.
MCFRS apologized for the incident on Friday, stating,
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) is aware of an incident involving a water discharge near one of our fire stations and a nearby community baseball field on Thursday evening, July 17, 2025, which unfortunately led to the cancellation of a scheduled game.
We want to express our sincere apologies to the players, teams, Cal Ripken League, and all fans and families impacted by this disruption. We understand how important this venue is to the community and especially to the young athletes who look forward to these events.
At this time, we are actively gathering all relevant information and coordinating with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police to understand exactly what occurred. While the fire station and ballfield have long shared this space as neighbors, we recognize that incidents like this can have a real impact — and we take that seriously.
Our top priority remains public safety, and we are committed to maintaining open and transparent communication as we work through the facts. We deeply value our relationship with the community and are taking steps to ensure this matter is thoroughly reviewed and that future disruptions are prevented.
Again, we extend our heartfelt apologies and appreciate your patience and understanding as we move forward together.
MCFRS statement
MCFRS spokesman Pete Piringer also apologized on behalf of the department. He says they know who was involved in the incident and they’re continuing to look into it.
“There is a process for things like this,” Piringer said. “So, we’re in the process of looking into what may have happened and why.”
Meanwhile, O’Connor called the incident bizarre.
“There’s no excuse for it,” he said.
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