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Grays Set the Tone Early and Never Look Back in 6–1 Win
Written by Mahaley Wise
In the sweltering heat Monday night, the Grays took an early lead. As the temperature dropped, so did the offensive momentum from both teams—but the Grays’ defense held strong, securing the 6-1 win over the visiting Giants.
The Grays ran through their lineup in the first inning, scoring five runs. Marc Quarrie (Wofford) and Ryan Soong (WashU) stole third and second base moving in collective unison to put runners in scoring position. The Grays then ignited the field with three consecutive singles, driving in the first four runs of the inning. An error by the Giants second baseman allowed the fifth run of the inning to score and gave the Grays the upper hand in the game.
The Giants were unable to make any damage to the Grays lead. The Grays were unable to tack on any security runs.
In the fourth inning, the Giants took advantage of a shaky Grays pitcher who hit three batters to load the bases. A sacrifice fly by Magnus Krieger (Seton Hall) scored Andrew Holub (Iowa) for the first Giants run. They were unable to do anymore damage in the inning and left the game at a 5-1 lead for the Grays.
After a walk, aggressive base running by Andrew Ruggeri (Penn) allowed the Grays to score another run in the bottom half. He came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Quarrie. The Grays took back their lost run in the fourth inning, keeping the deficit at five for the Giants.
The Grays demonstrated an incredible pitching rotation with Owen Basso (Lafayette), Drew Norton (Dickinson) and Dean Qira (Stevens Tech) no hitting the Giants into the seventh inning. The Grays also delivered strong defensive plays, ensuring the Giants bats were kept silent.
Their luck ran out in the seventh, when Ethan McNally (Clarion) singled to end the no-hitter. But the Giants were not able to capitalize on the hit and left the inning with no additional runs.
The eighth inning was clean with three up and three down for both teams. In the ninth inning, the Giants had one final opportunity to rally, while the Grays faced the challenge of shutting them down. The Grays won out, with Sam Moseman (NYU) setting Gaithersburg down in order.
The Grays’ early surge gave them a comfortable lead, holding off any Giants’ attempts to spark a comeback. With solid pitching and timely hits in the opening innings, the Grays secured a decisive 6-1 victory
