Grays Struck Down by T-Bolts

​Six different pitchers came to the mound last night for the DC Grays, but none of them could solve the offense of the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts. The Grays offense, in turn, couldn’t solve T-Bolts starting pitcher Michael Austin. The Grays lost to the T-Bolts 5-1, and their record for the season now stands at 9-15.

The T-Bolts took an early lead, scoring their first two runs in the top of the first inning. The Grays’ only run of the game was a solo home run from Austin Sanders (University of Alabama-Huntsville) in the bottom of the second inning. After that, the Grays had trouble both reaching base and staying on base. They mustered only three more hits off of Austin, and had one runner picked off and another caught stealing.

The Grays tried to rally in the top of the ninth, once Austin had left the game. Webb Bobo (Southeast Louisiana) singled, Michael Breen (San Jose State) was hit by a pitch, and Sanders walked to load the bases. Joe Tietjen (UNC-Asheville) came up with the bases loaded and two outs, but the T-Bolts brought out a fresh pitcher to face him and, ultimately, strike him out.

Sloppy play defensively was again what ultimately cost the Grays. Three different Grays pitchers hit the same T-Bolts batter. Three of the five T-Bolts runs were scored on passed balls. Another run scored when the Grays tagged a runner going to third instead of throwing the ball to the plate.

Tommy Broyles (Drew) started the game, and gave up three runs on three hits in 1.1 innings. Justin Drechsel (Johns Hopkins) relieved him, and gave up one run on two hits over the course of three innings. Caleb Evans (Liberty) came to pitch his first game for the Grays with two outs in the top of the fifth. He threw for 1.2 innings also gave up one run on two hits. The last out of the top of the sixth came from TJ Maiorino (University of the Sciences-Philadelphia). He only needed to throw one pitch—the batter hit a ground ball to shortstop Breen and was out at first. Arnie Capute (Williams) came out in the top of the seventh, and pitched two scoreless, hitless innings. Andre Wilson (Grambling State) pitched the top of the ninth, and gave up one hit.

Tonight, the Grays will return to the Nationals Youth Academy to play Youse’s Orioles for the final time this season. Joe Kinee (West Chester) is the expected starting pitcher for the Grays.