Giants Squash Grays

​7/11/14

By: Anna Dunlavey

The DC Grays returned to the Nationals Youth Academy Friday night to take on the Gaithersburg Giants after several off days and rain outs, and the long layoff didn’t improve the Grays fortunes.  The Giants won 8-4, and the Grays are now 9-18 on the season.

The first three innings were scoreless for both sides, but the Giants broke through with three runs in the top of the fourth.  In the bottom of the inning, after Desmond Stegall (Grambling State) singled and stole second, Michael Breen (San Jose State) drove him home. In the bottom of the fifth inning, after the Giants had scored another run, Eric Urry (Brigham Young) batted in Trae Sweeting (Georgia State) after Sweeting walked and stole second. Urry then scored a run himself on a wild pitch before the end of the inning.

But the Grays struggled in the top of the seventh, giving up three more runs on some sloppy play.  One more unearned run scored in the top of the eighth, after two batters were walked. Although Webb Bobo (Southeast Louisiana) singled to bring Sweeting around for another run in the bottom of the eighth, it wasn’t enough to give the Grays a sustained rally.

Tyler Shamas (Mitchell) took the loss for the Grays. He pitched 4.1 innings and gave up four runs on three hits. Joe Kinee (West Chester) relieved him in the fifth and gave up three runs on three hits through 2.1 innings. Ari Kaufman (Lafayette) came in with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a run in 1.1 innings. TJ Maioriano (University of the Sciences—Philadelphia) pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Grays return to the Nationals Youth Academy today and will take on the Alexandria Aces. Harry Thomas (Delaware State) is the expected starting pitcher for the Grays. First pitch is at 1:00 pm.