In its first home series of the season, the Georgetown baseball team won two out of three games against the University of Hartford to take the series. The Hoyas utilized big innings and strong starting pitching performances to put away the Hawks.
The series against the Hawks (1-5) was originally meant to take place from Friday, March 10 to Sunday, March 12, but ominous forecasts of inclement weather moved Friday’s game to Saturday, March 11, meaning the two teams would play a doubleheader that day.
Despite the chilly conditions, the Georgetown (11-6) offense came out of the gate blazing hot. Following a leadoff double by junior infielder and outfielder Michael Eze, junior outfielder and first baseman Jake Hyde tripled to bring home the game’s first run. A pair of walks and a fielder’s choice created another run and set the stage for junior outfielder Andrew Bergeron to double in 2 more. First-year outfielder Travis Ilitch capped off the scoring with a double of his own to drive in Bergeron. And after just one inning on the mound, graduate starting pitcher Cody Jensen, a transfer from Stanford University, had 5 runs of support.
It would turn out that Jensen would not need it, as he delivered a brilliant performance to begin the weekend, striking out 8 while surrendering just 4 hits and 1 walk. Jensen’s seven innings resulted in just 2 runs, only one of which was earned. The game was smooth sailing from then on. The Hoyas scored 1 more run in the fourth inning on an RBI groundout by graduate first baseman and outfielder Ubaldo Lopez. Graduate pitcher Jordan Yoder picked up the last two innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits.
Georgetown would come away with a 6-3 victory in the opening game of the series.
Sophomore pitcher Andrew Williams was slated to start the second game of the doubleheader, and he was equally as masterful as Jensen. He sailed unharmed until the fifth inning, when he would surrender his only run on a walk with the bases loaded after two singles and a hit batter. Williams escaped the jam and pitched through the sixth inning, his final line being 1 run on 4 hits, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.
The Hoyas struck first when Lopez smacked his fourth homer of the year after a Hyde single to drive in 2 runs. With 1 out in the fifth, Eze doubled and Hyde drove him in, doubling Georgetown’s lead. Junior pitcher Everett Catlett relieved Williams, throwing a scoreless seventh inning and getting all 3 outs on strikeouts.
The Hoya offense went quiet for the rest of the game. Graduate pitcher Tyler Mead started the eighth inning and allowed Hartford to tie the game when a single, an error and a hit batter led to a 2-run single. Nine innings would not be enough for this battle, and the game went to extra innings.
The Hoyas threatened in the bottom of the tenth when Eze led off the inning with a walk and got into scoring position with no outs after a steal of second. However, the following hitters failed to drive in the winning run. Mead remained on the mound, holding the Hawks until the twelfth inning, where a bases-loaded fielder’s choice and error cost Georgetown 2 runs. Graduate pitcher Garret Keough came in to get the last out, and while Georgetown put a runner on in the bottom half of the inning, they ultimately fell 5-3.
The story of Sunday’s rubber match was undoubtedly graduate starting pitcher Jake Bloss, a transfer from Lafayette College. The right-handed pitcher carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning before being broken up. Beyond the lone hit and a walk, Bloss faced no harm and struck out 11 Hawks in a masterful performance.
The offense was stymied by the Hartford starter until the seventh inning. The Hoyas loaded the bases on a single and two walks when graduate infielder and outfielder Marco Castillo doubled in 2 runs in a pinch-hit opportunity.
In the following inning, the Hoyas exploded for 8 runs to break the game open. Lopez walked and scored on a triple by sophomore catcher and first baseman Owen Carapellotti. Ficca drove Carapellotti in with a single and wreaked havoc on the base paths, stealing second and subsequently reaching third on a balk. First-year pitcher and outfielder Cody Bowker doubled to make it 5-0.
Hartford went to the bullpen, but Georgetown continued to pour it on. Graduate infielder Austin Kretzschmar singled and stole second. First-year outfielder and pitcher Andrew Citron would double to bring in both men on base. After an Eze walk, Hyde brought everyone home by launching a 3-run homer, his fourth of the season, to cap off the inning. Senior pitcher Carson Frye worked a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the 10-0 victory and a series win.
This series concluded a 4-1 week in which the team enjoyed wins over both George Mason University and the Naval Academy. The Hoyas went on to shut out the Coppin State Eagles (3-13, 0-3 NEC) 10-0 at the Washington Nationals Youth Academy in Washington, D.C., on March 15. Georgetown will be back in action March 17 to 19 as they travel to Penn State University (9-5) to take on the Nittany Lions in a three-game series.
