George Washington University Athletics
Baseball Wins Both Games in a Doubleheader Against Yale
3/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 1, 2008
ARLINGTON, VA - George Washington baseball won a pair of games in their 2008 home debut against Yale University on a windy Saturday afternoon at Barcroft Park, in Arlington, VA. GW took the first game, 9-8, and then won the nightcap, 5-3, in seven innings.
With today's performance, the Colonials improved to 5-0. This marks just the second time since 1972 that they have started a season with five straight wins. Including the end of the 2007 season, the Colonials are currently sporting an 11-game win streak.
The game one victory was of special significance for head coach Steve Mrowka, as he picked up his 500th career win as a coach. Mrowka, in his fourth season at GW, is now 500-315-3 all-time. He spent 1994-2004 at Georgia College & State University, an NCAA II program in Milledgeville, GA, where he amasses at record of 407-231-2.
In Saturday's opening game, GW fell behind early, as Yale scraped together three runs in the first two innings for quick lead. The Colonials began to chip away with one run in the second before exploding for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth. GW sent 11 batters to the plate, smashed five hits and took advantage of two Yale errors that led to five unearned runs. The Bulldogs lived up their name as they constantly clawed their way back into the game, but they were never able to retake the lead.
Junior Pat Lehman (2-0) started for GW and pitched 5.2 innings and recorded four strikeouts to pick up his second win of the season. Sophomore Ryan Lapointe allowed just three hits and one unearned run in his three innings of relief work. With Yale threatening to tie it up in the bottom of the ninth, Mrowka called on aspiring closer Jimmy Duggan, who got the only batter he faced to fly out to center field for his second save in 2008.
Offensivley, GW piled double-digit hits for the fourth straight game, this time finishing with 10. Junior Tim Reeves led the way, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and four RBI. Tom Zebroski and Gavin Swanson each added two hits apiece.
In the day's second game, scheduled for seven innings, GW once again overcame an early Yale lead and they held on for the victory.
The Bulldogs jumped ahead 2-0 in the second inning with a home run from Andrew Moorle and then an RBI-double off the bat of Gant Elmore. The Colonials answered back in the bottom of the third, with four runs of their own. GW pieced together three hits, two sacrifice flies, two walks and hit batman as they sent nine men to the dish in what turned out to be the game-deciding inning.
Yale again tried to fight and retake the lead with a solo homerun to left field from Jake Doyle, but the Colonials bullpen was up to the task. Sophomore Bobby Lucas threw the final 1.2 innings and struck out four of the six batters he faced for his first ever collegiate save.
Freshman pitcher Eric Cantrell (1-0) took to the bump for the Colonials and struck out five as he scattered eights in 5 1/3 innings in his first career win in his first career start.
Tim Reeves continued to swing a hot bat, finishing 2-for-4 with another double and an RBI, as he improved his batting average to .538 (7-for-13) through the first five games.
George Washington (5-0) and Yale (0-2) will wrap-up their three game non-conference series Sunday, March 2, at 12:00 p.m.
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