Gettysburg Awaits as Grays Return to Action

 

GETTYSBURG, Pa. — The Providence Grays maintained their crisp 2023 form in the club’s last outing, way back on June 10 in Connecticut, and are eagerly awaiting a trip to Gettysburg for the preeminent event of the vintage base ball calendar after a series of weather-related postponements.

Providence emerged victorious over the Dirigo Base Ball Club of Maine, 22-13, and the Brandywine Base Ball Club of West Chester, 21-6, in early June at the Hilltop Farm Vintage Base Ball Event in Suffield, Connecticut. This lifted the Grays’ 2023 record to 10-2 after opening the campaign with six consecutive wins.

The Rhode Islanders now turn their attention to the Gettysburg National 19^th Century Base Ball Festival this weekend, July 15 and 16, in a glorious gathering of vintage clubs from around the country on the eccentric grounds of Schroeder Farm. Providence carries a four-game win streak to southeastern Pennsylvania and is scheduled to take on four clubs from three different states.

Against Dirigo, the Grays pounced first and held an 8-2 lead after three innings. Maine battled back to come within three, 10-7, in the fourth but Providence produced 12 runs across the fifth and sixth to take back momentum. A late Dirigo comeback bid was thwarted by pitcher Jon “Bones” Henson, who improved to 5-0 in five starts this season.

Leadoff man Dave Leopardi sparked the offense all game, finishing 5-for-5 with five runs scored and a pair of doubles. Captain Brian Travers went 3-for-5 with a triple while left fielder Aidan Pirruccello-McClellan dazzled in a 3-for-5 showing which included a home run, double and four runs scored.

Game two at Hilltop Farm was tightly contested early on as Providence held on to a 4-2 advantage after two full. The Grays then asserted themselves in the third, nearly batting around twice en route to nine runs in the frame. Brandywine’s lineup was kept at bay while the Ocean State nine added at least one run in each of the next five innings to complete a convincing victory.

Leopardi, Pirruccello-McClellan, Travers, Johnny Carlevale, Mike Duggan, Jay Gildea and Tony McClellan all recorded multiple hits in the Grays’ balanced offensive effort. Travers also secured the pitching win as Providence is off to its best start to a season in recent memory.

The Rhode Islanders haven’t played in over a month due to a pair of rainouts, but there’s no better place to resume the campaign than sprawling Schroeder Farm adjacent to Gettysburg’s battlefields. Twenty eight clubs from 14 states will convene at the historic site which features five fields and base ball from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

Providence begins the festival on Saturday against the East Nashville Phoenix of Tennessee at 9:30 a.m. before taking on the Flower City Base Ball Club from Genesee Valley, New York, at 12:30 p.m. Sunday sees the Grays meet familiar foes in the Brooklyn Eckfords at 11 a.m. prior to concluding play versus the Harrisburg Keystones at 2 p.m.

The Grays won three of their four outings in Gettysburg last year and are 9-5 in the last four iterations of the festival.

Follow along with all of this weekend’s action on the Grays’ Facebook and Instagram accounts for updates throughout the festivities.