George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
<b>CHARLOTTE</b>
GW Baseball Captures Series Finale against Charlotte
4/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 29, 2007
ARLINGTON, VA - George Washington (17-26-1, 9-9 A-10) junior Charlie Kruer (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) slugged two home runs and drove in five runs to propel the Colonials to a 9-6 win over Charlotte (34-9, 15-3 A-10) Sunday afternoon in the three-game Atlantic 10 series finale at Barcroft Park.
The Colonials' 13 hits tied the mark for most allowed by 49ers' starting pitching in a game this season. Charlotte surrendered 13 hits to #2 North Carolina earlier this season (Apr. 10). The nine runs are the most the Niners have allowed since giving up 10 to Saint Louis on Mar. 24.
For GW, the win prevented a sweep by the Niners, as they had won on Friday, 10-0, and in game two on Saturday, in 11 innings, 3-1. It was GW's sixth win in their past nine A-10 games.
GW took the early lead, just their second of the weekend, in the bottom of the first inning, and led for the entire game. Mickey Shupin (Sea Girt, NJ/Wall) led-off with a walk and then quickly stole second to put himself in scoring position. Tom Zebroski (Port Washington, NY/Paul Schreiber) bunted Shupin over to third for his team-leading 13th sacrifice of the season. A four-pitch walk to Michael Parker (Newton, MA/Newton South) put runners on the corners for Charlie Kruer. The junior centerfielder cleared the bases with his 12th home run of the season, an opposite-field blast into left field.
The Colonials added to their lead in the third. Zebroski got things started with a single into left field and later came around to score on a sacrifice-bunt by fellow freshman, Curtis Eward (Oak Hill, VA/Oakton), making it 4-0 in favor of the Colonials. Charlotte starting pitcher Zach Rosenbaum was chased from the game during the GW at-bat, after he allowed three hits and four runs in just 2 1/3 innings of work.
The 49ers cut into the GW lead in the top of the fourth inning, scoring three runs in the frame, capped by Chris Taylor's two-run homer to center field.
Leading now 4-3, GW responded with three runs of their own in the bottom frame of the fourth, with Shupin and Zebroski once again prominently involved. Shupin reached first on a fielder's choice and then moved over to second on Zebroski's single into right field. The two base runners executed a double-steal and then both came around to score on a Michael Parker single into center field. Parker later came home when a pick-off attempt throw from the catcher hit him in the back and bounced into left field.
With two more stolen bases, Mickey Shupin now has 23 this season and 67 in his career, putting him third all-time at GW. He is one away from tying Ken LaVan in second place (68) and just four away from tying the record-holder, Gregg Ritchie (71), with 11 regular season games remaining.
Charlotte added a run in the sixth on Chris Taylor's single into right field. GW starting pitcher Ryan Lapointe (Somersworth, NH/Phillips Exeter Academy) was lifted with one out in the inning. The freshman worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, scattered eight hits and struck out six batters as he picked up his third win of the season (3-2).
Fellow freshman Bobby Lucas (Baltimore, MD/Calvert Hall College HS) replaced LaPointe in the sixth and got GW out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam by striking out the final two batters of the frame.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Colonials extended their lead once again, plating two runs on Charlie Kruer's second home of the game, a no-doubter over the scoreboard in right-center. It was the second time this season that Kruer has hit two-run home runs in one game, the last instance coming against Richmond (Mar. 31).
The Niners scored one run each in both the seventh and eighth innings. In the top of the seventh, Shayne Moody had an RBI-groundout to third that plated Chris Lane. Alex Burt drove in the single run in the next inning, in the same fashion, grounding out to third to score Chris Taylor, unearned.
The third freshman pitcher of the day for the Colonials, Faizan Choudhry (Langley, BC/Langley Secondary), worked the ninth inning and faced the minimum to earn his second save of the season.
George Washington travels to William & Mary on Tuesday to face the Tribe at 7:00 p.m.
Game Notes: Kruer, who finished 3-for-3 with five RBI, two runs and one walk, now has four home runs in his past seven games ... his 13 home runs are the most in one season at GW since Ryan Roberson's 15 in 2005 ... Tom Zebroski added three hits and scored two runs ... eight of the nine GW starters recorded at least one hit.
