One Up, One Down: Hoyas Split Pair

Ruthie Braunstein/The Hoya Senior outfielder Brian Cassese scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 3 against Catholic.

After a weekend sweep of Big East rival University of Connecticut, the Georgetown baseball team seemingly gained all the momentum necessary to carry it successfully through the final 10 games of the 2001 campaign. Yet, after Tuesday night’s 11-10 loss to Mount St. Mary’s, much of that momentum had disappeared.

But not all of it.

With the temperature dropping to 45 degrees Wednesday, Georgetown overcame the April chill and the previous evening’s debacle to win a thrilling 5-3 contest over cross-town foe Catholic University at Shirley Povich Field.

It was the fifth victory in seven games for the Hoyas following a nine-game losing streak. They are now 14-34 overall (6-14 Big East), one more win than in 2000. The Cardinals fell to 15-19 on the year.

With the score knotted at three in the bottom of the eighth with two outs and runners on second and third, Georgetown needed a clutch hit to keep from entering the ninth tied. Senior Hoya outfielder Marc Carlini delivered.

He worked the count full and fouled off a tough curve ball to stay alive. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, he drove a two-out single to center that scored a pair of runs and gave the Hoyas the lead for good.

“First pitch, 3-2 count, I just fought it off,” Carlini said. “I wasn’t seeing the ball all day, and I concentrated extra hard, and I executed.”

With one out, freshman catcher Michael Lombardi hit a single up the middle to start the late rally. Senior shortstop Jay Catalano then hit a slow bouncer to the Cardinals’ second baseman, who attempted to erase Lombardi with a tag that clearly missed. However, the umpire signaled the out, the second of the inning.

“He missed him by a foot,” Georgetown Head Coach Peter Wilk said.

Wilk argued the call, but to no avail.

After Catalano stole second on a well-executed delayed steal, sophomore outfielder Jason Boice pinch-hit for Cano with a one-ball count. A wild pitch sent Catalano to third, and Boice was walked intentionally on 3-2.

Hoyas’ Assistant Coach Matt Allison, called for a straight steal of second, but Boice instead took off early to get caught in a run-down so Catalano could try to score. Fortunately for Georgetown, Catholic’s pitcher failed to sprint at Boice on the pick-off, and the Cardinals botched the play, allowing Boice to reach second and failing to catch Catalano off third.

With Carlini due up, Catholic’s coach pulled his left-handed starter and brought in a right-hander. It turned out to be a good move for Georgetown.

“[Carlini has] struggled against lefties, but he’s hitting well against righties,” Wilk said. “So that’s why I left him in.”

“It’s a good feeling to finally come through [for the team], `cause I’ve had other opportunities this year, and I haven’t,” Carlini said.

After the game, Carlini’s father congratulated his son and dedicated the victory to Carlini’s grandmother, who broke her pelvis earlier in the day.

“This one’s for grandma,” he said.

Georgetown grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the second on a Catalano rainbow double about 30 feet behind first base. The ball took a Hoya hop just inside the foul line and scooted past the right fielder for an error. Senior first baseman Eric Santana, who walked, and junior catcher Phil Pierorazio, hit in the leg by a slow curveball, scored on the play.

The Cardinals put two of their own on the board in the fourth off Georgetown sophomore starter Patrick Salvitti. A one-out RBI double past freshman third baseman Ron Cano and a roller to short with men on second and third accounted for the runs.

Pierorazio saved a possible third Catholic score with a nifty block on a pitch in the dirt.

Salvitti threw 5 1/3 innings and kept Georgetown in the game. He gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits, struck out four and walked one.

Catholic took the lead on a hard hit RBI double to left that one-hopped the fence in the top of the sixth. But in the bottom of the inning the Hoyas responded on a single by Catalano that plated senior designated hitter Brian Cassese, who singled and advanced to second on Pierorazio’s second sacrifice bunt of the game.

Catalano went two for four with two RBI and a run scored.

Senior right-hander Jim Vankoski moved from center, pitched the final 3 2/3 and allowed only one hit for his third win against four losses.

“The seniors stepped up and won the game,” Wilk said. “Carlini, Catalano and Vankoski – that’s the story of the game.”

In the Hoyas’ 11-10 loss to Mount St. Mary’s, the Georgetown pitching trio of junior Paul Perillo, freshman Tom O’Connor and freshman Kevin Galvin walked six, hit two batters and gave up 11 runs, 10 earned, on 11 hits in 7 1/3 innings. Senior Tony Pina threw the final 1 2/3, allowing only one hit and no runs. O’Connor (0-2) picked up the loss.

“We played down to [the Mountaineers’] level, which was extremely frustrating because we came off that high [versus UConn],” Wilk said. “We did the job offensively, [but] we made two errors and another three could have been scored as errors.”

Senior Jim Vankoski and sophomore Jason Boice each hit his second home run of the season, while senior Jay Catalano and Boice each had three RBI.

Game Notes

Georgetown had two honorary coaches from Dominican Republic in uniform and present in the dugout. Carlos Javier and Nathaniel Valez, physical education instructors from Consuelo, the same hometown as Chicago Cubs’ slugger Sammy Sosa, are on their first visit to the United States. Wilk traveled to Consuelo in Nov. 2000 with a group of area high school coaches to give a baseball clinic to Javier and Valez’s students . Vankoski and senior Mike Green combined for a textbook hit-and-run play in the bottom of the fifth. Green broke from first, forcing the shortstop to leave his position and cover second. Vankoski hit a single in the vacated hole . Santana was called out on batter’s interference in the fifth . Pierorazio had no official at-bats in three plate appearances. He was hit by a pitch and had two sacrifices . Catalano, who went three-for-five against ount St. Mary’s on Tuesday, is 5 for 9 in the last two games, moving him into second on the team in batting average at .310. Freshman Carlos Gazitua leads the team at .328. Carlini (.308) and Boice (.306) are the only other Hoyas above .300 . The Hoyas have one remaining home game, a rematch with Mount St. ary’s, next Wednesday at 7 p.m.