GUHoyas
Despite beginning the weekend with a victory, the Georgetown University baseball team (9-16) failed to execute a series win in a three-game matchup against the Radford University Highlanders (12-11) on March 21-23.
dOn March 21, the weekend looked like it would be a hit for the Hoyas. The first game remained scoreless until the fifth inning, when outfielder Corbin Grantham scored for the Highlanders after walking to first base and stealing second, followed by taking third on a fielder’s choice by Georgetown sophomore shortstop Blake Schaaf.
Grantham made his way home after Georgetown caught Highlander shortstop Hunter Keen on an attempted steal, putting Radford ahead 1-0.
Graduate outfielder Kavi Caster then flipped the game on its side for the Hoyas in the bottom of the fifth.
Caster began Friday’s game with a season .307 batting average, only second on his team to Schaaf, who took the field with a batting average of .333.
While Georgetown Head Coach Edwin Thompson was reluctant to share secrets to success, he said he was thrilled at their performances.
“They’ve been themselves, and not trying to be someone they’re not,” Thompson told The Hoya in a phone interview.
Caster mobilized the offense with a base hit up the middle for his first hit — and second time on base after a first inning walk — of the game.
His teammates followed suit. First-year catcher Ashton Seymore and outfielder Dylan Larkins both walked, priming the bases for senior catcher Owen Carapellotti to bring the Hoyas home. Carapellotti then homered to right-center to drive in 3 runs for a 3-1 Georgetown lead.
Defense was where the Hoyas truly showed their skill. Graduate right-hander JT Raab’s 6 and 1/3 innings on the mound were essential for Friday’s win. Raab recorded only 2 earned runs and 5 hits in 21 at-bats, ending the day with a 2.84 game ERA and a 3.31 ERA on the season.
In the top of the sixth inning, Radford struck again, scoring a second run to bring the score to 3-2. The Hoyas responded with another run of their own in the bottom of the seventh, bringing them ahead by 2 runs once again.
In the bottom of the eighth, Caster struck again, ripping a triple to bat in sophomore infielder Tristan Head and solidify the final score of 6-2 to the Hoyas.
March 22 was a different story for the Hoyas as the Highlanders showed out, swinging.
In the top of the first, Radford outfielder Jhonkeanu Perez and Keen singled, first baseman Breckin Nace walked, catcher Tyler Sparrer got on base and second baseman Noah Toole and designated hitter Eli Hudgins walked to put the Highlanders ahead early.
The score was now 3-0 to Radford, deeming it time for a Hoya pitching change. Left-handed senior Marshall Whitmer took the mound from right-handed senior Matthew Sapienza.
Despite the pitching style shift, the Highlanders continued to rally as if nothing changed. Right fielder Matthew McGovern singled, Perez and Keen doubled and Nace walked. The inning concluded at 8-0, Highlanders.
The Hoyas scored 2 runs, with Schaaf bringing in sophomore center fielder Ashtin Gilio for an RBI double before tagging up on a sacrifice fly to left, courtesy of Caster. However, this was not enough to close the lead, and Radford cemented the win with 2 more insurance runs to conclude the game at 11-2 to the Highlanders.
Thompson said March 22 was a bad day for the team.
“When you’re in a hole that deep in baseball, it’s hard sometimes to get anything going,” Thompson told The Hoya.
March 23 offered a chance at revival, but ended up being anything but redeeming for the Hoyas.
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third, when Carapellotti doubled and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Gilio. Carapellotti then scored on a Schaaf single to center, followed by a Head two-run homer, making it 3-0 with the Hoyas in the lead.
Other Georgetown successes included 6 and 2/3 innings pitched by senior left-hander Andrew Williams, whose season ERA dropped from 2.95 to 2.25 on Sunday. He totalled 0 earned runs and 4 strikeouts.
Despite solid pitching, momentum slowed as the Hoyas committed their share of errors. Gilio, Schaaf, and Larkins each made one, and junior third baseman Jeremy Sheffield made two.
Thompson said a combination of several defensive errors was the reason for the Hoyas’ loss.
“We struggled all the year defensively, we just got to be better,” he told the Hoya.
Despite graduate first baseman Noah Leib homering for the Hoyas in the bottom of the ninth, the Hoyas fell short 6-4, ultimately losing the series 2-1.
After earning a midweek home win over Mount St. Mary’s University (10-13) on Tuesday, March 25 by a score of 4-2, the Hoyas will turn their attention to the weekend, where they will face the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in a tripleheader. The Hoyas will play in Baltimore March 28 before returning to Capital One Park for a game apiece on March 29 and March 30.