Grays drop home finale

​7/24/14

By: Anna Dunlavey

The DC Grays and the Rockville Express kept last night’s game close the whole way through, but in the end, the Express prevailed. The Grays dropped their final home game of the season 5-4, and their record for the season goes to 13-25.

The Grays took the early lead. In the bottom of the first, leadoff hitter Trae Sweeting (Georgia State) was hit by a pitch and stole second. Desmond Stegall’s (Grambling State) two out double scored Sweeting for a 1-0 Grays lead.

The Express tied the game up in the top of the second, and after scoreless third and fourth innings, the Grays took the lead again in the bottom of the fifth. David Kimbrough (Delaware State) singled, and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Austin Sanders (University of Alabama-Huntsville) then walked.  Webb Bobo (Southeast Louisiana) singled, scoring Kimbrough.  Sanders was called out at the plate to end the inning.

The top of the seventh was when things began to turn sour for the Grays. Jay Graham (Dartmouth) was called in to relive starting pitcher Caleb Evans (Liberty) in the middle of a bases loaded jam with no outs. Three Express runs ended up scoring before the Grays could make it out of the inning, turning the score to 4-2 in favor of the Express.

In the bottom of the inning, however, the Grays tied the score again, thanks to a clutch two-run homer by Bobo.

Graham was in a jam once again in the top of the eighth, when two singles and an intentional walk loaded the bases with no outs. After another Express run scored on a bases loaded walk, Harry Thomas (Delaware State) came out to relieve Graham. A fly out to third and a double play at home plate and first base ended the half-inning. Although no more Express runs scored under Thomas’ watch, the Grays were unable to score any runs of their own.

Evans, in his first start of the season, pitched six-plus innings and gave up four runs on three hits. Graham pitched one complete inning, giving up one run on three hits, and was tagged with the loss. Thomas pitched two complete innings, and gave up one run.

Tonight, the Grays will head up to Silver Spring to play the Thunderbolts in their second to last game of the season. Ari Kaufman (Lafayette) is the expected starting pitcher for the Grays.