Grays Oust Orioles for First Win of the Season

​6/5/14

By: Anna Dunlavey

There were a number of major league hopefuls on the field at the Nationals Youth Academy yesterday, and one major league legend in the stands. Cal Ripken Jr., founder of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, came to watch the DC Grays take on Youse’s Orioles. Although Ryan Ripken helped the Orioles to first inning lead with an RBI single, it was the Grays who prevailed in the end, taking their first win of the season 4-2.

The Grays (1-1) fell behind in the early innings, as starting pitcher Harry Thomas III (Delaware St.) struggled with his location. The single from Ripken and a bases loaded walk in the second inning made the score 2-0 in favor of the Orioles before the Grays even had a hit. Once Michael Breen (San Jose State) got the team’s first hit in the fourth inning, however, things began to look up. Webb Bobo (Southeast Louisiana) hit a single to drive Breen home and put the Grays on the board. Before the end of the inning, Eric Urry (BYU) scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Lucas Martinez (New Mexico State), tying the game at 2-2.

The game remained tied until the middle of the sixth inning. After Urry was walked and Bobo was hit by a pitch, Jay Graham (Dartmouth) hit a line drive single to bring them home and give the Grays a 4-2 they would not relinquish.

After Harry Thomas exited the game after four innings of work, Sherman Graves (Savannah State) returning to the Grays’ bullpen this year, pitched the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings and was credited with the win. Max Kaplow (George Washington) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Ari Kaufman (Lafayette) got three quick outs in the ninth for the save.

Tonight, the Grays play their first away game, at Montgomery Blair High School at 7:00pm against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts.

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