Walks give T-Bolts win over Grays

GAME RECAP 6-30-2015

By Anna Dunlavey; @annadunlaveyy

​The DC Grays were keeping good pace with the homestanding Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts for most of last night’s game. Then, in the bottom of the seventh, they fell apart. The Grays gave up three runs in the seventh and four runs in the eighth before a Grays rally in the top of the ninth fell short.  The 10-7 loss puts the Grays’ record at 9-15 on the season.

The Grays started strong, with CF Bryan Baquer (Washington College) hitting a leadoff double in the first inning and 3B Keifer Rawlings (Bucknell) scoring him. The T-Bolts scored on their half of the first, knotting the game at 1.
​When the T-Bolts scored in the third, the Grays got one back in the fourth. 1B Scott Sanders (Southeastern Louisiana) doubled to score C Colton Shaver (Brigham Young) and almost brought in LF Lamar Briggs (Jackson State) as well, but Briggs was called out after a scramble at the plate. The T-Bolts got another run in the fifth on a passed ball, and the Grays evened the score at three in the top of the seventh, with Kurt Sinnen (Old Dominion) scoring on a single from Shaver.

​Starting pitcher Ryan Garner (Memphis) was on the mound for four innings. He gave up three runs on six hits, walking two and striking out one. He was relieved by Bailey Spence (Cecil CC) in the fifth inning. He struck out two and walked one, and up until the seventh inning, he had given up no hits or runs.

The bottom of the seventh looked like it would be a quick one. Spence retired the first two batters in order. However, the T-Bolts then scored three runs, including one on a bases loaded walk after Steven Ghiardi (Millersville) relieved Spence. The Grays got one of those runs back in the top of the eighth, when LF Desmond Stegall (Grambling State) scored on a sacrifice fly from SS Jackson Kramer (Lafayette), and making up those other two runs didn’t seem out of reach.

​But in the bottom of the eighth, Jarred Scott (Alabama Southern CC) walked three batters in a row and was then relieved by Marlon Pruitt (Grambling State). That turned into a four-run inning for the T-Bolts. One run scored on a bases loaded walk and one on a wild pitch. Scott was tagged with three of the runs, and Pruitt was charged with one, along with walking two batters and giving up one hit.
​For a few moments in the bottom of the ninth, it looked like the Grays could come back from that 10-4 deficit. Sinnen scored after RF Quinn Carpenter (Texas Tech) hit into a fielder’s choice that got Shaver out. Rawlings scored on a dropped third strike, and Carpenter scored on a wild pitch. However, the rally was too little, too late. The Grays wouldn’t tally again.​

Tonight, the Grays will make the trip to Shirley Povich Field to play the Bethesda Big Train. Connor Van Hoose (Bucknell) is the expected starting pitcher for the Grays.