After dropping a tough series to the University of Connecticut this past weekend, the Georgetown University baseball team thundered back in a convincing win over their crosstown rivals.
By asserting their early offensive dominance and utilizing their pitching depth, the Hoyas (27-13, 8-4 Big East) defeated the George Washington University Revolutionaries (23-17, 6-6 A-10) 13-5 in the intracity showdown.
“Great night of baseball, winning the city championship again is always something we strive to do,” Georgetown Head Coach Edwin Thompson told Georgetown Athletics.
First-year left-handed pitcher Marcello Mastroianni took the mound for the Hoyas, keeping the Revolutionaries scoreless through 5 innings. Only allowing 3 hits, the Little Silver, N.J., native earned his fifth win of this season.
Thompson said he was pleased with Mastroianni’s performance, citing an ability to mix up different offerings to keep hitters guessing.
“He really kept them off balance,” Thompson said.
The Revolutionaries and Hoyas exited the first inning runless, but the second inning saw the Hoyas’ bats come to life. Georgetown scored 2 runs behind 4 walks, 1 hit and a passed ball before standout senior first baseman Christian Ficca stepped up to bat with 2 outs and helped cap the rally with a bases-clearing double to bring the lead to 5 runs.
In the third inning, to accompany Mastroianni’s pitching, the Hoya defense stayed strong. To force the last out of the top of the inning, junior catcher Owen Carapellotti threw out George Washington’s Sam Gates on an attempted steal of second base. The Revolutionaries left the inning runless.
Georgetown stayed hot in the bottom of the third, batting around the order en route to scoring 7 more runs. Senior outfielder Andrew Bergeron drove in a run on a hit-by-pitch, before a Revolutionary error gave the Hoyas 2 more runs. Ficca continued his strong form with a single up the middle to drive in two, while graduate second baseman and designated hitter Marco Castillo also had a 2 run-batted-in (RBI) single, helping solidify the Hoyas’ lead at 12.
“Scoring 5 in the second and 7 in the third gave us a good cushion,” Thompson said.
Neither team scored again until the sixth inning.
Then, in the top of the sixth, the Revolutionaries began to jump on the Hoyas’ defense. Sophomore southpaw Andrew Jergins replaced Mastroianni on the mound and loaded the bases before being replaced by graduate right-hander Jordan Yoder, who walked in a run before completing the inning.
Senior shortstop Michael Eze reciprocated with his fourth homer of the year to reinstate the 12-run lead. Ficca managed another walk in the inning but could not come around to score as the Hoyas exited the inning with a score of 13-1.
George Washington managed to accrue 2 more home runs behind catcher Tim Nicholson and outfielder Ellis Schwartz in the seventh, bringing the score to 13-5. Both pitchers combined for three efficient innings with 2 and 3 strikeouts, respectively, helping seal the Georgetown victory.
“It was a really good baseball game, played good defense and guys came off the bench and played well,” Thompson told Georgetown Athletics. “Tonight was a good win for the Hoyas and we look forward to hitting the road for another conference series with Creighton.”
The Hoyas’ potent bats combined for 10 hits and 10 walks in the game. Ficca had 5 RBIs on 2 hits and 3 walks, while Castillo had 2 RBIs on 3 hits and 1 walk. Mastroianni is quickly cementing himself as a bright spot in the Georgetown rotation, boasting an impressive 3.60 ERA in his collegiate debut season.
Furthermore, the Hoyas’ strong form in the last three innings was an encouraging sign after losing by just 1 run in each of their three games against UConn earlier in the week. After an excellent start to the season, Georgetown’s bullpen looks to return to form in preparation for postseason play.
The Hoyas return to conference play this upcoming weekend against the Creighton Bluejays (29-9, 4-5 Big East) for a three-game series in Omaha, Neb.
