On Friday afternoon, Georgetown baseball (3-6, Big East) continued their stretch of road games with an 11-8 victory over Richmond (2-7 Atlantic 10), giving the Hoyas their second consecutive win and bringing the team’s record to 3-6 on the year. Friday’s roller-coaster game saw timely offensive explosions from both the Hoyas and the Spiders, and subsequently challenges on the mound to maintain leads.
Georgetown starter sophomore right-hander Carter Bosch struggled out of the gate, allowing six runs in the bottom of the first. Throughout the inning, Bosch struggled with command, hitting Richmond’s leadoff batter junior right fielder Jordan Schulefand, and walking two others, all of whom came around to score. The Spiders capitalized on their opportunities in the first, leaving just one man on and racking up four hits, including RBI doubles by junior third baseman Dominic Toss and graduate student first baseman Dan Leckie. However, these six runs would be the last Richmond would put on the board until the bottom of the seventh. After a rocky start getting his first three outs of the game, Bosch bounced back admirably and although Richmond continued to reach base, Georgetown prevented them from coming around to score as Bosch racked up six strikeouts.
Two innings later, in the top of the third, Georgetown’s offense exploded for five runs on four hits to cut Richmond’s lead to just one run. To lead off the inning, sophomore right fielder Andrew Marra walked. The Hoyas then strung together four straight hits, by sophomore catcher Tony Barreca, junior shortstop Yareb Martinez, senior designated hitter John Simourian, and sophomore second baseman Nolan Matsko to bring in three runs and make the score 6-3, Richmond. After senior left fielder AJ Lotsis walked to load the bases with no outs, Richmond starter redshirt junior and right-hander Tim Miller struck out junior third baseman Eddie McCabe for the first out of the inning. However, Georgetown was not done and senior first baseman Freddy Achecar III walked to bring in a run. On an infield fly by senior center fielder Ryan M. Davis, Matsko came around to score and bring Georgetown within a run.
Both teams continued to get runners on base. However, the score remained 6-5 until the top of the fifth when McCabe singled and advanced on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error, eventually coming around to score on a sacrifice fly to center by Ryan M. Davis., tying the game at six. Richmond fired back in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff home run by redshirt junior and catcher Drew Blakley to bring Richmond up 7-6 and knock Bosch out of the game.
In the top of the ninth, down one run, the heart of the Hoyas’ lineup came through when needed most to tie the game and force Richmond to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, clean up hitter McCabe singled down the line to get Georgetown on base. Achecar III then walked to put McCabe in scoring position. After a strikeout by Ryan M. Davis, Georgetown was down to their last out. Head coach Pete Wilk pinch hit junior Kai Nelson for freshman Patrick Desalvo, and put in junior Ryan P. Davis to pinch run for McCabe at second base. Nelson walked to load the bases and Barreca forced bases loaded walk to bring in the tying run. Richmond got out of the inning without further damage, but failed to score in the bottom of the inning, forcing the game to extra innings.
With the game tied 7-7, walks by DeSalvo and Lotsis followed by a single from sophomore Alex Rosen, a defensive substitute for Davis P., loaded the bases with just one out in the top of the tenth. Richmond reliever sophomore right-hander Mason Majors notched his second strikeout of the inning to put the Spiders an out away from getting out of the inning. Davis M. stepped to the plate and with one swing brought the Hoyas up by four runs on a grand slam over the right field fence. Majors then walked Nelson and Barreca to put runners on first and second with two outs. These walks were numbers 13 and 14 on the day for the Hoyas. Freshman right-hander Theo Fraynick entered the game to replace Majors and induced a ground ball to third to end the inning with the Hoyas now up 11-7.
In the top of the 10th, Georgetown reliever sophomore right-hander Miller Freeman, who had entered in the eighth, hit Schulefand to lead off the inning. Schulefand advanced on a wild pitch and a ground out to reach third, and scored on a balk. After walking two Spiders, Freeman was replaced by freshman right-hander Carson Frye who struck out the first batter he faced to end the game and earn the save behind Freeman who was awarded the win in Georgetown’s 11-8 victory.
In a back and forth game where both teams had offensive explosions, timing came down to be the difference, with Georgetown capitalizing on the 14 walks issued by Richmond pitchers. Davis R. lead the Hoyas on offense with six RBI and the go-ahead slam. The team will play VCU (5-3, Atlantic 10) in Richmond on Saturday afternoon. The next day, they will face William and Mary (3-5, Colonial) on the road. For continuing coverage of all Georgetown sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter.
