Davis Deals, Rivera Shines as Grays Top Braves on the Road

The DC Grays bounced back in a big way on Thursday night, defeating the South County Braves 8–4 on the road. A dominant start on the mound from Kimani Davis (Xavier/LA) and a stellar all-around performance from Andy Rivera (Holy Family) helped the Grays even their record at 4–4.

Davis got the start and turned in a gem, pitching six strong innings and allowing just two runs. He worked efficiently through the Braves' lineup, picking up key strikeouts and handling traffic on the bases with poise. A highlight came in the fifth, when Davis caught a runner leaning at first and initiated a textbook pickoff.

After falling behind 2–0 early, the Grays answered in the top of the fourth. Joey Chitla (Wofford) reached on an error, and TJ Addonizio (Richmond) followed with a walk. After a strikeout and a two-run double from Ryan Grace (Lafayette), the game was tied. A Noel Rivera (Marist) single loaded the bases, and Andy Rivera's sacrifice fly gave the Grays a 3–2 lead.

The offense continued to click in the sixth. Another sharp single by Ryan Soong (Washington University) and a walk to Rivera set the stage for Isaac Ahokovi (Nicholls State), who ripped a double to deep center to score a run. Carter Jenkins (Nicholls State) added to the rally with a two-RBI single, extending the Grays' lead to 7–2. Rivera added another sac fly in the seventh to make it 8–2.

On defense, Rivera stood out in left field, making multiple key plays, including recording all three outs in the bottom of the fourth and snagging a difficult foul ball to start the fifth.

Owen Basso (Lafayette) came in to pitch the final three innings, striking out four and limiting the Braves to just two late runs to seal the win.

The Grays improve to 4–4 on the season and look to keep the momentum rolling tomorrow, when they hit the road again to take on the Gaithersburg Giants at 7:00 p.m.