Grays Rally Late to Top Senators 13–9 in Back-and-Forth Thriller
In one of the most thrilling games of the season so far, the DC Grays clawed their way to a dramatic 13–9 win over the Southern Maryland Senators on the road Monday night, thanks to a wild ninth inning and clutch performances all around.
After falling behind 4–0 in the first inning, the Grays refused to go quietly. Newcomer Tyler Wiltsey (Rutgers) made an instant impact in his debut, launching a 2-RBI double in the second and scoring on a passed ball to help cut the deficit to 4–3. By the third, Noel Rivera (Marist) tied things up after some heads-up baserunning, and the two teams would trade punches the rest of the night.
Joey Chitla (Wofford) and Soong (Washington University) sparked the offense throughout the early innings, while Luke Caucci (Lafayette) turned heads with slick defense at both first and third — making athletic stops, snagging liners, and firing throws to keep the Senators off the board in key spots.
After the Senators pushed ahead 5–4, the Grays responded again with another tying run in the fourth, fueled by Addonizio's (Lafayette) contact and a well-timed passed ball. The real fireworks came in the sixth, when Jacob Nagy (Lock Haven) roped an RBI double and Marc Quarrie (Wofford) forced a two-run error to give the Grays their first lead of the game, 8–5.
But the Senators weren't done. They exploded for four runs in the bottom of the eighth to retake the lead, 9–8 — forcing the Grays into a pitching change and setting up what would be a wild finish.
In the top of the ninth, the Grays delivered in a big way. A walk and a perfectly placed single by Addonizio tied the game at 9–9. Then, a passed ball gave DC a 10–9 lead before Quarrie capitalized on a throwing error to plate two more. Caucci added an RBI single to extend the lead to 13–9.
Colin Casey (Randolph-Macon) came on in the bottom of the ninth and locked it down with a pop-up, a strikeout, and some calm under pressure. Ballgame.
With the victory, the Grays improve to 9–5, now 2nd in the South Division, just one game back from the first-place Senators, and riding a four-game winning streak.
