Grays Cede No Ground at Gettysburg

GETTYSBURG, Pa - The Providence Grays triumphantly departed Schroeder Farm after an undefeated weekend at the Gettysburg National 19^th Century Base Ball Festival on Saturday and Sunday, July 15 and 16.

Providence won three and tied one of its four bouts at the Farm, defeating Honky Dora Base Ball Club, the Brooklyn Eckfords and Keystone Base Ball Club of Harrisburg while tying the Flower City Base Ball Club due to festival time limits.

The Grays’ excellent 2023 run continued, now sitting at 13-2-1 on the season with 22 scheduled games remaining. Strong play at the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg also sustained as the Rhode Islanders are 12-5-1 in their last five festivals.

Providence was clicking from the outset as the first eight batters reached base in the first inning which led to seven runs to begin the opener against Honky Dora. A seven-run third and five runs apiece in the fourth and fifth gave the Rhode Islanders a 24-2 victory in game one.

First baseman Jay Gildea (5-for-5) and left fielder Aidan Pirruccello-McClellan (4-for-5) led the way while center fielder Dave Leopardi, captain and pitcher Brian Travers, short stop duo Mike Duggan and Mike “Banquet” Swanson, right fielder Kai “Osso” Henson and third baseman Tony McClellan had two hits each.

Game two was a battle with first-time foe Flower City, as the Grays clawed their way to a 4-0 lead after four innings. A five-run top of the fifth for Flower City was followed by three in the bottom half from Providence as it become a two-run game, 7-5, down the stretch. After adding another run in the sixth, the Grays surrendered six in the top of the seventh to fall behind for the first time all game.

Then, trailing 12-9 entering the final half inning in the bottom of the eighth due to time constraints, Providence mounted a rally that began with a double off the bat of Pirruccello-McClellan. He stole second and third and was driven in on a single from Osso, who later stole second and third himself before scoring on a wild pitch. Banquet then reached on an error, stole second and came around to tie the score after a throwing error on his steal attempt of third.

The rally ended there but not before the Grays manufactured a scrappy comeback to earn a 12-12 draw.

Sunday began with a true test against the Brooklyn Eckfords, a team the Ocean State nine knows well. Brooklyn controlled play for most of the game, pulling ahead 7-2 after five frames. Providence started its push with four runs in the top of the sixth while another Eckford tally in the bottom half made it 8-6.

The Grays stayed hot with five more runs in the seventh, highlighted by doubles from T. McClellan and Leopardi, before holding Brooklyn scoreless for the rest of the match to complete another come-from-behind effort in an 11-8 victory.

Providence proceeded to end the Gettysburg trip on a high with a 14-1 win against Harrisburg, as pitcher Jon “Bones” Henson carried a shutout into the final inning. The Grays scattered runs throughout the contest as Leopardi tripled and scored three times, Travers had a pair of hits, catcher Johnny Carlevale roped a triple and second baseman Helen Sheldon scored twice and drove in two runs.

The stellar display in Gettysburg extends the Rhode Islanders’ run of games without a loss to eight.

Next outing, Providence hosts Base Ball at the Beach, an 1864 doubleheader against the Connecticut Bulldogs on Saturday, July 22, at 11 a.m. in Hull, Massachusetts.