George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
Lehigh
Baseball Downs Lehigh, 8-1, Earns Series Win
3/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 16, 2008
BETHLEHEM, PA - George Washington baseball defeated Lehigh, 8-1, in the rubber game of their three-game, non-conference series early Sunday afternoon in Bethlehem, PA. The two teams split their doubleheader on Saturday.
The win improved GW's record to 8-7 overall this season, and marked the first time they have recorded at least two three-game, non-conference series victories since 2004. GW took two of three from Yale earlier this season. Lehigh dropped to 10-8.
Making just his third career start, freshman Eric Cantrell (Oakton, VA/Oakton) allowed just four hits and one unearned run while recording eight strikeouts in seven innings of work to earn his second win and improve to 2-1. He did not surrender any walks. Sophomore Faizan Choudhry (Langley, BC/Langley Secondary) and junior Jimmy Duggan (Jefferson, MD/St. John's Prospect Hall) worked the final two innings. Combined, they held Lehigh hitless as they struck out three of the six batters they faced.
Offensively, GW was led by Andrew Abokhair (Ashburn, VA/Broad Run) for the second game in a row. The senior catcher was 2-for-3 with a double and four RBI. Junior Sean Rockey (Sammamish, WA/Eastlake/Columbia Basin CC) and Charlie Kruer (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) each added two hits and one RBI. In the three-game series, Abokhair finished 5-for-8 with a home run, two doubles, eight RBI and a SLG% of 1.250.
In Sunday's game, GW jumped out to early lead when they scored four in the top of the first. After Rockey and Kruer singled, Curtis Eward (Oak Hill, VA/Oakton) was hit-by-the-pitch to load the bases for Abokhair, who promptly drove them all in with a double into left field. He later came around to score on a Doug Eizen (Philadelphia, PA/The Haverford School) single up the middle.
The Colonials added four more in the third. Matt Boyd (Rockville, MD/Magruder) led-off with a single, stole second and then scored when Sean Rockey singled him home. After taking second on the throw, Rockey advanced to third when Bryan Hwang (Northvale, NJ/Northern Valley Regional at Old Tappan) reached safely on a bunt. A sac-fly from Charlie Kruer scored Rockey and then a double from Curtis Eward plated Hwang.
That was all the scoring GW would need, as they got another great pitching performance in the series, this time from Eric Cantrell. In the three games at Lehigh, GW pitching combined to go 2-1 with a save and a 1.88 ERA. In 24 innings pitched, they notched 27 strikeouts and walked just five batters while allowing only five earned runs on 19 hits.
The Colonial bats were also impressive, out-hitting the Mountain Hawks in the three games, 28-19. GW outscored them 19-7 and slugged .417 overall, compared to Lehigh's mark of .225.
George Washington plays at Georgetown Tues., Mar. 18, at 3:00 p.m.
- GW -
