Andrew Houghton 6/28/13

The Grays looked to have the game well in hand on Friday before the host Presstman Cardinals scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth to make it suspenseful.  The late craziness obscured a great first eight innings for the Grays, who took a 6-0 lead on six shutout innings from Mitch Leeds (Lafayette) and Greg Olenski’s (Maryland) league-leading third homerun of the season, a two-run shot in the seventh that capped the Grays scoring for the day.  The Cardinals would not go down easily, however, jumping on Grays reliever Sherman Graves (Savannah State) the instant he entered the game.  Aided by several errors (only two of the runs given up by Graves were earned), they scored five runs and looked poised to perhaps give the Grays their second walk-off loss in a row when Graves got the last out.

The Grays play next on Saturday, June 29 at 3:00 pm against the Southern Maryland Nationals at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland.

​Andrew Houghton | 6/27/13

Vincent Corbi (UMD Baltimore) hit a walk-off single as the Rockville Express beat the Grays 4-3 on Thursday.  With the score tied 3-3, the Express quickly put runners on first and third with one out in the bottom of the ninth, setting the stage for Corbi, who singled off reliever Jayson Yano’s (Stevens Tech) first pitch to end the game.  The Express had taken an early lead, loading the bases in the third and then scoring twice off a groundout and a wild pitch.  They scored again in the fourth on a sacrifice fly and appeared to be in control with starter Daniel Gurganus (York College) shutting down the Grays bats until the eighth, when new arrival Kelton Caldwell (BYU) tripled home shortstop DJ Miller (Delaware State).

With no outs and Caldwell on third, the Grays looked poised to perhaps add another run, but Gurganus escaped the jam when the next batter flew out to center field and Bryan DeRosario (Shepherd College), running for Caldwell, was thrown out at the plate.  The Grays would not be deterred by this, however.  Rockville closer John Kovalick (Slippery Rock) entered the game in the ninth and got two quick outs, but the Grays battled back, loading the bases on two walks and a dropped third strike.  With the game on the line, Miller came through for the Grays, doubling to right to score two runs and tie the game.  Even with outfielder Brandon Kiser (Grambling State) flying out to end the rally, the Grays looked poised to go to extra innings, but the Express had other plans, with Corbi’s single ending it.

Starter Chunner Nyberg (BYU) pitched well for the Grays, giving up just the three runs and striking out three over eight innings. The loss dropped the Grays record to 7-8.

The Grays play next on Friday, June 28 at 7:00 pm against the Presstman Cardinals at Joe Cannon Stadium in Hanover, Maryland.

​Greg Olenski (Maryland) of the D.C. Grays has been named the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League Player of the Week for the week of June 17 to June 23. Olenski batted .400 on the week and tallied eight RBI. On June 22, Olenski exploded for four hits, including a double and two triples, with three RBI. He also hit two home runs and scored four runs in his six games last week. Through June 24, he has nine extra base-hits and has knocked in ten runs.

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​Andrew Houghton | 6/26/13

Colin Kelly (Catholic) threw seven strong innings as the Grays beat the Bethesda Big Train 4-1 on Wednesday in a game that was called after the seventh due to lightning.  The teams were warming up for the eighth inning when the first flash of lightning was spotted and the umpires immediately called for a 30 minute delay that eventually caused the game to be called.

The Grays took an early lead with three runs in the first on a sacrifice fly by Jud Sherrill (Alabama-Huntsville) and RBI singles by college teammates Brandon Kiser (Grambling State) and Desmond Stegall (Grambling State), with Big Train pitcher Zach Morris (University of Maryland) only escaping the jam when Stegall was picked off first with the bases loaded and two outs.  As it turned out, those three runs were all Kelly would need, as he kept the Big Train in check the whole way, mixing his pitches, throwing strikes, and only giving up the one run in the fifth.  Ominous clouds had featured in the skyscape the whole afternoon, but held off until the eighth, when the weather had the last say and sent Grays fans home early, but with the satisfaction of a victory.

The Grays play next on Thursday, June 27, at 7:00 pm against the Rockville Express at Knights Field in Rockville, Maryland.

​The first in our series of free youth baseball clinics has been POSTPONED due to unforeseen circumstances.

We do plan to have to rest of our scheduled clinics!!  Please check this site regularly for updates to our clinic dates.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause in your schedule.

 

Thank you and GO GRAYS!!!!

 

​Andrew Houghton | 6/24/13

The Grays lost 3-1 to the Rockville Express at Knights Field on Monday, as they were held scoreless until the seventh by Rockville starter Nick Nowottnick (Towson).  Grays starter Enrique Oquendo, a new signing from McLennan CC, pitched well, giving up three runs and striking out five in 6.1 innings, but took the loss.  The Express took an early lead with a run in the first when shortstop Will Kengor (Slippery Rock) singled, was sacrificed to second, stole third and then scored on a passed ball.  Oquendo then settled down and traded zeros with Nowottnick until the sixth when the Express scored two more on an RBI double and a sacrifice fly.

The Grays got one back in the top of the seventh as Jayson Yano (Stevens Tech) drove in Will Benenson (Franklin and Marshall) with a groundout to shortstop.  With the deficit only at two, Grays manager Arlan Freeman called on Catholic University sidearmer Chris Nee out of the bullpen and he responded with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, but Express relievers Michael Byrne (Cornell) and Jack Kovalick (Slippery Rock) gave up only one baserunner over the last two innings to lock down the victory and send the Grays back under .500.

The Grays play next on Wednesday, June 26 at 5:00 pm against the Bethesda Big Train at Hoy Field.  Come on down to see the Grays take on the league leaders.

​Andrew Houghton 6/22/13

Greg Olenski (Maryland) had four hits, including two triples, and three RBIs as the Grays beat the Rockville Express 7-2 on Saturday at Hoy Field.  Olenski’s offensive outburst backed starter Mitch Leeds (Lafayette), who got the win by pitching six effective innings, allowing only one run while striking out four.  The Grays took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first, with Olenski recording his first RBI on a one-out base hit.  With Leeds pitching effectively, the Grays stretched their lead with a run in the fourth on an RBI double by third baseman Peyton Fuller (Troy University) and two more in the fifth, with Olenski tripling home Jud Sherrill (Alabama-Huntsville) and scoring himself on a single by shortstop Cameron Lundmark (Shenandoah University).  Olenski would pick up another RBI in the sixth, following Sherrill’s double with one of his own, and would finish off his spectacular performance in the eighth with his second triple of the game, although by that time the Grays had the game well in hand.  Relievers Brian Robett (Greensboro College) and Chris Nee (Catholic) each pitched a scoreless inning to put the final nail in Rockville’s coffin.  Worthy of note: pitcher Jacob Williams (George Washington) entered the game at second base in place of Jayson Yano (Stevens Tech) in the top of the seventh and acquitted himself well, handling several chances cleanly and teaming up with Lundmark to turn a double play to end the eighth.

The Grays play next on Monday, June 24 at 7:00 pm against these very same Rockville Express at Knights Field in Rockville, Maryland.

​Andrew Houghton 6/21/13

Grays starter Henry Sisson (North Carolina) pitched a great game on Friday, giving up only two runs in eight innings, but was outdone by his counterpart Joseph Vanderplas (UMD Baltimore) of the Vienna River Dogs to take the tough-luck loss.  Vanderplas pitched a complete game, only the fourth thrown in the league so far this year, holding the Grays to one run to get the win.  Both pitchers were in complete control until the seventh, when the River Dogs scored two unearned runs off Sisson in an inning kept alive by a two-out error by Grays third baseman Will Benenson (Franklin and Marshall).  The Grays offense, hoping to get Sisson off the hook, brought one back in the bottom of the inning on a home run by left fielder Greg Olenski (Maryland), his league lead tying second of the year.  Sisson finished up his day with a scoreless eighth inning and Grays relievers Matt Kilby (Navy) and Tom Murphy (Williams College) combined for a scoreless top of the ninth, leaving the Grays one last chance for a comeback.  Unfortunately it was not to be, as Vanderplas finished his masterpiece by getting Jud Sherrill (Alabama-Huntsville) to fly out to center with a runner on first to end it.  The Grays actually outhit the River Dogs five-four, getting two hits apiece from Olenski and catcher Cody Walker (Mississippi State), but couldn’t string enough of them together to put runs on the board.

The Grays play next on Saturday, June 22 at 5:00 pm against the Rockville Express at Hoy Field.  Come on down for an afternoon of great baseball in the shadow of the Capitol.

​Andrew Houghton | 6/20/13

The Grays beat the Youse’s Orioles 4-3 on Thursday at Hoy Field, coming back from two runs down in the eighth inning to record the victory.  The big blow was a two out, two-run triple by left fielder Greg Olenski (Maryland) that tied the game and was followed by an RBI single by third baseman Bryan DeRosario (Shepherd College) that gave the Grays the lead. Relievers Sherman Graves (Savannah State) and Jayson Yano (Stevens Tech) then shut the Orioles down in the ninth to clinch the win.

The game started as a pitcher’s duel, with Grays starter Chunner Nyberg (BYU) matching zeros with Orioles hurler Michael Taylor until the fourth, when each team scored one run.  The Orioles would add another in the sixth and Nyberg would leave after seven with no chance to get the win, despite only allowing the two runs and striking out five.  When the Orioles scored one off Graves in the top of the eighth, the Grays looked headed for another tough-luck loss, but Yano and right fielder Eric Ramsey (Wake Forest) both reached base to start the bottom of the inning.  A double play appeared to erase the threat, but a walk to first baseman Jud Sherrill (Alabama-Huntsville) kept the inning alive and set the stage for Olenski and DeRosario’s heroics.  Yano came on in relief of Graves with two out in the ninth after an error put the tying run on base and needed only one pitch to end the game, getting pinch hitter Kyle Convissar to ground out to shortstop to send Grays fans home happy.

The Grays play next on Friday, June 21, at 5:00 pm against the Vienna River Dogs at Hoy Field.

​Andrew Houghton | 6/19/13

The Grays bullpen let them down again Wednesday, with the Baltimore Redbirds scoring three in the bottom of the ninth to win at Carlo Crispino Stadium.

The Grays had scored two in the top of the ninth to break a 2-2 tie on RBI singles by Eric Ramsey (Wake Forest) and Will Benenson (Franklin and Marshall) before reliever Chris Nee (Catholic) gave up the three spot in the bottom of the inning, with the Redbirds runs coming on a sacrifice fly and a hit batsman before the final nail in the coffin was delivered by Lee Lipinski’s walkoff single.  Up until that point, the Grays had played well, scratching out a run in the second on two walks, a hit, and an RBI groundout by Jayson Yano (Stevens Tech).

Tom Murphy (Williams College) started well and pitched 4 1/3 only giving up 1 earned run. Jake Williams (George Washington) then stepped in and gave up the lead in the fifth on a two-run home run by Redbirds catcher Ian Rice. The Grays manufactured another run in the sixth, with center fielder Desmond Stegall (Grambling State) providing the RBI groundout this time to tie the game at two.  That was the way it would remain until the ninth, as Grays relievers Jacob Williams (George Washington), Peyton Fuller (Troy University), and Yano combined for 3.1 innings of scoreless pitching, giving the team a chance to win it with the runs in the ninth.  But it was not to be, as Nee couldn’t hold the lead and the Redbirds took the victory.

The Grays play next on Thursday, June 20, at 5:00 pm against the Youse’s Orioles at Hoy Field.