Grays Look for Wins in Season’s Final Stretch

 September 26, 2020

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The dog days of this strange summer have not brought out the best in the local nine, as the team has won just two games out of the nine played since August 1. On that day, Providence traveled to Westfield to take on the Wheelmen of that town in one 1886 contest and came up short 18 to 5. On August 15, the Grays faced off with the Union BBC of Boston and swept the day with a 14 to 2 win in the 1865 match and a thrilling 15 to 14 victory in the 1864 game in ten innings. August 22 saw Providence lose substantially to the Union 31-7 in a rematch of the previous weekend’s action, also giving up the rain-shortened matinee 9-6 in six innings. On September 13, the Rhode Islanders met up with the Connecticut BBC of Hartford on neutral territory and fell in two 1864 games, 16 to 7 and 15 to 9. Most recently, Providence returned to the field against their chief 2020 rival Boston Union on September 19, losing the first game (1864) 11 to 10 in ten innings, then handing the Union their second consecutive sweep with a 37 to 21 loss in the second game (1865). The Grays will fight for a return to the win column this Saturday, September 26, as they face the Tunnelmen of Lisbon, Connecticut, in a ‘64/’65 doubleheader.

Providence vs. Westfield, August 1

The Providence defense behind pitcher Kai Henson got off to a good start, holding the Wheelmen scoreless in the first inning, but the hosts returned to the plate in the second to plate two aces while holding the Grays at bay for a 2 to 0 early lead. Westfield’s pitching delayed Providence’s first hit of the game until the third inning, when right fielder Steve “Slider” Schneider reached first on a clean single, but the Rhody squad failed to plate an ace as Westfield added four more in their half of the frame for a 6-0 lead after three.

The home team added seven more tallies across the middle innings, as the Grays eked out two more over that same span. Third baseman Chris Welch led off the fifth with a double and scored on an RBI from Helen Sheldon (2B). In the sixth, center fielder Johnny Carlevale reached base on an error by the first baseman then scored on a Kai Henson sacrifice RBI.

Facing a 13 to 2 deficit, Providence kept Westfield from crossing the plate in the seventh and eight innings, but the Wheelmen settled business with a five-run ninth. Providence persevered, scoring three runs before the final out was made. Final score, Westfield 18, Providence 5.

Grays vs. Union, August 15

The first game of this doubleheader showcased the Grays in great form, as the Providence nine cruised to a decisive 14-2 victory behind the pitching of Captain Brian Travers. The veteran leader of the squad knocked an RBI single in the first inning to help himself to a quick 1-0 lead. Center fielder Kai Henson also singled, and short stop Mike Duggan scored after reaching base on an error. Right fielder Helen Sheldon opened the action in the second inning with a single followed by three consecutive doubles off the bats of Duggan, Travers, and K. Henson. Catcher Johnny Carlevale punctuated the inning’s offense with a single, as the Grays plated three more for a 4 to 0 lead after two.

Boston remained scoreless through three innings, while the Grays added three more in their third, with singles and runs scored by first baseman Charlie Dryer, second baseman Jon Henson, and third baseman Dave “Grandpa” Watson. Travers and K. Henson rounded out the hits with two more singles each. The Union scored all of their runs for the duration in the fourth inning, and Providence matched them in that frame to make it 9-2 at the halfway mark. Carlevale reached on an error in the sixth and scored on another error. Duggan singled and scored on a Travers’ sac RBI. Travers managed yet another double in the eighth, scoring when Kai Henson drew a walk. Carlevale singled and scored in the eighth along with K. Henson when left fielder Jamie Maynard singled to drive them in. Final – Providence 14, Union 2.

The second game followed the rules of 1864, with Providence striking first and tallying three aces in their opening frame. Duggan (SS) and Travers (1B) led off with back-to-back singles and scored along with catcher Carlevale. Maynard (LF) and Dryer (3B) each picked up an RBI with their respective base knocks. Boston stormed right back with five aces of their own off Jon “Bones” Henson’s pitching to take the early 5-3 lead. Providence put up six runs in the second with base hits from Duggan, Carlevale, Maynard and Sheldon, then held the Union scoreless in the bottom of the second. Both squads tallied two aces in the third, and matched each other once again in the fourth, with a goose eggs in both the top and the bottom.

The Grays held an 11 to 7 lead going into the fifth inning. Duggan led off with a single and scored with a sacrifice RBI from Kai Henson (CF). Carlevale reached on an error and scored on a Maynard RBI single for a two-run Providence frame. Boston matched them with two of their own to make it 13-9 going into the sixth. Helen Sheldon doubled and scored on a K. Henson RBI single to put the Grays at 14 runs before Boston added two more in the bottom half to get within three, 14-11. Providence was unable to score in the seventh, eighth or ninth innings, while Boston scored one in the eighth and then tied it, 14-14, tallying two aces in the bottom of the ninth. Grandpa Watson led off the tenth with a single then scored on a Travers double to give the Grays the lead that held. Providence fought off a strong Union response in the bottom of the tenth to walk away with the sweep. Final – Grays, 15, Union 14.  

Providence vs. Boston, August 22

After such a narrow loss to the Grays the weekend prior, the Boston club was anxious for a rematch. This time, the Union found their stride and defeated Providence decisively in the first game then hung on long enough as the rain commenced to take the decision in the second contest after six innings. In game one, Carlevale (C) led off with a walk then scored on a sacrifice RBI from Travers (P). Boston tallied a first-inning ace as well for a 1-1 score. From there, the energy began to build for Boston, as they scored nine runs across the next three innings while holding the Grays scoreless for a commanding 10 to 1 lead going into the second half of the game. Providence found some life with a three-run fifth inning, with Helen Sheldon (RF) and Mike Duggan (SS) each recording singles and Carlevale doubling. Boston answered back with two more runs before scoring an astounding 19 runs against the Grays through their final three frames. Providence managed three more runs in the eighth, with clean singles from Duggan and third baseman Steve Schneider. Final – Union 31, Providence, 7.

Game two on the twenty-second started off more evenly matched, with the Grays and Union scoring back and forth through the first three innings, with Boston taking a slight lead early. By the sixth inning, with threatening skies, Providence was pitching to Boston who had a 9 to 6 lead when a downpour accompanied by lightning put an end to the festivities. Final – Boston 9, Providence 6.

Grays vs. Connecticut, September 13

Providence met up with a strong roster of ballists from Connecticut for two 1864 games on September 13 and were thwarted in their efforts to return to winning ways, with the Hartford club taking both matches on the day. The Grays plated one in their first when Carlevale crossed the dish on a Travers SAC RBI. Connecticut tallied four aces in their first for the early lead. Travers in the pitcher’s box held the Hartford gents scoreless in the second, while the Grays got one back with a single from Sean Garrity (RF) and a double from third baseman Tony Sciucco. Hartford scored five in the third after  Providence added two more with hits from first baseman Kai Henson, short stop Duggan, and left fielder Maynard. The score remained at 9-4 Connecticut through the scoreless fourth, before Carlevale scored on a K. Henson SAC RBI for one more Providence tally followed by two Connecticut aces in the bottom of the fifth.

Hartford scored five more times through their remaining at-bats while holding the Grays to only two more tallies, one in the eighth when K. Henson singled and scored on a Duggan RBI and one in the ninth when Carlevale touched the dish on another Travers RBI. Final – Connecticut 16, Providence, 7.

Connecticut struck first in game two and scored a run off of Bones Henson while holding the Grays scoreless in their first for the early 1-0 lead. Providence allowed the Hartfords another run in each of the next two innings, while scoring four of their own in the bottom of the third for a 4 to 3 lead going into the fourth inning. Travers walked and K. Henson, Duggan, and Sciucco all recorded singles to advance the Providence cause. Connecticut added two in the fourth to regain the lead only to see the Grays knot the score once again with one run added when Sean Wallace (RF) singled and drove in pitcher Bones Henson. After a scoreless fifth for Hartford, the Grays added one more in the fifth before the club from the Nutmeg State went off, plating nine runs in a decisive sixth inning. Providence got two back in the bottom of the sixth for a 14 to 8 Hartford advantage going into the final stretch. Both clubs managed another run each to settle the score with the Final – Connecticut 15, Providence 9.   

Providence vs. Boston Union, September 19

Boston straddled the striker’s line first in game one of this 1860s doubleheader. The first match was played by the rules of 1864, when balls (fair or foul) caught on a single bounce are enough to retire the batter. The Grays jumped off to a good defensive start, holding the Union scoreless in the first inning, then scoring two runs with Carlevale singling  then scoring on a Travers’ double and Travers scoring on a Kai Henson RBI. Boston scored three of Bones Henson in the top of the second while holding Providence to zero in their frame to score the score at three apiece. After a scoreless third inning for both teams, Boston added two more while Providence scored once in the fourth, with Dryer (3B) singling and scoring on left fielder Maynard’s sac fly to right.

Boston got one back in the fifth, but Providence added three more of their own, taking advantage of some errors and a base on balls to advance to a 7 to 6 lead going into the sixth inning. Boston scored three times in the sixth, and the Grays put two across to even things up at 9. Both squads came up big defensively but couldn’t manage much offense through the remainder of regulation, with the scoring staying put at 9 to 9 after nine complete. Boston was able to plate two in the top of the tenth to take the lead. Short stop Duggan reached base on an error and stole two bases before scoring on a Carlevale sacrifice. Providence was unable to muster another run to keep the game alive. Final – Boston 11, Providence 10.

Providence led off game two and put across a quick ace for their only lead of this difficult match. Travers singled and scored on a Duggan sacrifice, then Boston retired their bats without a score in the opening frame. After a zero put up in the Grays’ second, Boston tallied six for a sizable lead. Providence answered right back with five of their own, sparked by a single from left fielder Mike “Banquet” Swanson, and followed by consecutive singles from Carlevale, Travers, and Duggan. Good hitting but also a myriad of errors from the Providence defense built a massive lead for Boston in the third, as the Commonwealth club tallied twelve aces in the single frame for an18 to 6 lead going into the fourth. Providence hung tough, however, and got back four aces in fourth, with a Banquet double and singles form Carlevale, Duggan, and Dryer. After Boston’s lone ace in the fifth, the score settled at 19 to 10 at the halfway point.

Back-to-back doubles and runs scored from Maynard and Banquet in the fifth bought back two aces for the Grays, but Boston put up four more in the fifth to keep the lead large. Providence, however, would not fold, scoring three more times in the sixth. Kai Henson singled and scored, Dryer walked and scored, and Bones Henson doubled and scored on a Maynard double to account for the offense in the frame and set the score at 24 to 15 Boston going into the final three innings.

Providence came up empty-handed in the seventh while Boston scored a whopping nine more aces to put the contest out of reach. The Grays, however, kept battling. Kai Henson led off the eighth with a double and scored on a Dryer sacrifice. Grandpa Watson singled to drive in Dryer to add two more to Providence’s total. The Union powered on, though, putting four more runs across in their eighth. The Grays added four more in the ninth, with a double from Banquet, and three consecutive singles from Carlevale, Travers, and Duggan. The efforts would not be enough, however, as Boston carried the day once again. Final – Union 37, Grays 21.

The Final Stretch

With six games remaining, Providence looks to win out the remainder to pull the record above the .500 mark for the short 2020 season. This Saturday, September 26, the Grays square off with the Tunnelmen of Lisbon in an 1860s doubleheader in East Hampton, Connecticut. First pitch is 10 a.m. Next weekend, October 4, Providence will return to the Hartford area for a doubleheader of 1880s base ball at the Showdown at Colt Meadow. On October 10, the Grays will finish out the season with an overhand/underhand twin bill with the Wheelman of Westfield. Follow all the late-season action on our Facebook page and on Instagram @providencegrays.