CARY, N.C. -Team Gray scored all four of its runs in the first two innings of the first game of the 2021 PDP League against Team Light Blue to secure a 4-3 victory on Sunday, July 25, on Coleman Field at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

Team Gray’s Jayson Jones went 1-for-3 in the contest and brought in the first run of the game with a deep, one-out double in the top of first inning. Eli Serrano also finished 1-for-3 with an RBI for Team Gray after plating Jones with his two-out single. JeanPierre Ortiz (1-for-2), Ross Highfill (1-for-1), Easton Carmichael (1-for-2), and Jackson Holliday (1-for-1) also collected hits in Team Gray’s victory.

Anthony Silva (1-for-3), Ryan Clifford (1-for-2), and Jace LaViolette (0-for-0) were responsible for Team Light Blue’s three RBIs in the game. RJ Austin (1-for-3) and Gabe Miranda (1-for-3) collected half of the squad’s hits.

Hayden Murphy (1-0) of Team Gray earned the win in the contest after two hitless shutout innings, allowing just one walk while striking out one. Jackson Ferris (0-1) suffered the loss after surrendering four runs on two hits. Ferris collected four punchouts in the loss.

Key Moments

• Team Gray opened the scoring early with two runs in the top of the first inning. JeanPierre Ortiz got the offense started with a one-out walk and a stolen base before Jayson Jones knocked a deep double to center to bring in Ortiz and give Team Gray a 1-0 lead.
• Eli Serrano added another run for Team Gray two batters later with a clutch single through the right side that plated Jones for the 2-0 advantage.
• After taking advantage of a couple Team Light Blue errors, Team Gray doubled its lead in the very next inning as Ross Highfill hit a one-out single before he and Jackson Holliday both came around to score on a Team Light Blue miscue following Holliday’s two-out single.
• In the bottom of the frame, Team Light Blue cut the deficit in half. A leadoff single by Gabe Miranda and a walk to Mason Neville kicked things off before Miranda scored on an RBI double by Ryan Clifford and a sac fly off the bat of LaViolette brought in Neville to make it a 4-2 game.
• After Joe Allen threw a perfect inning in relief in the top of the third, Team Light Blue made it a one-run game in the bottom half with a clutch Anthony Silva single through the right side that plated Cole Young.
• Both pitching staffs shut down the offenses in the middle innings with Team Gray’s Hayden Murphy and Matt Scott allowing just one hit through the final four innings of the game to keep Team Gray in front.
• Following the quiet middle innings for both teams and down to its final three outs, Team Light Blue threatened when Cole Young advanced to third base with no outs on a Team Gray error. Scott sat the next two batters down with back-to-back strikeouts before Young was caught trying to score on a wild pitch for the final out that secured Team Gray’s 4-3 win.

Notable Information

• With the victory, Team Gray kicks off the 2021 PDP League with a 1-0 record.
• Team Light Blue drops to 0-1 to start the event.

On Deck

• Monday, July 26: Team Red vs. Team Light Blue (1:05 p.m. ET; Pulaski, Virginia; Calfee Park)
• Monday, July 26: Team Gray vs. Team Navy (6:05 p.m. ET; Pulaski, Virginia; Calfee Park)
• Tuesday, July 27: Team Light Blue vs. Team Navy (1:00 p.m. ET; Cary, N.C.; National Training Complex)
• Tuesday, July 27: Team Gray vs. Team Red (5:00 p.m. ET; Cary, N.C.; National Training Complex)

Social

• Stay tuned to @BaseballPDP on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2021 PDP League.