Dan Gelfand/The Hoya Junior first basemen Jim Supple had two hits at seven at-bats in the Hoyas’ two losses against Rutgers over the break.
When the season began, it appeared as though the Georgetown baseball team’s biggest strength would be its offense. The runs never materialized, however, as the Hoyas’ bats struggled in the early going and strong pitching and defense instead carried the team to one of its best starts in 20 years.
The hitting still has not come around for the Hoyas. Georgetown ranks last in the Big East in team batting average (.249) and runs per game (4.3).
The continuing offensive woes have been evident in the past 10 days, with the Hoyas losing four of five games over that span. Georgetown (20-20, 5-8 Big East) dropped below .500 for the first time since Feb. 28 after losing to Rutgers, and now stands in eighth place in the conference.
Georgetown’s game at Coppin State on April 7 set the tone for the team’s current dry spell. The Eagles emphatically ended a nine-game losing streak by pounding the Hoyas, 12-0. Coppin State junior Byran Crossley struck out seven over seven innings, and freshman Teon Richburg hit two home runs and added four RBIs.
The Hoyas managed just four singles and a double by junior second baseman Parker Brooks. Georgetown twice stranded a runner on third and ended the game by leaving the bases loaded.
Junior Travis Danysh (3-3) took the loss for Georgetown, giving up seven runs (six earned) in 2.1 innings.
Georgetown came home to Shirley Povich Field the following day to face Virginia Tech. The Hoyas pulled out a comeback win in its last at bat in the opening game, 4-3, but lost the nightcap, 16-3. The victory was the team’s first against the Hokies in Big East play.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, sophomore center fielder Timmy Jones singled to right field. Sophomore shortstop att Johnson, hitting .176 on the year, doubled into the left field gap, and Jones beat the throw home to score all the way from first.
The Hoyas had to work their way back from an early deficit to pull out the win. Junior pitched Eddie Pena allowed three hits and committed an error, as the Hokies scored three times in the first inning. Pena recovered to shut out the Hokies over the rest of the game, allowing just six hits total while striking out six to improve his record to 4-2.
Georgetown tied the game in the second inning. Senior left fielder Ron Cano and sophomore third baseman Danny Gronski singled with one out. Jones followed with another single to score Cano, as Gronski advanced to third. He later scored on a double steal.
Johnson then reached home on an error to put runners on the corners. After freshman catcher Brandon Davis struck out, Brooks hit an RBI single to tie the game, 3-3.
Virginia Tech again took an early lead in the second game, but this time they scored enough to prevent a comeback. The Hokies scored four runs in three separate innings, and at one point led 16-0.
Hokies junior catcher Wyatt Toregas went 4-for-5 at the plate, with a homer and four RBIs.
Sophomore Warren Sizemore was hammered for eight runs on 11 hits in 2.2 innings. The bullpen fared a little better, as four relievers gave up eight more runs in 5.1 innings. Only junior Billy Quinn escaped unscathed, pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
Georgetown scored its only runs in the final inning. Freshman center fielder Derek DeGrijs and freshman third baseman Joe Graziano both walked with bases loaded and freshman left fielder Nick Barnicle scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore first baseman Ryan Craft to close the gap to 16-3.
The blowout gave Head Coach Pete Wilk a chance to clear out his bench, as Georgetown used all 19 position players on its roster.
The Hoyas’ offensive struggles were even greater in their doubleheader at Rutgers last Saturday. Georgetown dropped both contests, 2-0 and 11-1.
Sophomore Stephen Burns gave up a pair of runs in the first inning of the opener, giving the Scarlet Knights all the run support they would need.
Quinn and Cano each had a pair of hits. Burns (1-6) pitched all seven innings but took the loss.
The second game was closer than the 11-1 score would indicate. Rutgers led 2-0 to open the sixth inning, but Georgetown closed to within one when senior catcher Mike Lombardi singled to score Brooks, who had doubled to open the inning. Lombardi had been hitless in his previous 11 at bats.
Freshman Erick Chandler had kept the Hoyas close for much of the game, but Rutgers broke the game open in the seventh and eighth innings. Chandler and junior Thomas Braun gave up nine runs in the two frames, putting the game out of reach.
One of the main reasons for the Hoyas’ hitting woes has been the performance of junior Andrew Cleary. Cleary, who led the team in home runs and RBIs last season, is mired in an 0-for-23 slump and is hitless in seven games. Wilk dropped him to ninth in the lineup in Saturday’s second game.
Yesterday, the Hoyas dropped the Colonials of George Washington 5-4 at home. The team fostered a five-run lead by the fourth inning that proved insurmountable. Braun earned his sixth save of the year, holding off a late charge from the Colonials while Sizemore grabbed his third year of the year. The win allows Georgetown to move back to .500 with a 20-20 record.
Georgetown will need Cleary and the rest of the lineup to snap out of its slump this weekend, as the Hoyas face No. 4 Notre Dame at Shirley Povich Field. The teams will play a doubleheader at noon on Saturday, and will finish the series with an 11:30 a.m. game on Sunday.
