George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
<b>RICHMOND</b>
Colonials Comeback Falls Short Against the Spiders
3/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 31, 2007
ARLINGTON, VA - George Washington (8-18, 1-4) fought back from 7-1 and 9-3 deficits to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, but in the end, fell to Richmond (17-10, 5-0) in ten innings, 11-9, Saturday afternoon at Barcroft Park.
Richmond jumped out to an early lead, plating three runs in the top of the first. Three of the first four Spiders batters reached base, including RBI-doubles by both Hank Coogan and Vince Riggi.
In the second, the Spiders scoring continued as they tallied four runs, capped by left fielder Alex Wotring's three-run home run that gave Richmond a 7-0 lead.
GW cut into the deficit with a pair of Charlie Kruer (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) home runs. The junior led-off the bottom of the second with a solo shot over the right field fence. In the fourth, after Michael Parker (Newton, MA/Newton) doubled down the left-field line, Kruer blasted the first pitch he saw over the centerfield fence to pull the Colonials to within four runs, 7-3.
In the top of the fifth, Richmond loaded the bases with nobody out. GW starting pitcher, Derek Haese (Littleton, CO/Dakota Ridge/UC-San Diego), retired the next two batters on ground outs to third base before surrendering a single through the right side to Benji Marshall that drove in two runs, making it 9-3 in favor of Richmond.
The Spiders loaded the bases again in the top of the sixth, but Faizan Choudhry (Langley, BC/Langley Secondary) buckled down and got the final out of the inning without allowing a run to score.
The Colonials added another run in the sixth as Michael Parker led off with a single through the right side, stole second and then came around to score on Charlie Kruer's single up the middle.
GW continued their comeback effort in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs to make the score 9-7. The first three Colonial batters walked to load the bases with nobody out. Parker then grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed one run to score. After Parker stole second to put two runners in scoring position, Kruer came through yet again, tripling down the right field line to plate two more GW runs.
Kruer finished 4-for-4, drove in six runs and scored two. He was a double shy of hitting for the cycle.
Gavin Swanson (Reisterstown, MD/Calvert Hall College HS) pulled the Colonials to within one run, 9-8, when he slugged his fifth home run of the season in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Colonials pulled even in the bottom of the ninth with a Curtis Eward (Oak Hill, VA/Oakton) single up the middle that plated Tom Zebroski (Port Washington, NY/Paul Schreiber).
In the top of the tenth, Richmond loaded the bases, with no outs, before Alex Wotring roped a single into left field that scored what proved to be the winning runs for the Spiders.
The two teams complete their three game series Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Game Notes: Mickey Shupin (Sea Girt, NJ/Wall) was 3-for-5 with a run scored ... Michael Parker finished 2-for-5 and scored three runs ... GW has now lost six straight.
- GW -
