Grays Tangle with Stout Opponents in Gettysburg, Prep for Bethpage Next Weekend

 

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Providence squad took its talents to southern Pennsylvania this past weekend (July 17 & 18), playing four matches at the storied Gettysburg National 19c Base Ball Festival. The Grays dropped two well played bouts on Saturday, falling first to the Bear Clan BBC of Flat Rock, Michigan, then to the Mountain Stars BBC of Addison, PA. Sunday saw the Rhode Islanders earn a victory in the early slot over the Lewes BBC of Delaware, while they lost their final game of the festival to the Canton Cornshuckers from Michigan.

Next up for the Grays is the Doc Adams Base Ball Festival at the historic Old Bethpage Village Restoration in Long Island, New York, on Saturday, July 31 and Sunday, August 1. Providence’s opponents at the iconic festival include the host Mutuals BBC of New York (1864) and the Brooklyn Eckfords (1865) on Saturday, while Sunday’s schedule features an 1884 game with the Westfield Wheelmen followed by the 1864 finale with the Fillmore Fungi BBC of Minnesota.

Gettysburg Day One Recap (Providence vs. Flat Rock & Addison)

The Grays opened the festival with their first-ever matchup against Flat Rock and the Bear Clan introduced themselves in resounding fashion, scoring 11 runs in the top of the first for an early advantage. Back-to-back doubles from captain Brian Travers and catcher Aidan Pirruccello-McClellan led to three runs in Providence’s half of the first as they began to chip away. Grays’ pitcher Tony McClellan found his groove in the middle innings, holding Flat Rock scoreless in the third, fourth, and fifth. Meanwhile, Providence added five more runs over that span to make it a 12-8 deficit after five. The Grays held their opponent to just two tallies for the remainder of the contest, but could only muster one more of their own, ultimately falling 14-9.

Addison struck first in game two on Saturday, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. The Mountain Stars put across four more aces in the third, while Providence got on the board with a run in the fourth, bringing the score to 6-1 after four full. Addison remained ahead as the Grays entered the top of the eighth trailing 8-2 but scored four runs behind singles from Pirruccello-McClellan, Mike “Banquet” Swanson, and Dave “Grandpa” Watson. The Mountain Stars’ lead was just 8-6 going into their half of the eighth, but they added four timely insurance runs that shifted the momentum as the Grays lost 12-6.

Gettysburg Day Two Recap (Providence vs. Lewes & Canton)

Providence’s offense rebounded well on day two as a five-run first against Lewes, including hits from Travers, Pirruccello-McClellan, Banquet, and McClellan, put them in control early. Catcher Kai Henson doubled and scored in the second for two more tallies, and a four-run third saw the Grays leading 11-0 after three. Lewes got on the board with two runs in the fourth, but Providence responded with three more in the fifth for a 14-3 edge. The Grays’ defense kept steady, and they held on for a 15-6 victory.

The Grays spotted the Canton Cornshuckers five tallies in the first inning of the weekend’s final matchup before scoring an ace of their own in the opening frame when Duggan (3B) knocked a single and scored as Aidan P-M (LF) reached first on an error to the shortstop. Canton built a seemingly insurmountable lead with a 14-tally second frame, but Providence persevered, igniting for 11 runs in the bottom half, with hits and tallies up and down the lineup. Kai Henson (CF), Duggan, Dave Watson (2B), and Mike “Banquet” Swanson (SS) each contributed a single, catcher J. Carlevale and pitcher J. Henson hit two singles in the frame, while Aidan and Jerry McCormack (RF) added doubles to tighten the score to 19 to 12 after two. The Cornshuckers regained the momentum, however, plating another nine runs over the duration compared to just one more tally for the Grays for a 28 to 13 finish.

Next Up: Doc Adams Festival, Old Bethpage, New York (July 31 – August 1)

Next Saturday (July 31), the Grays look forward to the always tightly contested match with their friends the Mutuals in their 1864 weekend opener and are excited to take the field for an on-the-fly game (1865 rules) with the gents from the Brooklyn Eckfords in game two. Sunday (Aug. 1), the Westfield Wheelmen will pose their usual lofty challenge for the Rhode Islanders in an 1884 rule (overhand) meet-up, and the Fillmore squad from Minnesota will offer a final hurdle to the Providence nine following the rules of 1864.

If you’re on Long Island next weekend, the Doc Adams Festival is calling your name. The event features an exciting field of teams spanning from Maine to Florida and as far west as Minnesota, and the Old Bethpage Village Restoration provides the ideal setting to watch some historic ball games. Follow the action on the Grays Facebook page and at ProvidenceGrays.com.

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Photos: Steph Travers