The Georgetown University baseball team hit the road for Indianapolis, Ind., April 17 to 19, facing the Butler University Bulldogs for a Big East series. The Hoyas came out on top, winning an entertaining 12-11 opener and a marathon 14-5 finale in 13 innings despite dropping game two 6-0.
With the wins, Georgetown jumped to 22-18 (4-5 Big East), while Butler dropped to 15-24 (5-4 Big East). In both victories, the Hoyas’ offense was unstoppable, combining for 26 runs. After a disappointing middle game, they responded with an all-around performance where seven players recorded multiple hits, wearing down the Bulldogs after 13 innings.
Georgetown scored first in the opener, plating a run in the first inning before Butler briefly evened the score with a solo home run in the second. In the third, the Hoyas pushed across five runs and jumped firmly out in front. Junior outfielder Ashtin Gilio worked an RBI walk, sophomore outfielder Dylan Larkins followed with a 2-RBI single and senior infielder Jordan Kahn capped the inning with an RBI knock to give Georgetown a 6-1 lead.
Butler answered immediately with a 4-run inning on a grand slam, cutting the Hoyas’ lead to one. Georgetown responded in the top of the fourth, as graduate shortstop Connor Peek launched a 2-run home run down the left-field line.
The Hoyas extended their lead in the middle innings. Senior outfielder Travis Ilitch drove in a run in the fifth, part of his strong 3-for-4 performance, while Kahn stayed hot at the plate, finishing a perfect 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Georgetown commanded the game 12-7 in the eighth after Kahn’s 2-RBI double, seemingly putting the game out of reach.
Butler made one final push, using a 3-run homer and a solo shot in the eighth to pull within one, but graduate right-hander Griffin O’Connor closed the door in the ninth to secure the 12-11 win.
Game two was a different story. The Hoyas were held off the scoreboard for the entire afternoon and never had much going in their favor. Through the first seven innings, the Bulldogs built a 2-0 lead before breaking it open in the eighth, adding on 4 more runs. Georgetown showed some fight in the ninth by loading the bases, but stranded all three runners to end the game.
Game three started with the Bulldogs striking first in commanding fashion. In the bottom of the first, Butler opened up scoring with a grand slam to right field from catcher Will White. The Hoyas found themselves immediately on their heels, trailing 0-4 before fans had even found their seats.
Georgetown began to chip away in the third inning when graduate infielder AJ Solomon reached, and Ilitch followed with an RBI single to get the Hoyas on the board and cut into the early momentum.
Heading into the fourth, senior infielder Jeremy Sheffield led off with a double down the line and sophomore catcher Ashton Seymore brought him home with an RBI single to center. Later in the inning, with runners in motion, junior third-baseman Braxton Templin executed a sacrifice bunt that plated another run, trimming the deficit to 4-3 and shifting the energy back toward the Georgetown dugout.
Butler answered in the bottom half, manufacturing a run to push the lead back to two at 5-3. In the fifth, Ilitch sparked another rally with a double, and Sheffield delivered again with an RBI single to make it a 1-run game.
The Hoyas’ breakthrough finally came in the seventh. Ilitch singled, Sheffield followed with another, Seymore came through again in the clutch, lining an RBI single that tied the game 5-5. From there, the game settled into a grind, with both bullpens shutting down any scoring opportunities.
Georgetown threatened in the eighth and again in the 10th, putting runners on base and creating pressure, but Butler’s pitching held firm, stranding key baserunners and extending the game deeper into extras.
Finally, in the 13th, it all clicked for the Hoyas. Gilio singled to start a weekend-defining inning. Solomon followed right behind with another base knock before both players advanced on a balk, and Ililtch was walked to allow Butler a force at the plate.
The Bulldogs cracked under the pressure as a fielding error let Peek reach first, giving Georgetown its first lead of the game. From there, the Hoyas blew it wide open.
Sheffield knocked a 2-RBI single to extend the lead, and Butler continued to spiral as Georgetown kept the line moving. Seymore reached on a fielder’s choice, Dom Cafferillo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in another run, Larkins drew an RBI walk and Templin added a 2-RBI single.
To cap it all off, Solomon singled for the second time in the inning, bringing in the two final runs of the game and giving the Hoyas a massive 14-5 lead.
Graduate right-hander Trajan Lee closed it out with a 1-2-3 inning, winning the game and taking the series for Georgetown.
After the fireworks of the weekend, the Hoyas fell to George Washington University 9-7 on April 22. They face the University of Connecticut (22-20, 7-5 Big East) for a three-game set starting April 24 at Capital One Park.
