Furious rally falls short for Grays

GAME RECAP   7-20-2015

By: Anna Dunlavey; @annadunlaveyy

The DC Grays fell apart in the fifth inning of last night’s home game against the FCA Herndon Braves, and not even a five-run rally could save them. The Braves took the 10-8 win over the Grays, who are now 17-21 on the season.
​The Grays were actually able to take an early lead. Although the Braves scored the first run of the game on a home run in the top of the second, the Grays came back with a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning, hit by DH Quinn Carpenter (Texas Tech) with 1B Colton Shaver (Brigham Young) on base. The score remained 2-1 until the top of the fifth inning, when the Braves broke the game open.

​The inning started off innocently enough. Starting pitcher Maverik Buffo (Brigham Young) got two quick outs, including the fourth of his five strikeouts on the night. Buffo then gave up a walk and two singles, allowing the Braves to tie the game. A hit batter loaded the bases, and an overthrow of first allowed two more runners to score. The Braves got four more runs across on a single and a three-run homer from all-star Alan Mochabee — his second of night. Buffo finally stopped the bleeding with a strike out to retire the side and end the Braves’ rally. Of the seven runs that scored, only one was earned.

​Bailey Spence (Cecil CC) took over on the mound in the top of the sixth, and threw for 2.1 innings. He gave up two hits and two runs, walking two batters and striking out two. Jarred Scott (Alabama Southern CC) took the mound with one out in the top of the eighth, and pitched a complete inning, giving up a hit and a walk and striking out one batter. Will Korosec (Stevens Institute of Technology) finished the last .2 innings of the ninth, walking one and striking out one.

​On the meantime, the Grays got one run back in the sixth, when Tony Holton (Jackson State) scored from third on an error by the catcher, but by the ninth inning score stood at 10-3 and a comeback seem impossible. Yet suddenly and probably, the Grays, rallied in the bottom of the ninth.

​Carpenter led off with a single, stole second, reached third on a Lamar Briggs (Jackson State) putout. 3B Keifer Rawlings (Bucknell) struck out for the second out of the inning. 2B Mike Caputo (Seton Hall) kept the Grays alive with a single to score Carpenter. Bryan Baquer (Washington College) also singled, and Holton blasted a three-run homer to right field to bring the score to 10-7. The Grays didn’t stop there. Riding the high of Holton’s homer, C Kurt Sinnen (Old Dominion) walked and stole second. In only his second at bat of the game, 1B Scottie Sanders (Southeastern Louisiana) doubled off the left field fence to bring in Sinnen and close the gap to 10-8. It seemed like the Grays could actually come back and tie the game, which made Jackson Kramer’s (Lafayette) strikeout on a checked swing even more heartbreaking.

​The Grays will play their final home game of the season on Wednesday. They will face the Bethesda Big Train, and Carpenter is expected to start on the mound.