George Washington University Athletics
Yale Hands Baseball First Loss of the Season, 4-2
3/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 2, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC - Yale senior pitcher Brian Irving held George Washington to just five hits over seven innings and struck out 13 to lead the Bulldogs past the Colonials, 4-2, Sunday afternoon in the final game of a three-game series at Barcroft Park in Arlington, VA.
The win was first of the young season for Yale, who improved to 1-2, while GW suffered their first defeat of 2008, and is now 5-1. The loss snapped an 11-game win streak for the Colonials, dating back to the end of last year.
Irving, making his first appearance in 2008, allowed just two runs in the game and surrendered no walks. Chris Walsh and Vinny Lally combined to throw a one-hit eighth inning before closer Steve Gilman ended any hope of a GW comeback with two strikeouts in the ninth to pick-up the save.
Junior Chris Neary (0-1) started for GW and lasted five innings. Neary, making just his second appearance for the Colonials, allowed three runs on four hits and notched four strikeouts. To finish the game, GW used a combination of sophomores Faizan Choudhry (2.0 IP) and Bobby Lucas (1.1 IP) and junior closer Jimmy Duggan (0.2 IP), who was pitching for the second consecutive day. Choudhry allowed just two hits and Lucas struck out three of the six batters he faced. The lefthander now leads the team 11 K's this season, coming in just seven innings of work.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, GW tried to mount a comeback as junior Tim Reeves blasted a 1-1 pitch over the fence in center field for his first career home run to make it 3-2 in favor of the visitors. Junior Doug Eizen followed with a bunt-single, stole second and then advanced to third on a groundout, but was never able to come around and score the tying run. From that point on, GW was unable to advance a runner past first base. Eizen and sophomore Tom Zebroski finished with two hits each.
In the three-game series, Reeves finished 7-for-9 (.778) with one HR, three doubles, six RBI and three runs scored. He also posted a perfect fielding percentage in 24 chances.
The series win over Yale marks the first time GW has won a non-conference series since they took two of three at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2006.
George Washington travels to George Mason on Tuesday, Mar. 4, to face the Patriots at 2:30 p.m., and then hosts William & Mary at the same time on Wednesday, Mar. 5.
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