The Georgetown baseball team (0-2) kicked off a highly anticipated campaign this past weekend in Spartanburg, S.C. The Hoyas started the weekend against Wofford University (3-1), falling 6-5 in 10 innings.
Wofford opened up the scoring in the third inning, scoring 2 runs on 2 hits, benefiting from a costly error by Georgetown junior first baseman Steve Anderson. Georgetown answered with their first run of the season in the fifth inning via a home run by sophomore third baseman Ryan Busch, but the Terriers responded with two of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
The Terriers would extend the lead in the sixth, adding another run to raise the Hoyas’ deficit to 4. But Georgetown refused to go quietly. In the seventh, they rattled off 4 runs knotting the score at 5. The Hoyas capitalized on a hit, 2 walks, and an error by Wofford right fielder Josh Hyman, to push the game into extra innings.
In the bottom of the 10th, however, Hoya reliever Charlie Steinman was unable to stop the Terriers, giving up an earned run on a sacrifice bunt by Wofford’s Eric Brenk, cementing the victory for Wofford.
The Hoyas’ second game of the weekend, which only lasted six innings due to a puzzling snowstorm, brought a second consecutive loss, this time 7-4 against UNC Asheville.
The snow-shortened contest was a back and forth battle, as the teams traded leads four times, with UNC Asheville finally pulling ahead after the Hoyas surrendered 3 unearned runs in the sixth inning, losing their lead and eventually the game.
Despite the loss, a few individual performances stood out for the Hoyas. On the mound, the pitching performance of sophomore Matt Hollenbeck was far more impressive than the box score suggested. Although he surrendered 6 runs, only 3 were earned, and Hollenbeck’s 5 strikeouts in five innings exhibited his ability to handle a lineup. Offensively, Steve Anderson provided the hit of the day—a two-run double in the third that helped the Hoyas rally to a brief 4-3 lead.
Despite these positives, the Hoyas will have to look to cut down on errors moving forward, as they proved to be a major factor in both games.
Due to the snow, the Hoyas’ third game versus USC Upstate on Sunday was cancelled, ending the road trip early for the Hoyas.
Next up for Georgetown are three games in Davidson, N.C., as part of the Davidson Tournament, including two games versus Davidson University (2-0), which won consecutive matchups against George Washington to start their season.
