GU Victorious Against Pittsburgh

By John-Paul Hezel Hoya Staff Writer

Hoya File Photo/The Hoya Eric Santana and the Hoyas secured their first conference win of the season and second in two years against Pittsburgh. Last season, the Georgetown baseball team earned only one Big East victory in 25 conference games.

This season, however, the Hoyas earned their first league win in only their second Big East contest of 2001, defeating Pittsburgh 6-5 in the second half of a Saturday double-header at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda, Md.

Senior left-hander Randy Erwin survived a rough first inning to pitch 6.2 innings to earn his first victory of the year. He allowed four runs on two singles, a walk and a grand slam in the first inning but settled down to hold the Panthers scoreless over the next 5.2 innings.

“[Erwin] pitched very well after that [first inning],” Georgetown head coach Peter Wilk said. “It was big step for him. He hadn’t really had a good outing in a while. He could have crumbled, but he kept fighting and got the win.”

Erwin struck out five and walked two before yielding to junior right-hander Tony Pina, who threw 2.1 innings of three-hit ball to nail down the save.

“Pina has pitched just outstanding,” Wilk said. “He’s learned to use the inside part of the plate.”

The offense was led by sophomore left fielder Jason Boice, who walked twice, had two hits, drove in two runs and scored once.

After rain delayed the game 30 minutes in the third inning, sophomore designated hitter Robert O’Hare smacked a bases-loaded single that scored Boice and senior center fielder Jim Vankoski, both who had walked, cutting the Panther lead to 4-2.

The Hoyas pulled to within a run on a Boice RBI single in the fourth, then went ahead for good in the sixth on runs scored by sophomore catcher Michael Lombardi and senior right fielder Marc Carlini.

Georgetown added an insurance run in the eighth on a RBI ground-out to the pitcher by pinch hitter Brian Cassesse. The run, scored by freshman short stop Ron Cano, proved to be the game winner. But it easily could have been an out.

Cano was about 15 feet off of third base when the Pittsburgh pitcher fielded the ball. But rather than run at Cano or throw to the catcher, he inexplicably threw to first, allowing the run to score.

“That’s a huge run,” Wilk said. “If I’m the Pitt coach, I’m livid [that the pitcher didn’t go after the runner].”

In the top of the ninth, with Georgetown up 6-4, two Panthers reached on a double and a single to open the inning. Pina induced a ground ball back to the mound for the first out, but an error by junior second baseman Mike Green cut the Hoya lead to one and put the tying run on third with one out.

But as happens so often in baseball, the next ball was hit directly at Green, who redeemed himself by going to his backhand to start a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.

“It was a huge mental toughness display,” Wilk said. “[Green] came up big on the play. I noted it in my game notes.”

Despite the victory, the Hoyas are keeping it in perspective.

“It’s big,” Wilk said. “But to put it in context, we could have won all three [games over the weekend].”

In Saturday’s opener, Georgetown lost 1-0, getting only one hit against senior Panther pitcher Scott Schultz, who surrendered a double to Vankoski in the first inning. Schultz’s complete game was only seven innings, since Big East rules mandate that the first game of a three game series is only seven innings long.

Roughly 10 scouts were present watching Schultz, who consistently threw in the low 90 miles per hour range.

“He just stuck it up our butts,” Wilk said of Schultz. “He was impressive. It’s just one of those games you tip your cap to the opposing team and pitcher.”

Georgetown senior left hander Matt Arizin pitched 4.2 innings, scattering three hits and allowing one run on a solo home run in the third. He walked five with no strike outs.

“[Arizin] was walking a thin line the whole game,” Wilk said.

Five out of the six runs that Pittsburgh scored during the twin bill came on home runs.

On Sunday, Georgetown scored two in the top of the first, yet failed to hold the lead. Freshman pitcher Kevin Field struck out seven, walked two and gave up five runs on five hits in five innings. And although the Hoyas committed four errors, they still had a chance to win the game.

In the bottom of the ninth, trailing 10-2, Georgetown scored six runs but left the bases loaded with no outs and the tying runs in scoring position. Junior catcher Philip Pierorazio struck out looking, Cassesse popped to third and Carlini grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game.

Georgetown’s seeks to add to its Big East win total when they host a double header this Saturday against St. John’s, the only team the Hoyas defeated in the conference last year. Georgetown plays Boston College at home in a double header on Sunday.