Grays lose on late walk

​7/21/14

By: Anna Dunlavey

Last night’s game between the DC Grays and the Gaithersburg Giants was nip and tick all night, until a bases loaded walk gave the Giants a win in extra innings. The Grays are now 11-24 as the final week of the season begins.

The visiting Grays scored first, with two outs in the top of the first. Webb Bobo (Southeast Louisiana) doubled to left field, and Jay Graham (Dartmouth) drove Bobo in on a single. The Giants answered back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning off of Grays’ starting pitcher Andre Wilson (Grambling State).

After a home run and an error allowed two more Giants runs to score in the bottom of the second, it seemed like the Grays might not be able to come back from the three-run deficit. The Grays answered back in the fourth, when a double by Max Geller (Santa Fe) scored both Desmond Stegall (Grambling State) and Austin Sanders (University of Alabama-Huntsville), both of whom had singled earlier in the inning. Geller then scored on a single from Drew Reid (Harvard).

The Giants got another run in the bottom of the inning to lead 5-4, but their lead did not last long. The team of Bobo and Graham came out in the top of the fifth to tie things up again. After leadoff hitter Bobo tripled, Graham brought him home on a deep sacrifice fly to left. Harry Thomas (Delaware State) inherited a base runner when he relieved Wilson in the bottom of the inning, but immediately got three outs to strand the Giants’ runner.

The Giants scored in the sixth, and the game might have ended with a score of 6-5 if not for a close play in the top of the eighth. Michael Breen (San Jose State) walked, and Reid singled with two outs. Trae Sweeting (Georgia State) then singled to left field, allowing Breen to score and Reid to try for third. The throw beat Reid to the bag, but he avoided the tag long enough for Breen to cross the plate with the tying run.

A scoreless ninth lead to extra innings. Although leadoff batter Sanders walked to start off the tenth, he was stranded there. In the bottom of the inning, Ari Kaufman (Lafayette) had two quick outs, but two singles and a walk loaded the bases. After a number of close pitches, another Giants batter walked, allowing the winning run to score and ending the game.

Wilson, in his first start of the season, pitched four complete innings and gave up five runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Thomas, who also pitched four complete innings, gave up one run on two hits with three strikeouts. Kaufman pitched the final 1.2 innings, and gave up one run on one hit with a strikeout.

The Grays have a day off Tuesday, but return to the Nationals Youth Academy tomorrow to face the Baltimore Dodgers on Wednesday. Colin Kelly (Catholic) is the expected starting pitcher for the Grays.