Written by Erin Hughes

The D.C. Grays held on to claim a 7-6 victory over the Metro South County Braves on Wednesday night in Woodbridge in the first round of play-in games for the 2025 LCS Playoffs. 

Ty Morris (Marist) pitched around a leadoff walk to sit down the next three Braves batters he faced in the top of the first.

Noel Rivera (Marist) started off the home half of the first with a single and advanced to second on an error. A fielder’s choice from Joe Marini (Catholic U) moved Noel Rivera to third and Ryan Soong’s (WashU) sacrifice fly scored him. Tanner Wolpert (Franklin & Marshall) singled to keep the inning going, and a double into the left field corner by Jack McMullan (Liberty) allowed Wolpert to score the Grays’ second run.

Andy Rivera (Holy Family) and Marc Quarrie (Wofford) used back-to-back singles to get on base in the bottom of the second. Noel Rivera reached on a fielder’s choice that erased Quarrie and an error on the play let Andy Rivera cross home, giving the Grays a 3-0 lead. 

Following a quiet few half-innings for both sides, Quarrie and Tyler Wiltsey (Rutgers) walked and singled to lead off the bottom of the fourth. The runners stole third and second, respectively, to get into scoring position. A balk sent Quarrie home and Wiltsey to third before Wiltsey scored on a wild pitch. With the bases clear, Marini singled and stole second. Wolpert singled through the right side to plate Marini for the final run of the inning. 

The Braves first run came with two outs in the top of the fifth, after two consecutive walks to Franklin Gomez Jr. (Fairleigh Dickinson) and Trent Adelman (VCU). A single from Charlie Brinkman (Liberty) plated Gomez Jr., before Adelman was thrown out at home by Grays second baseman Noel Rivera. 

A one-out walk to Nich Francuzenko (Towson) allowed a Braves runner on early in the sixth. Aleksei Goldhill (Bryant) sent a double into right field as Francuzenko stopped 90 feet away from home. Andre Bouffard (Fairleigh Dickinson) hit into a fielder’s choice to send Francuzenko home and Goldhill crossed home next on a wild pitch, cutting the Grays lead to 6-3. 

Marini knocked a leadoff triple into right field to start the home frame and Soong’s second sacrifice fly of the day scored him to give the Grays a 7-3 lead. One more runner got on for the Grays in the inning, but they could not capitalize.

After Brinkman reached on a fielder’s choice in the top of the seventh, Charley Magoulick (Rider) plated him with a two-out double to right field. 

Braves pitcher Tom Bourque (William & Mary) tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, and Francuzenko drew a walk to keep momentum going for South County in the eighth. Francuzenko moved to second on a passed ball and Goldhill’s third hit of the day, a single, sent him to third. A second fielder’s choice from Bouffard plated Francuzenko and erased Goldhill, and Bouffard moved to second on an error. JW Kohlmeyer (VMI) singled for his first hit of the night as Bouffard advanced to third. Gomez Jr. took his third walk of the day to load the bases, and Bouffard scored on a wild pitch to bring the Braves within one at 7-6. Despite the bases loading once more in the inning, Grays righty Alex Bergen (Gettysburg) fanned a batter for the final two outs. 

Bergen tossed a three up, three down top of the ninth to clinch the Grays’ victory and move his team into the second day of play-in games. The Grays will face the No. 4-seeded Southern Maryland Senators as the away team in Woodbridge on Wednesday, July 23.