Grays split with Giants

GAME RECAP 6-29-2015

By Anna Dunlavey; @annadunlaveyy

​It isn’t often that a pitcher can say he got a loss and a win on the same night, but that’s what happened to the Grays’ Harry Thomas (UNC-Greensboro) in Gaithersburg on Monday.

The Grays completed a previously suspended game before playing the regularly scheduled game between the two teams. were only supposed to play one game last night against the Gaithersburg Giants. Thomas had started the original game, and was tagged with the loss when the Giants eventually completed the game and beat the Grays 13-6. But Thomas was also the starter in last night’s second game, which the Grays won 8-2.

​The first game started where it had left off, in the top of the third inning with the Giants up 5-0. The Grays got off to a better start this time around, getting a run in their first at bat of the night when DH Kurt Sinnen (Old Dominion) singled to score SS Jackson Kramer (Lafayette).

The Giants got two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, but a scramble in the sixth ended with some more runs for the Grays. RF Zack Irwin (East Mississippi) reached on an error by the Giants’ second baseman. Sinnen and C Colton Shaver (Brigham Young) were both able to score on the error.

​The Grays got three more runs, one each in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. Bryan Baquer (Washington College) scored on a groundout from Sinnen, 1B Scott Sanders (Southeast Louisiana) scored on a single from 2B Mike Caputo (Seton Hall), and 3B Keifer Rawlings (Bucknell) scored on a sacrifice fly from Irwin. But it wasn’t enough to overtake the Giants, who were scoring runs themselves.

Dan Jarrell (Washington College) pitched the restart, giving up six runs on five hits, walking three and striking out two over 3.2 innings. Will Korosec (Stevens Institute of Technology) pitched one complete inning, giving up a run, two hits, and a walk. Jarred Scott (Alabama Southern CC) finished the game, giving up a run on no hits and walking two batters.

​The second game started and ended in the Grays’ favor. Quinn Carpenter (Texas Tech), who has been having a great season on the mound and at the plate, scored Baquer on a double in the top of the first. Kramer took a bases loaded walk in the top of the fourth to increase the lead to 2-0.

​In the top of the fifth, the bases were loaded after Shaver doubled, Carpenter singled, and Sinnen was hit by a pitch. Lamar Briggs (Jackson State), who had been making great defensive plays all night, singled to score both Shaver and Carpenter. The bases were loaded again after Sanders was also hit by a pitch, and Sinnen scored after Caputo hit into a fielder’s choice.

Carpenter hit a two-run homer in the top of the sixth, and Kramer doubled in the top of the seventh to score Aaron Inman (Loyola New Orleans). The game had to end after seven innings because the lights at Criswell Field were turned off based on a city ordinance, but the game was official and the Grays notched the victory.

​Thomas pitched four innings, giving up one run on three hits, walking two, and striking out four. Layton Dill (East Mississippi CC), Connor Van Hoose (Bucknell), and Maverik Buffo (Brigham Young) pitched one complete inning each to finish the game. Dill gave up no runs, hits, or walks, and struck out one. Van Hoose also gave up no runs, hits, or walks, and struck out two. Buffo gave up a hit and a run, but no walks, and struck out two batters.

​Tonight, the Grays will make up Saturday’s rained out game against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts at Montgomery Blair High School.