Baseball Falls to Saint Joseph’s, Concludes 2024 Season

Friday, May 24

Tysons, VA

11 a.m.

George Washington University

31-26

Saint Joseph's

29-25

George Washington

Saint Joseph's

5/24/2024 6:09:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

TYSONS, Va. – Despite an early 9-2 advantage, the George Washington baseball team fell in a thrilling 13-12 contest to Saint Joseph's in the Atlantic 10 Championship consolation semifinals. The Revolutionaries conclude the 2024 season with a 31-26 overall record.

The Buff & Blue offense started fast, recording three runs in the top of the first inning to nab the early advantage. Brett Young put the first two runs on the board for GW, tallying a single that scored Steve DiTomaso and Sam Gates. Later in the inning, Young tallied a run of his own off the bat of Robby Wacker who reached on a fielding error by SJU's shortstop.

After the Hawks got two runs back in the first, GW's bats came alive once again in the second with two more runs. DiTomaso picked up his first RBI of the day after reaching on a fielder's choice, while the second score of the inning came via an RBI single from Robbie Lavey.

After tallying two quick outs in the third, GW went on a rally that saw them plate four runs in the frame to open a 9-2 lead. McGwire Tuffy got the scoring started with an RBI single up the middle to score Tim Nicholson. Tuffy accounted for the next Buff & Blue run, scoring on a wild pitch, while DiTomaso's RBI single brought Nick Mullen home for the third run of the frame. Lavey rounded out the inning with another RBI single, this time scoring Sam Gates.

The seventh seeded Hawks wouldn't go away quietly, putting up three more runs in the third inning to cut the GW lead down to four at 9-5. After Sam Gates tallied an RBI single down the right field line to make it 10-5 in the fifth, SJU put up six runs in the fifth to take an 11-10 lead for their first lead in the ball game.

Trailing for the first time in the game, GW quickly got the lead back off a monster two-run homer from Ellis Schwartz. Scoring on Schwartz's round-tripper was Wacker to give GW a 12-11 advantage.

GW used seven different pitchers in the contest with Brandon Siegenthaler providing much needed innings in relief down the stretch. Siegenthaler, the team's leader in wins and saves during the regular season, entered with two outs in the fifth and had a very solid outing. He kept SJU off the board in the sixth and seventh inning, but ultimately allowed the tying run in the eighth to knot the game at 12 apiece.

Tied at 12 entering the ninth, GW was unable to plate any runs despite threatening with a runner on third base. In the bottom of the inning GW turned to Teddy Brennan who started the team's postseason opener against Richmond on Tuesday. Brennan walked the first batter he faced and was then pulled for Max Haug out of GW's pen. The Hawks baserunner proceeded to steal second and advance to third on a throwing error to put SJU just 90 feet away from victory. One batter later, Saint Joseph's singled down the left field line, just getting the ball over the outstretched glove of Wacker, to bring the run home and walk-off the contest. The win advances SJU to the tournament semifinals and eliminates GW from postseason action.

With two hits in the game, DiTomaso concludes his GW career with 295 hits. He finishes just four off the program record of 299 set by Tom Zebroski. Despite only facing one batter, Brennan was ultimately charged with the loss, dropping him to 2-7 on the season. GW's phenomenal season ends with 31 total victories, the most since 2018.