The Grays  (17-20)  will host the Herndon Braves (17-20)  again tonight after coming off a win 9-2 win yesterday. The Grays and Braves are now tied, and will fight to keep their playoff hopes alive tonight with Maverik Buffo on the mound. Buffo is coming off a stellar relief appearance against the Baltimore Redbirds, where he received the win in a a three-inning shutout, giving up just two hits with three strikeouts.

 

Location: Washington Nationals Youth Academy, 7 p.m.

GAME RECAP   7-17-2015

By: Anna Dunlavey; @annadunlaveyy

​Although the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts struck first in last night’s game, it was the homestanding DC Grays who came away with the 9-2 victory. 3B Keifer Rawlings (Bucknell) went 3-4 with 4 RBIs and RF Harrison Bruce (University of San Francisco) had four RBIs on two hits. The Grays are now 16-20 after going 6-2 in their last eight games.

​The game was scoreless through three innings, but things changed in the top of the fourth when the T-Bolts scored two unearned runs — takin advantage of walks and a Grays error.

​In the bottom of the fourth, Grays DH Alex Woinski (Lafayette) led off by reaching first on an error. After getting to third on a single from SS Drew Reid (Harvard), Woinski scored on a single from Rawlings. 2B Mike Caputo (Seton Hall) drew a walk to load the bases and bring up leadoff batter Bruce, whose single scored both Reid and Rawlings and gave the Grays a 3-2 lead. Caputo scored a second unearned run for the Grays on a sacrifice fly from CF Tony Holton (Jackson State).

​In the bottom of the fifth C Colton Shaver (Brigham Young) walked, LF Lamar Briggs (Jackson State) singled, and Reid reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. Rawlings scored Shaver and Briggs to bring the score to 6-2. In the bottom of the seventh, Briggs walked, and Reid once again reached on an error. Rawlings singled, scoring Briggs and getting his season-high third hit of the game. With Reid and Rawlings on base, Bruce came up and fired his first triple of the season to score both runners and giving the Grays a rare runaway win.

​Connor Van Hoose (Bucknell) got his third win of the season after pitching five complete innings. He gave up eight hits and two runs, although neither of the runs were earned. He walked three batters, and struck out six. Van Hoose is now the team leader in strikeouts with 34. Marlon Pruitt (Grambling State), who hadn’t pitched since July 2nd, relieved Van Hoose in the sixth and threw for the rest of the game. Pruitt came back to the mound strong, only giving up one hit and one walk and striking out three batters.

​The Grays will be back at home this afternoon to play the Herndon Braves. Ryan Garner (Memphis) is the probable starting pitcher for the Grays.

POST GAME INTERVIEW

Coming off a solid win last night against the T Bolts, the DC Grays (16-20) will host the Herndon Braves (17-19) with Ryan Garner (Memphis) as the expected starter. Garner is coming off a solid, six-inning outing against the Gaithersburg Giants, giving up two earned runs off three hits to get the win.

Braves’ Connor Norton (South Carolina Aiken) will make his start coming off a hitless, seven inning start against the Riverdogs.

Location: Washington Nationals Youth Academy, **1 p.m.**

After coming off back-to-back shutouts against top contenders in the league, the Grays return home to face the T Bolts. Starting pitcher Connor Van Hoose (Bucknell) will toe the rubber for DC after coming off a rough appearance against the Big Train going 1.1 with three earned runs off four hits.

T Bolts’ Connor Chasanov (Delaware) is coming off a one inning appearance in relief giving up two hits.

Location: Washington Nationals Youth Academy, 7 p.m.

**It will be Sabre Metro night at the park, so get excited!**

GAME RECAP 7-17-2015

By: Anna Dunlavey; @annadunlaveyy

The DC Grays made history on Friday night in Vienna. After defeating the Baltimore Redbirds two nights ago 2-0, they got another shutout win against the Riverdogs. The 3-0 win marks the first back-to-back shutouts in Grays history.

The Grays have the hard work of starter Harry Thomas (UNC-Greensboro) and reliever Zack Irwin (East Mississippi CC) to thank for the historic win. Thomas started the game and threw 6.2 strong innings, scattering just three hits. He walked two batters and struck out six. Irwin, who took the mound for the final 2.1 innings, got his first win of the season. He struck out two batters, and didn’t give up any hits or walks.

​Just as they did in the game against the Redbirds, the Grays broke a scoreless tie late in the contest. This time the Grays struck in the top of the ninth. C Kurt Sinnen (Old Dominion) changed the game, starting the inning off with a double. Sinnen reached third when 1B Colton Shaver (BYU) singled, and SS Drew Reid (Harvard) drove in Sinnen on a sacrifice fly to give the Grays the lead. The Grays had the first and only run on the board, but Quinn Carpenter (Texas Tech) gave the Grays some needed insurance. Carpenter hit a two-run home run to put the Grays up 3-0. It was Carpenter’s second homer of the season, and Irwin’s scoreless ninth made it stand up.

​The regular season ends in a week, and the Grays, now 15-20 on the season, are looking to finish strong. They’ll face the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts tonight at home at the Nationals Youth Academy at 7pm. Conner Van Hoose (Bucknell) is the probable starting pitcher for the Grays.

GAME RECAP  7-16-2015

By: Anna Dunlavey; @annadunlaveyy

​The DC Grays came back from the All-Star Break with a bang last night when they beat the Baltimore Redbirds 2-0. This is the second time in a row that the Grays have beaten the league-leading Redbirds. The win boosts the Grays’ record to 14-20 as the final week of the season approaches.

​Last night was a pitcher’s duel that was scoreless until the 8th inning. Grays hurlers Quinn Carpenter (Texas Tech) and Maverik Buffo (Brigham Young) were up for the challenge. Carpenter started the game and lasted six innings. He only gave up one hit, walking two batters and striking out five. Buffo pitched the final three innings. He gave up two hits, struck out three batters, and got the win.

​The two Grays pitchers weren’t helped out by the offense until the eighth inning, when the Grays finally got a run across the plate. 1B Kurt Sinnen (Old Dominion), who was named the All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player on Wednesday, drove in DH Tony Holton (Jackson State) to put the Grays on the board. RF Harrison Bruce (University of San Francisco) scored SS Drew Reid (Harvard) in the ninth for the insurance run.

​Tonight, the Grays will play the Vienna Riverdogs for the final time this season. Harry Thomas (UNC-Greensboro) is expected to start.

The Grays (14-20)  will visit the Vienna Riverdogs (18-13) tonight with Harry Thomas of UNC Greensboro on the mound. Thomas is coming off a two inning relief appearance against the Express, where he allowed one hit with three strikeouts.

The Riverdogs will pitch Jordon Accetta (Wofford College) who went six innings in his last start, giving up two earned runs off three hits.

 

Location: James Madison High School, 7 p.m.

The Grays will take on the Baltimore Redbirds tonight with Connor Van Hoose (Bucknell) on the mound. Van Hoose is coming off a relief appearance agaisnt the Big Train where he went 1.1 giving up three earned runs off four hits.

The Redbirds will start Mark Curtis of Shippensburg Univeristy who is coming off a quality seven inning start giving up just two hits and no earned runs.

 

Location: Calvert Hall High School

Last night, the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League held their all star game at Bethesda Big Train’s Shirley Povich Field. The turnout for the league’s top players was large, with numerous scouts in attendance behind the backstop.

The D.C. Grays were represented by three position players; Colton Shaver (1B BYU), Quinn Carpenter (OF Texas Tech), and Old Dominion University’s Kurt Sinnen (1B).

Shaver participated in the league’s home run derby, something he has gotten used to this summer after coming off his appearance in the NCAA College Home Run Derby in Omaha.

But yesterday’s Grays’ standout player ended up being the most valuable player on the night for the league.

Kurt Sinnen went 1-1 with an RBI and scored the winning run. Sinnen started, hit in the nine hole, and quietly dominated at the plate and in the field.

With only three Grays players represented, Sinnen made his presence known and represented the D.C. Grays the best way possible, by winning the MVP.

Sinnen has had a strong season at the plate with a team-leading .308 batting average and a tie for RBIs with 14.

He’s been the swiss army knife of the Grays’ infield, filling in wherever needed with a .985 fielding percentage.

Although the Grays weren’t strong in numbers last night, Kurt Sinnen stood out with his steady performance and even-keeled demeanor that earned him the MVP in a competitive all-star game.

GAME RECAP  7-12-2015

By: Anna Adunlavey; @annadunlaveyy

​​The Rockville Express scored four runs in the first inning of yesterday’s game, and the Grays never recovered. The final score was a 5-3 Grays loss. The Grays are now 13-20 on the season.

​Zack Irwin (East Mississippi CC) had a shaky start start in his first pitching performance in two weeks, but recovered nicely to give the Grays a solid outing. He gave up six hits over seven innings of work, and four of them were in the first inning. Irwin allowed one run to score on a single and then gave up a three-run homer.

After that, Irwin regained control. He retired the side in order in four of the next six innings he pitched. Irwin allowed another run to score in the top of the seventh, when a batter he had hit with a pitch scored on a single.
​Harry Thomas (UNC-Greensboro) came out in relief for the final two innings. Thomas only gave up one hit, walked one batter, and struck out three.

All three of the Grays’ runs were driven in by SS Jackson Kramer (Lafayette). In the top of the third, LF Harrison Bruce (University of San Francisco) walked and 3B Keifer Rawlings (Bucknell) was hit by a pitch. When Mike Caputo (Seton Hall) struck out and Bryan Baquer (Washington College) hit into a fielder’s choice, Kramer was at bat with two outs and two runners on. Kramer tripled, hitting the gap in deep right center, and scored both Bruce and Baquer.
​In the top of the seventh, Kramer once again came up with two outs, except this time the bases were loaded. RF Tony Holton (Jackson State) and Baquer had singled, and Bruce had walked again. Kramer singled to bring Holton across the plate.

​The Grays will get to rest for a few days with the Ripken League All-Star Break this Monday through Wednesday. Their next game is an away game against the Baltimore Redbirds on Thursday.