May 2, 2009

Box Score

Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown University baseball team won the first game of their BIG EAST doubleheader with Pittsburgh this afternoon, 7-5, before falling late in the night-cap, 6-5. In the first game, senior Tommy Lee's first home run of the season, a two-run shot to dead-center in the seventh inning, proved to be the difference for the Hoyas. Freshman Jared Cohen threw 2 2/3 innings of shutout baseball to earn his first win in the Blue & Gray. In the second contest, Tim Adleman came within two outs of a complete-game victory and Sean Lamont hit his 12th homer of the season, but the Panthers rallied and earned a Saturday split.

Game One
The Hoyas found themselves trailing 5-4 in the seventh when Greg Pustizzi led-off with a single to right. That set the stage for Lee's blast as the centerfielder smashed his first home run of the season, over the batter's eye in dead-center field.

Cohen had his second-consecutive shutout relief appearance to earn his first win as a Hoya. The Vanderbilt transfer allowed only three hits and recorded eight outs to pick up the victory. Jimmy Saris, who started for GU, lasted 6 1/3 innings and allowed four earned runs before exiting and eventually earning a no-decision.

The Hoyas trailed 4-0 entering the fifth after two solo homers and two sacrifice flies had given Pitt the lead. Tom Elliott doubled to left-center and Andy Lentz was able to reach base safely on a well-executed bunt, putting runners on the corners. After Lentz stole second, Pustizzi cut the lead in half with a two-run double to left. A second successful bunt single, this one from Kelly Muir once again put GU runners on the corners. A double-steal attempt saw Muir get caught in a rundown, however the ball was thrown away and Pustizzi, who was running on the initial move, stole home to make the score line, 4-3. With Muir on second, Chip Malt tied the game with a base-hit up the middle for Georgetown.

GU tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. Dan Capeless reached base on a fielder's choice after he tried to move Sean Baumann to second on a bunt attempt. With two outs, Capeless stole second to get into scoring position and Lentz delivered a RBI drive up the middle for the final score, 7-5.

Game Two
Tied 3-3 in the eighth, Dan Godefroi singled to right and was quickly lifted for pinch-runner Rand Ravnaas. With the game all square, Lamont strode to the plate and in a surreal moment, it felt as if everyone in the ballpark knew Lamont would find a way. The sophomore crushed a two-run bomb over the left-field fence, his 12th jack of the season, for a 5-3 lead that ignited the GU bench and Hoya faithful in attendance.

Adleman was outstanding on the mound for eight innings, allowing only two earned runs on six hits and striking out eight batters, one off his season-high. However, the junior ran into trouble in the ninth as the Panthers scored three runs, two earned, to steal the victory.

GU trailed 1-0 moving into the third but Muir singled to right with one out and moved to second on a groundout. Then, history repeated itself as just like during the first contest, Malt singled to center and drove home Muir to tie the contest.

With the score knotted at 1-1 in the fourth, Lamont started things with a screaming double to left. Baumann hit a grounder to second that went through the wickets of the Pitt fielder and into right-center field, allowing Lamont to score and give the Hoyas a one-run lead.

Pitt took the lead on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh before the Hoyas responded yet again. Elliott was able to leg out a grounder to second for his fourth hit of the day, tops among the Hoyas. After a Capeless walk and Pustizzi sacrifice bunt, Muir tied the game with a run-scoring single to right. A double play would erase any chances of GU building on their opportunity in the inning.