George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
Liberty
Liberty Downs George Washington in Opener of Weekend Series
3/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 9, 2007
LYNCHBURG, VA - Liberty University defeated George Washington 9-3 Friday afternoon at Worthington Stadium behind a strong pitching performance from junior Michael Solbach and 13 hits from their offense. The loss, the fourth in a row for the Colonials, dropped their season record to 1-10.
Solbach (3-1) allowed just one run on four hits while striking out four. Junior Garrett Young, who went 2-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI, led the Flames (11-4) at the plate. Senior Tim Nanry added four hits and two RBI.
Scott Swinson (1-2) got the start for GW and pitched well before running into trouble late in the game. He entered the seventh inning having allowed just two runs and six hits. Swinson retired two of the first batters of that inning, but failed to make it through the frame. After surrendering a single to Phil John, Swinson balked, moving the runners two second a third. Young drove the ball to right-center for a triple that cleared the bases. Freshman Ryan Lapointe relived Swinson and let in one run before registering the third and final out of the inning.
Liberty added another four runs in the bottom of the eighth and is now 12-6 all-time against GW.
George Washington, who finished the day 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position, managed just seven hits, two of them off the bat of senior Mickey Shupin.
The Colonials scored their first run of the game in the seventh when sophomore Pat Lehman came around on a passed ball. GW added two more runs in the ninth. Lehman walked to start the inning and advanced to second on freshman Chris Davis' pinch-hit single to left field. Another pinch-hitter, sophomore Doug Eizen, sent a single into right field to score Lehman and move Davis over to third. Shupin picked up his first RBI of the season when he drove in Davis with a single to left field for GW's third and final run.
The series continues on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. from Worthington Stadium. The Colonials will send Brian Frazier (0-3) to the mound to face-off against Liberty's Dustin Umberger (2-2).
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