Written by Mahaley Wise

Four innings of a tied game that began a pitchers' duel had both the Thunderbolts and Grays battling for the win. Both teams demonstrated aggressive baserunning, major strikeouts, and key fielding moments. However, a tense early game quickly turned into a rallying win for the Thunderbolts against the Grays. 

The Thunderbolts jumped ahead in the first inning, starting with a triple delivered by David Vozzo (Moravian College), who was brought home on a sacrifice fly from Jack Hurda (Clarion). The Grays worked their way out of the inning with a jumping catch from the first baseman. 

D.C. stopped the T-Bolts for scoring more runs, stranding three runners on base. The Grays fought back with back-to-back singles by Ryan Soong (WashU) and Noel Rivera (Marist College), followed by matching stolen bases by the two runners. Soong made it home on a groundout. Noel Rivera followed shortly and was sent home by a single from Ethan Nagy (Lock Haven). The Grays took the lead at the end of the inning with a 2-1 score. 

Brady Myers (Lock Haven), pitcher for the Grays, demonstrated his power in the third inning, with three straight strikeouts. The Thunderbolts tied the game at 2-2 with a single by Vance Bonior (UMass Amherst) to send home Jack McCarthy (Marymount). The Thunderbolts and Grays bats wilted in the heat as both teams failed to earn runs in the next four innings. 

The teams engaged in a pitchers' duel as they exchanged zeros on the scoreboard until the top of the eighth inning. Adian Driscoll (Maryland) hit a lead-off double, followed by a single served by McCarthy to send Driscoll home, ending the tie in favor of the Thunderbolts. They continue to increase their lead, taking advantage of an infield error with bases loaded to gain two more runs. Back at the top of the lineup, Vozzo smashed a double to center field, bringing two more runners home. Thunderbolts loaded the bases and got another run off a sacrifice fly by Driscoll. Vozzo was caught in a pickle between second and third base for the final out of the inning, but not before the Thunderbolts gained a commanding 8-2 lead. 

The Thunderbolts now lead in their division after the Cropdusters lost to the Senators. While the Grays remain second in their division, tied with the Alexandra Aces in wins and losses. The Grays move on to play the Braves, and the Thunderbolts take on the Giants Thursday night.