After the University of Maryland handed the Hoyas their first home loss March 26, the Georgetown University baseball team bounced back in their first Big East matchup of the season, sweeping Villanova in a three-game series.
The Hoyas (19-8, 3-0 Big East) faced off against the Wildcats (7-18, 0-3 Big East) at Capital One Park between March 28 and 30. Having swept their opponents in their last four three-game series, the Hoyas continued the trend, winning 8-4, 6-1 and 6-1.
The first matchup on Thursday, March 28 saw the Hoyas defeat the Wildcats in a display of both pitching and hitting prowess.
The game began in favor of the Wildcats, as the team pulled ahead 2-0 in the top of the first inning. However, the Hoyas led 4-2 by the end of the inning behind a grand slam by graduate outfielder Kavi Caster, his fourth home run of the season.
A Villanova two-run homer tied the game in the fifth inning, but Georgetown did not let the Wildcats get comfortable. The Hoyas scored 2 runs in the bottom of the fifth to lead by 2 runs. Graduate utility player Marco Castillo’s RBI single in the seventh and senior first baseman Christian Ficca’s second RBI double of the game in the eighth further padded the Hoyas’ lead.
On the pitching side, Head Coach Edwin Thompson praised graduate right-handed pitcher Cody Jensen and sophomore right-handed pitcher Andrew Citron for their dominant performances.
“I thought today was all about Cody Jensen and Andrew Citron on the mound,” Thompson told Georgetown Athletics. “They gave us five innings of really good baseball.”
Jensen and Citron allowed only one hit each across two and three innings pitched, respectively. Jensen earned his second win this season, and Citron, who earned his first collegiate career win just two weeks ago against the University of Albany, recorded his first save this season.
Notable hitting performances by Ficca and Castillo powered the Hoyas throughout the game. Ficca currently holds the fourth-highest batting average in the Big East at .396 and is tied for third in the home run category with 7. His 2 RBIs, 2 doubles and 2 walks, in addition to Castillo’s RBI and double, led the Hoyas to an 8-4 victory.
Game two against the Wildcats on Friday, March 29 was another success, with the Hoya pitching staff again shining. Junior left-hander Andrew Williams and graduate right-handed pitcher Jordan Yoder gave up a combined 4 hits across 9 innings.
Georgetown’s offense gave Williams an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first, behind a 2 RBI double by graduate outfielder Derek Smith.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Georgetown gave themselves a more comfortable lead. A Castillo single brought home Caster, before senior outfielder Jake Hyde singled Castillo home.
The momentum continued into the sixth when Castillo again scored Caster with another single, giving Georgetown their sixth and final run of the game.
Villanova scored just one run in the eighth inning, as the Hoyas cruised to a comfortable 6-1 win, cementing Georgetown’s victory in the series.
Georgetown’s hitting was led by upperclassman talent, a season trend thus far. In addition to Castillo’s 2 RBIs, Caster hit 2 triples on 2-4 hitting, and graduate third baseman Joe Hollerbach and junior catcher Owen Carapellotti each scored 1 run.
In the final game of the series on Saturday, March 30, senior left-handed pitcher Everett Catlett threw an excellent 6 and 2/3 innings to pick up his fourth win of the season. He struck out 8 Wildcats and gave up no runs. This season, Catlett has racked up 45 strikeouts, the most in the Big East, and he was named to his third consecutive Big East weekly honor roll.
To close the game, graduate right-handed pitcher Nick Davis earned his sixth save — and the team’s 15th overall — of the season. Further, Georgetown pitchers picked off their 12th player at first, a program record.
On the other end, Georgetown’s offense was strong. Home runs by Caster and Hyde had the Hoyas up 2-0 going into the fourth.
In the fifth, first-year middle infielder Blake Schaaf hit the Hoyas’ third home run of the game and the first of his career. Crucial singles from Ficca, Caster and Castillo scored 3 additional runs for the Hoyas over the seventh and eighth innings. Hollerbach was also a key player, finishing 3-for-3.
The Wildcats, for the second day in a row, only managed one run, resulting in another 6-1 Georgetown win to complete the sweep.
Thompson said he was happy to start Big East play on such a high note.
“To get the sweep the way we did to start conference play was awesome,” Thompson told Georgetown Athletics. “We are looking forward to playing more good baseball.”
The Hoyas’ showing this weekend demonstrated the depth of their roster both on offense and defense, with major contributions coming from first-years and graduate students alike.
Hoya fans should hold high expectations for Georgetown baseball this season — the team has now won 6 series in a row, including 5 series sweeps. They will look to continue their success against Big East foe Seton Hall (16-12) from April 5 to 7 at home.
