It’s a difficult task to find a taxi willing to take you all the way to Rockville for Hoya home games, but those who made the trip saw Georgetown successfully defend its home turf in the first-ever night game at Shirley Povich Field.
After dropping two of three at Notre Dame last weekend, Georgetown Baseball (13-23, 3-9 BE) was in need of a win. Coach Wilk sent freshman southpaw Alex Meyer to the mound to take on a solid Navy (28-13) team. Meyer and the Hoyas rose to the occasion, beating Navy 6-3.
Using tremendous power and good control, Meyer dominated from the start. He controlled the Navy hitters, holding them hitless in the first five innings. Meanwhile, after struggling in the first three innings, the Hoya offense rebounded, scoring six runs in the next four innings. Georgetown’s senior catcher Brandon Davis brought the first run home for the Hoyas, singling hard to center. Junior infielder Matthew Bouchard, who had the biggest day for the Hoyas, turned the game around deep in the 6th with a two-run shot to put the Hoyas up 4-0.
Meyer lost some of his focus in the 7th when he loaded the bases on three consecutive free passes. Coach Wilk, taking no chances, pulled the freshman in favor of freshman righty Jack Bender. He quickly gave up a two-run double to cut the Hoya lead to 4-2. He then settled down, striking out the next hitter and retiring the next two on consecutive ground outs.
Georgetown’s offense countered in the bottom of the inning to shut the door. After a McLaughlin sacrifice fly, Bouchard saved the Hoyas again, shooting a double off the centerfield wall to push the lead to 6-3. Georgetown’s bullpen proved steady after that point, denying the Midshipmen a single run.
Although the win comes against a non-conference team, it could prove to be a turning point for a team that is desperately trying to halt a mid-season slide. The Hoyas will look to duplicate their win on Friday when they take on Big East foe, St. Johns University. A win against St. Johns would be a huge upset, as the Red Storm is the hands-on favorite to win the conference.
