I saw the Syracuse catcher in the dugout early in the game eating what appeared to be a breakfast sandwich with egg and meat on a roll. Like any kind of food in the state of New York, it was probably quite greasy. The catcher then goes out and catches while Hendrix pitches but those same balls are used during the next half inning when Grein pitched. The catcher probably didn’t exactly have time to go wash her hands in a sink. Grease from the sandwich, combined with the rain, might’ve resulted in extra sheen on the ball, making it almost impossible to get a hard grip on it. I think that was Grein’s complaint. Surely she has thrown wet balls before. Something was different this time. Now, you might ask, ok but the Syracuse pitcher obviously did not seem to have any issues with those same balls. Yes, but remember she is a junk pitcher (or perhaps a “finesse” pitcher if we want to be charitable). She doesn’t throw hard. Grein throws hard, and that means she needs a very tight grip on the ball. If there was just a little grease on the ball in addition to the rain, I think it may have affected her. Later in the game, even the announcers mentioned a Syracuse player eating a bagel in the dugout. Not sure what the normal in-game dining arrangements are but Syracuse seemed to be multi tasking. I totally think that’s what happened. Maybe Chip will learn something more definitive from someone on the team and enlighten us.