​GAME RECAP (Grays at T-Bolts) 6-29-2016

By: DCGrays.com Press: Josh Shelton

After leading the Silver Spring-Tacoma Thunder Bolts 9-2 at one point Wednesday night, the DC Grays fell 13-12 on the road after surrendering a ninth inning three run home run.  With the loss, the Grays stay in fourth place in the Ripken League South division, four and a half games back from the leading Bethesda Big Train. Their 9-12 record puts them in seventh place in the league overall.
The offense was hot for the Grays, as they got 12 runs on 17 hits.  Five of those runs came in the second inning. SS Garrett Hudson (Virginia Tech) continued to impress, going three for six with three RBIs and two runs scored. Hudson and DH Zach McCrum (Eastern Kentucky) both had two run homers that helped get the Grays to a 12-10 lead.
The pitching, however, was spotty at best giving up 13 runs (10 earned) over the course of the game. Starter David Giusti (Lafayette) struggled, allowing four earned runs (seven total), while walking three and striking out four T-Bolt batters. LHP Marlon Pruitt (Grambling St.) allowed the walk off, three-run home run to pinch hitter Nick Cieri, giving the Grays their twelfth loss of the season.  In between, Scotty Bean (Slippery Rock) and Trey Congleton (Fairleigh Dickinson) also had less than their best stuff.
 The Grays return home to face off against the Rockville Express (5-15) Thursday night at the Nationals Youth Academy.  The Grays look to get back in the win column and work their way back into first place like they were just a week ago.

​GAME PREVIEW (Grays vs Express) 6-30-2016

By: DCGrays.com Press

After a deflating loss to the Silver Spring/Takoma Thunderbolts in walk-off HR fashion last night, the Grays (9-12) finally return home to face the Rockville Express(5-15) tonight 7p. The past week of games for the Grays away from home has been one that they hope to forget ASAP.

The Grays look to get on the winning track again with Bo Burrup (BYU) on the mound as tonight’s starting pitcher.

First pitch scheduled for 7p at the home of the Grays, the Washington Nationals Youth Academy (3675 Ely Place SE, Washington, DC)

​FEATURE STORY

By DCGrays.com Press (6-28-2016)

 

Team partners with USO, MLB Players Association for clinic at Andrews AFB

The DC Grays hosted a clinic for 132 children from military families across the region Tuesday, working with the USO and the Major League Baseball Players Association to provide a day of baseball and softball fun on the ballfields of Andrews Air Force Base.  Six members of the Washington Nationals joined in the fun – including new Nats manager Dusty Baker.  The Nationals, who took part in the clinic as part of the MLBPA’s Players Trust City Clinic program, took photos, signed autographs and answered questions from the campers.   In addition to Baker, Nationals coach Jacque Jones and Nationals players Clint Robinson, Blake Treinen, Sammy Solis and Ben Revere participated.

Colonel Bradley T. Hoagland, the Commander of the 11th Wing and Joint Base Andrews, welcomed everyone to the base and discussed a little bit about Andrews AFB and its historic significance as the home of Air Force One.  The campers were divided into groups based on age, and several stations were set up over two softball fields and in the adjacent batting cages.  Grays players provided instruction, along with Nationals players.

The campers were also treated to a pizza lunch, served by DC Grays players.  They received free Rawlings baseball gloves from the MLBPA and commemorative tote bags from the USO.

Kevin McGuiness, Chief Operating Officer of the MLBPA and a former founding board member of the Dc Grays, was in attendance, along with former Major Leaguer and baseball Olympian Jeffrey Hammond.  Hammonds oversees youth baseball development for the MLBPA.

GAME PREVIEW (Grays at Thunderbolt) 6-29-2016

By: DC Grays.com Press

The Grays(9-11) are on the road to face the Silver Spring/Takoma Thunderbolts(11-9) tonight to start the unofficial second half of the season. The team looks to turn around a roller coaster ride of a first half that showed both the good and bad side of the Grays.

David Giusti (Lafayette) starts on the mound for the Grays tonight and makes his forth start of the season. Giusti currently sits at 2-0 with a solid ERA of 3.24. As he looks to get his third win of the season, the Grays are confident that the second half will be more productive and bring more wins for the team as well. “Once this team stops the mental mistakes, we can beat anybody” said Manager Reggie Terry. “Giusti has the type of workhorse ethic can help lead us along the way!”

Tonight’s game has a start time of 7pm Blair Stadium at Montgomery Blair High School (51 University Boulevard East, Silver Spring, MD 20901) which is the home field for Silver Spring/Takoma

​GAME RECAP (Grays at Aces) 6-26-2016

By: DCGrays.com Press: Josh Shelton 

The DC Grays’ lost weekend was completed Sunday evening, when the Grays dropped both games of a doubleheader at Frank Mann Field against the Alexandria Aces Sunday. The final scores were 4-1 and 6-5, the fourth and fifth straight losses for DC. The Grays record plummeted to 8-11 along with their place in the division, as they fell back to fourth place.

When one aspect of the Grays’ game excelled, another would invariably suffer.

In the opener, the pitching kept the game within reach, but the Grays could only generate a single run.  Starter Evan Jordan (Southeastern Louisiana) only allowed two earned runs (four in total) over six innings of the seven inning game, while recording five strikeouts. The only Grays offense, however, came from 1B Drake Hollingsworth’s (Alabama-Huntsville) RBI grounder that scored C Evan Pace (Southeastern Louisiana).

After switching the line-up for game two, the DC offense was sparked by a newcomer.  In his first Grays at-bat, SS Garret Hudson (Virginia Tech) crushed a two-RBI double off the fence to score DH Marques Inman (West Virginia) and Pace in the top of the first. In the second, 2B Lamar Briggs (Jackson St.) singled to drive in LF Luke Robinson (Lafayette) to put the Grays up 4-0. Even after game two starter Matthew Dalke (Southeastern Louisiana) gave up three runs in the second inning, the Grays offense bounced back with a Pace solo shot to make the game 5-3 heading into the final inning.

That’s where the wheels fell off for the pitching staff.  Second-year Gray Marlon Pruitt (Grambling St.) and reliever Bryan Quillens (Eastern Kentucky) couldn’t hold the lead in the seventh, and the Aces notched their second victory of the day.

The Grays stay on the road Monday as they travel to Baltimore to take on the struggling Dodgers.  The Dodgers and the Grays both look to end long losing streaks with a win Monday night at 7pm at Joe Cannon Field.

​GAME PREVIEW (Grays at Dodgers) 6-27-2016

By: DCGrays.com Press

After a bad weekend of tough losses for the Grays (8-11), they hope to break the losing streak tonight in Hanover, MD as they travel to face the Baltimore Dodgers (8-10). One day before the league-wide off day the team looks to get back into the win column to end their first half of the season.

Jake Josephs (Old Dominion) will be tonight’s starting pitcher for the Grays. Josephs currently has a 1-0 record with a 4.05 ERA. His first start of the season was ironically versus the Dodgers in which he went 6.1 innings allowing 3 earned runs.

First pitch is scheduled for 7p at Joe Cannon Stadium (7551 Teague Rd, Hanover, MD 21076) which is the home field of the Baltimore Dodgers.

​GAME RECAP (Grays at Redbirds) 6-25-2016

By: DCGrays.com Press: Blane Crouse

The Grays fell to the Redbirds 4-3 on Saturday night, dropping a heartbreaker after a valiant comeback.  The Grays are now  8-9 on the season and sit in fourth place in the CRCBL South Division.
For the first two innings both teams could not score and were knotted at zero after two innings of play. That changed when the Redbirdshit a home run in the bottom of the third inning. Neither team would scoreagain until the bottom of the eighth when the Redbirds added another run to their lead.
The Grays went into the top of the ninth down 2-0 and struggling offensively as they only had two hits.  CF JawanMcAllister (Pittsburgh) lead off the bottom of the ninth with a single, as did 3B Marques Inman (West Virginia).  With the tying runs on base C Evan Pace (SELouisiana) singled as well, loading the bases with no outs for DH Drake Hollingsworth (Alabama-Huntsville). Hollingsworth fell behind 0-2 then grounded in to a fielder’s choice, scoring McAllister for the Grays first run of the game. 2B Lamar Briggs (Jackson St) then drove in Inman with a sacrifice fly.
With two outs and the game tied at two, LF Luke Robinson (Lafayette) stepped up to bat and Denzl Chapman (San Diego St) was brought in as a pinch runner for Hollingsworth. Robinson singled, moving Chapman to third and bringing up 1B Tyler Thomas (Shepherd) with a chance to give the Grays alead. Thomas eventually advanced to first on an error by the Redbirds and Chapman came in to score to give the Grays a 3-2 lead. The next batter for the Grays was SS Eric Sloper (Shepherd) who grounded out to end the inning.
With the Grays leading 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, RHPJacob Erikson (San Diego St) went back out to pitch seeking his third straight complete game. Unfortunately, the Redbirds scored quickly evening the score at three. Erikson was pulled for RHP Bryan Quillens (Eastern Kentucky) after he surrendered the lead. The Redbirds then scored one more run for a walk off win.
Luke Robinson had a nice day at the plate going two for four, as did Lamar Briggs who went one for three with an RBI. Starting pitcherJacob Erikson was impressive once again for the Grays as he pitched 8.1 terrific innings – another workhorse performance.
Next up the Grays will stay on the road and take on the Alexandria Aces Sunday in a doubleheader starting at4:30pm.

GAME PREVIEW (Grays at Redbirds) 6-25-2016

By: DCGrays.com Press

The Grays are back on the road tonight after a struggling loss at the hands of the Herndon Braves last night. The Grays(8-8) look to erase the memory of being no-hot by the Braves less than twenty-four hours after the defeat. Tonight they face the Baltimore Redbirds(10-3). It’s going to be tough coming off two straight losses.

Tonight’s starter on the mound for the Grays will be Jacob Erickson (San Diego State) who currently has a 2-0 record with a league leading 0.42 ERA. His first two starts resulted in two complete games including a 1-0 shutout over the Rockville Express on June 19th. “The kid has a plan and well-oiled approach on the mound and he sticks to his script” said Antonio Scott, Grays General Manager.

First Pitch is scheduled for 6:30p at Carlo Crispino Stadium at Calvert Hall High School (8102 Lasalle Road, Towson, MD 21286)

​GAME RECAP (Grays at Braves) 6-24-2016

By: DCGrays.com Press: Josh Shelton 

Friday night was a tough one for the DC Grays, as the team went hitless and lost to the hone standing FCA Herndon Braves, 8-0. This was the team’s second straight loss, dropping their record to 8-8 and falling to third place in the Ripken League south division.

Not much offense was generated Friday night as Braves pitchers combined to throw a no hitter. Only six Grays got aboard (four walks, two errors), but all were stranded on base.

DC starter Simon Rosenblum-Larson (Harvard) struggled inhis third loss of the year in three appearances. He only lasted four and two thirds innings with two strikeouts and two earned runs. Good news for the bullpen, as LHP Marlon Pruitt (Grambling St.) joined the team and pitched two and one third scoreless innings while striking out five Braves batters. Pruitt was a reliable reliever on last year’s Grays squad.

The Grays will look to end their two game losing streak tomorrow on the road against the Baltimore Redbirds at 6:30pm at Calvert Hall. Jacob Erickson (San Diego State), one of the top starters in the league so far, will be on the mound for the Grays.

​GAME PREVIEW (Grays vs T Bolts) 6-23-2016

By: DCGrays.com Press: Blane Crouse

The Grays fell to the Silver Spring-Tacoma T Bolts 6-4 Thursday night, ending the Grays win streak at four games. The Grays fall to 8-7 on the season and sit in 2nd place in the South Division of the Ripken League.
The Grays fell behind early as the T Bolts scored a run in the first inning and then added two more runs in the top of the second.
With the Grays down 3-0, 3B Marques Inman (West Virginia) hit a solo home run over the left field wall to bring the Grays within two. The T Bolts then added another run in the top of the fourth bringing their lead to 4-1.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, SS Eric Sloper (Shepherd) doubled and advanced to third on an error by the T Bolts. 2B Tanner Sampson (Mount St. Mary’s) then singled to drive in Sloper to bring the Grays within two. The Grays added another run in thebottom of the sixth after DH Evan Pace (SE Louisiana) drove in LF Luke Robinson (Lafayette) who had singled and stole second earlier in the inning.
The Grays were trailing 4-3 in the top of the seventh when the T-Bolts added two more runs pushing their lead to 6-3. The Grays rallied inthe bottom of the eighth as RF Vinnie Catanza (Florida Tech) drove in Robinson who had reached base on a fielder’s choice earlier in the inning. Catanza doubled and was thrown out on a close call trying to stretch the double into a triple, ending the inning and the Grays’ rally.  The Grays got no closer the rest of the way.
Grays RHP Trey Congleton (Farleigh Dickinson) was excellent in relief going 2.1 innings allowing no runs and striking out two batters. At the plate, the Grays were lead by Marques Inman, Vinnie Catanza, Tanner Sampson and Evan Pace who all drove in one run. CF Denzl Chapman (San Diego St) added two hits in four at bats.
Next up, the Grays will travel to Herndon to take on the Braves on Friday night. RHP Simon Rosenblum-Larson (Harvard) will be on the mound as the Grays look to get back in to the win column.