After playing all but two of their first 23 games this season away from the familiar confines of Shirley Povich Field, the Georgetown baseball team began a much-needed six-game stretch on their own diamond this week. The Hoyas edged George Washington in a tightly contested match 5-4 on Tuesday but fell 9-2 the next day at the hands of the UMBC.

In Tuesday’s game – originally scheduled for Feb. 13 as the Hoyas’ home opener – Georgetown (10-15) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to erratic pitching by Colonials sophomore right hander Jimmy Duggan, who hit or walked six of the first seven Hoyas he faced. Georgetown freshman lefty Alex Meyer, in contrast, looked steady and in control. Meyer threw six innings and gave up one earned run before freshman right hander Cary Piligan entered the game.

In the fourth, Georgetown freshman second baseman Derek DeGuglielmo scored when Colonials junior catcher Whitey Wallace overthrew second trying to nab a stealing senior outfielder Mark cLaughlin. The Colonials responded, however, capitalizing on Piligan’s inexperience and charging back to tie the game at four in the seventh.

After a weekend in which they dropped two close games at Rutgers, Georgetown co-captains senior catcher Brandon Davis and junior infielder Matt Bouchard were not about to let another slip away. In the bottom of the eighth, Bouchard singled to center with none out and one on.

After junior first baseman Matt Harrigan walked to load the bases, Davis hit a slow dribbler that led to a fielder’s choice that scored the runner on third and gave the Hoyas a one-run lead. Junior right hander Daniel Kennedy entered in the ninth, shutting down the Colonials to earn his sixth save and preserve the club’s third straight home victory.

“We had more things clicking that day, and our starting pitchers really got it going,” Bouchard said. “We executed some good situational hitting at key points in the game, so we came out on top with a victory.”

But the Hoyas were not exactly firing on all cylinders in Wednesday’s contest, committing six errors and falling to lowly UMBC (6-10). Senior left fielder Derek deGrijs got things going in the third, slapping a single into left field that scored freshman third baseman Joe Silvestri. But the game-changing play came in the next inning, when Retrievers junior third basemen Steve Russo belted one into center. McLaughlin, usually the Houdini of the Hoya outfield, dove for the well-hit ball but could not come up with it, and when the dust settled, Russo stood on third, with two UMBC runs on the board.

Georgetown never recovered from the gut-wrenching play, giving up five unearned runs in a performance that could have come out of “Bad News Bears.”

“We didn’t really bring our “A” game, and we definitely didn’t play to the best of our abilities,” Bouchard said about the loss, which snapped the team’s home winning streak. “Hopefully it was just an aberration, and we will work it out in practice and get a good feeling going into this weekend.”

Bouchard and the Hoyas get to spend the weekend in Washington after their cheerless trip to New Jersey last week when the Cincinnati Bearcats pay a visit to Povich Field for a three-game Big East series. Senior right hander Erick Chandler takes the mound for Head Coach Pete Wilk in Friday’s contest, a game in which Bouchard hopes to see marked improvement.

“Every Big East weekend is huge for us. We are excited,” Bouchard said on his way to class Thursday morning. “I really hope we come away with a victory.”

Chandler’s first fastball crosses home plate at 3 p.m.