George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
Richmond
Baseball Out-Slugs Richmond, 15-11
3/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 28, 2008
RICHMOND, VA - George Washington baseball twice rallied from deficits in the third and sixth innings as they slugged 15 hits to down Richmond, 15-11, in the opening game of their three-game Atlantic 10 Conference series Friday afternoon at Pitt Field in Richmond, VA.
Andrew Abokhair (Ashburn, VA/Broad Run) and Tim Reeves (Cumming, GA/North Forsyth) led the way for the Colonials, as they combined to hit 6-for-10 with four doubles, five RBI and two runs scored. GW has now scored a combined 43 runs on 45 hits in their past three games, all wins.
Sophomore Faizan Choudhry (Langley, BC/Langley Secondary) earned his first win of the season. Choudhry pitched the final 4.2 innings in relief, holding the Spiders to just two hits and no runs while striking out five. Jay Joines took the loss for Richmond.
Richmond got on the board first, when they scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning. GW avoided further damage on a wild double-play. With the bases loaded and just one out, Spiders' designated hitter Billy Barber drove a double deep to right-center that plated one run. Andrew Lowry tried to score from second, but was gunned down at the plate with a perfect relay from centerfield to second to home. Hank Coogan was right behind Lowry, trying to come all the way home from first base, but got caught in a rundown and was eventually tagged out as he desperately tried to get back to third base safely.
GW responded in the top of the third with four runs of their own to tie the game. With a runner on first and one out, Tom Zebroski (Port Washington, NY/Paul Schreiber) laced an RBI-double into right-center, driving in the Colonials' first run of the game. The speedy second baseman stole third and then came home when the catcher's throw sailed into left field. Charlie Kruer (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) followed with a double down the right field line, after a lengthy at-bat, and then scored on a single off the bat of Curtis Eward (Oakton, VA/Oakton). Following an Andrew Abokhair, junior 1B Time Reeves drove a double deep into right-center, plating another GW run to tie the game at four.
In the top of the fourth, the Colonials plated another three runs, the first of which was forced home when Curtis Eward drew a bases-loaded walk. The other runs came around to score when Abokhair ripped a single through the left side, giving GW the 7-4 lead. However, the Spiders fought back in their half of the fourth and scored three runs on back-to-back run-scoring doubles to knot the game at seven.
The Colonials reclaimed the lead the next inning, scoring two in the top of the fifth. With a runner on first, junior Chris Marsicano (Old Tappan, NJ/Bergen Catholic) crushed a 2-1 pitch over the fence in right-center, making it 9-7 in favor of GW. The home-team Spiders answered yet again in the bottom of the frame, thanks to a grand slam hit by centerfielder Andrew Lowry that gave Richmond the 11-9 advantage.
Again, the Colonials rallied to tie the game in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs with two outs. Abokhair reached on a fielding error by the third baseman and then scored when a double hit by Tim Reeves bounced over the head of the right fielder. Reeves scored when Chris Holland (Pasadena, MD/Chesapeake) blooped a single into shallow right field to draw even at 11.
In the top of the seventh, GW took control of the game with four runs as they sent 10 batters to the plate while recording just two hits. Chris Marsicano led-off with a double to left-center. A fielder's choice with an error and an intentional walk issued to Charlie Kruer loaded the bases with just one out. Curtis Eward hit a high-chopper that was misplayed by the second baseman, letting two runs score. Another RBI-hit from Abokhair, this time a double into left field, plated Kruer. After another intentional pass loaded the bases, Chris Holland was drilled in the back to force in a run and give GW the final 15-11 lead.
George Washington and Richmond continue their series with the second game tomorrow, Saturday, at 2:00 p.m.
- GW -
