Behind terrific pitching, the DC Grays ended their two game losing skid after defeating the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts 5-1 at the Washington Nationals Youth Academy on Friday. DC improved to 9-16 on the year.
As the playoffs begin to near, the Grays got a much needed win as they jump ahead of the Thunderbolts and Gaithersburg Giants in the league standings. The Grays started off hot, as they recorded three straight hits from the top of their order in the bottom of the first. Geroge Mason’s Derek Wood and Brown’s Miles Newsome both singled in the bottom of the first, allowing Wofford’s Connor Larson to bring home one run with a line-drive double. A hit-by-pitch and a walk would cost the Thunderbolts another run, making the score 2-0 after the 1st inning. Thunderbolts catcher Bowman Wingard (Macalester) was able to find some success, singling to get on base as well as advancing to second due to a pitching error, but they would end up going scoreless again to end the top of the second. Kyle Tyler (Valparaiso) showed off his speed in the 2nd inning by being able to score from 2nd base, after an errant throw. A Connor Larson walk and stolen base set up Maine’s Myles Sargeant to score another run with his single, increasing the score to 4-0 going into the third inning. Grays starter Diego Barrett (North Carolina A&T) had another terrific outing, allowing one run, striking out six batters, and walking none. Barrett pitched a shutout ball for five innings before giving up a lone run in the sixth. The DC lead grew bigger in the fifth as a Myles Sargeant single, Aaron Thomas (Wofford) single, and a Braeden Mondeau (BYU) walk would set up a bases-loaded balk from Thunderbolts pitcher Michael Heckman (Shippensburg) to bring in yet another run for the Grays, going up 5-0 entering the 6th inning. The Thunderbolts would be able to score their one and only run in the 6th inning, after an error by Gray’s catcher Michael Mallas (Lafayette) allowed Joseph Kaleck (West Chester) to score from second base. Delaware State’s Evan Bouldin, Wofford’s Sam Stratton, and Alvernia’s Ryan Wheeler would all contribute to the Gray’s pitching performance, each throwing a scoreless inning for DC. The Grays look to keep winning as they play a home double header on Saturday against the Bethesda Big Train at 4:30pm and 7:00pm
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By: William Franciscus
There were two heroic late game blasts last night at Frank Mann Field in Alexandria. Unfortunately for the visitng DC Grays, the final blow was struck by the league-leading Aces. - a walk off home run that sent the visitors home on the short end of a 10-9 score. The game got off to a brisk start, as Alexandria opened the scoring early. Dylan Grego (Ball St) stole home, and an RBI double from Alex Wade (Auburn) gave the Aces a 2-0 lead in the first. The Grays answered back in second as Myles Sargent (Maine) drove in Henry Zipay (Nebraska Omaha) with a ground out, putting the Grays on the board. DC’s offense exploded in the third inning as Evan Bouldin (Delaware St) singled in a run and then Zipay blasted a two run double giving the Grays a 4-2 lead. The Grays were able to add two more runs on a sac fly by Sargent and a single by Braden Mondeau (BYU) made it 6-2. A throwing error by added another as Parker Goff (BYU) scored and capped off the six-run inning. After the barrage, DC lead 7-2. The Aces began chipping away at DC’s lead. The Aces added one in the third as Gavin Miller (Auburn) stole home. Alexandria cut even deeper into the Grays lead in the fifth as they scored two runs on a throwing error. In the seventh, Nick Gregory (Ball St) tied the game at seven with a two run double. Matt Ossenfort (Vanderbilt) broke the tie as he hit a sac fly making it 8-7 and then a Gregory stole home, and the Aces took a 9-7 lead. The Grays went into the eighth trailing for the first time since the third inning and came out swinging. Goff reached on a hit by pitch and then Sargent hit a towering two run homer that tied the game again this time at 9-9. DC then loaded the bases, but couldn’t plate the run that would give them the lead. Caleb Causey (Miss Valley St) was on the bump for the Grays in the ninth as he tried to continue a solid relief outing. He retired the first batter of the inning, and then up came Ossenfort, who sent Causey’s second offering way over the right field fence as the Aces won 10-9. Micheal Gillen (Seton Hall) picked up the win for the Aces, while Causey was credited with the loss. The Grays fall to 8-15 while Alexandria won their tenth straight moving to 17-2. Myles Sargent led the Grays with four RBI’s and Henry Zipay had two RBI’s. After a day off for Independence Day, DC will be back in action Wednesday as they travel to Montgomery Blair High School as they take on the Silver Spring Takoma Thunderbolts at 7 o’clock. The Grays extended their win streak to two on Sunday. DC defeated the Gaithersburg Giants 10-5, rallying behind a pair of home runs from Myles Sargeant (Maine Orono) and Joe Marini (Catholic). The Grays have won three of their last four outings, getting a much-needed win at the Nationals Youth Academy. The Giants got on the board first in the top of the second, after a Brendan Klieman (Frederick CC) single brought in Jake Butler (George Mason). The Grays responded in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs thanks to a walk to Henry Zipay (Nebraska Omaha) and a Myles Sargeant home run. Alex Jankowski (Gaston) kept the Grays momentum going in the third by retiring the Giants in order. The Grays didn’t stop there, as Joe Marini was able to extend the lead with a three run homer, making it 5-1 at the end of the third. Gaithersburg cut the lead to 5-4 in the seventh, as Kyler Tyler (Valparaiso) struggled on the mound for the Grays, resulting in a couple of walks and wild pitches and giving the Giants life. But Evan Bouldin (Delaware State) would close out the top of the seventh for the Grays. A wild pitch from Gaitherburg’s Andrew Owens (Frederick CC) brought in Connor Larson (Wofford) to boost the Gray’s lead to 6-4 at the end of the seventh. DC would pull away in the eighth inning, obtaining five of their 11 hits and scoring four runs. Braeden Mondeau (BYU) and Connor Larson both singled, bringing in two runs each to give the Grays a comfortable 10-4 lead. Sam Stratton would finish up the game for the Grays on the mound, striking out three batters and allowing one hit. Brendan Klieman’s single would bring in Matthew Williams (Millersville) to score for the Giants, but it would be too little too late.
The Grays improved to 8-14 and got their second straight home win against the Giants. The Grays look to make it three in a row on Monday against the Alexandria Aces at Frank Mann Field, at 6:30 pm. In a rainy Friday evening game, the DC Grays (7-14) rode a dominant pitching performance by Diego Barrett (North Carolina A &T) and a revived offense to defeat the Southern Maryland Senators (7-12) at Regency Furniture Stadium.
The Grays scored early, with an RBI double from Derrick Mayes (UMD Eastern Shore) to score Miles Newsome (Brown) in the first inning. The hit was one of eight for the Grays on Friday night, double their total against Big Train the night prior. In the top of the third inning, Mayes, Parker Goff (BYU) scored on wild pitches and Evan Bouldin (Delaware State) was driven in on a single by Henry Zipay (Nebraska Omaha), giving the Grays a 4-0 lead. But the scoring did not end there. In the top of the fifth, Michael Mallas (Lafayette) stole both second and third, and came home on an RBI single from Aaron Thomas (Wofford). Mallas went two-for-three and had three walks. The Lafayette catcher crossed home for a second time in the top of the eighth, batted in by Zipay. Diego Barrett started DC, and allowed only one hit.. Barrett struck out four batters over his six innings on the mound. The outing was Barrett's first win of the season, bringing his record to 1-1. Ryan Wheeler (Alvernia) relieved Barrett, allowing no hits over his three innings. “As a pitcher, it’s easier to pitch with a lead than when you’re down,” Wheeler stated postgame. “This morning I told Diego we were going to get him his first win, that really drove me to pitch well. I trust my fielders to make plays, I just focused on hitting the zone.” DC plays again Saturday night and will host the Olney Cropdusters at Nationals Baseball Youth Academy at 7 p.m. |
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