Grays fall to Riverdogs

​7/19/14

By: Anna Dunlavey

It began to drizzle in Vienna during the fifth inning of last night’s game between the DC Grays and the Vienna River Dogs. The Grays probably wish the rain had come down harder so the game would be called. Instead, the game went to a full nine innings, with the River Dogs beating the Grays 9-5. This loss now puts the Grays’ record at 10-23 on the season.

The game started well enough for the Grays. Although starting pitcher Tyler Shamas (Mitchell) gave up a run on a bases loaded walk in the second inning, he struck out the next three batters. In the top of the third inning, Joe Tietjen (UNC-Asheville) bunted for a single, and Desmond Stegall (Grambling State) doubled to bring Tietjen all the way around to score, tying the game at one.

In the top of the fifth inning, Drew Reid (Harvard) singled and then stole second during Trae Sweeting’s (Georgia State) at bat. Sweeting’s bunt looked like a sacrifice, but because Sweeting is one of the fastest runners in the league, he managed to both beat the throw to first and move Reid to third. Webb Bobo (Southeast Louisiana) brought Reid home on a sacrifice fly, and Sweeting later scored on a wild pitch.

They Grays had a 3-1 lead, but only for a short time. In the bottom of the fifth, the River Dogs scored three runs on four hits. They followed up in the sixth inning with four runs on five hits to give themselves an 8-3 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Reid came through again — this time with a double. Max Geller (Santa Fe) came out to run for him at second base. Sweeting was hit by a pitch, and Austin Sanders (University of Alabama-Huntsville) singled to load the bases. Bobo then walked, bringing home Geller. Jay Graham (Dartmouth) hit into a double play for the inning’s first two outs, but Sweeting was still able to score. Although the Grays had managed to cut the River Dogs’ lead in half, another River Dogs run in the bottom of the seventh sealed their fate.

Shamas pitched four innings and gave up four runs on five hits. The next four Grays pitchers to enter the game each pitched one inning. Caleb Evans (Liberty) relieved Shamas in the top of the fifth and also gave up four runs on five hits. Sherman Graves (Grambling State) gave up two hits in the top of the sixth, but no runs. Arnie Capute (Williams) gave up a run and a hit in the top of the seventh, and David Kimbrough (Delaware State) had a three-up-three-down eighth.

Tomorrow, the Grays will go to Bethesda to take on the league-leading Bethesda Big Train. Max Kaplow (George Washington) is the expected starting pitcher for the Grays.