April 5, 2006

Box Score

Bethesda, Md. - Georgetown freshman right-hander Darren Sizemore (Hamilton, Ohio/Ross) allowed one run on eight hits over eight-plus innings, and senior Ryan Craft (Jupiter, Fla./The Benjamin School) broke a 1-all tie with a double in the sixth inning, leading the Hoyas to a 2-1 non-league win over the University of Maryland-Baltimore Country on Wednesday afternoon at Shirley Povich Field.

The Hoyas break a three-game losing streak, improving to 13-17 overall, while the Retrievers fall to 10-14 overall.

Georgetown took a 1-0 lead in the second, but UMBC tied it in the third. The Hoyas broke the tie in the sixth when Craft sent a 2-0 offering from UMBC reliever Matt Buchholz to the gap in left-center, bringing home senior third baseman Drew Dargen (Edmond, Okla./Edmund North) with what proved to be the winning run.

The Retrievers put runners on base in the seventh and eighth innings after Georgetown errors, but Sizemore induced a ground ball to the mound to end one inning and registered one of his eight strikeouts to end the eighth. After striking out Tom Meaney to start the ninth inning, pinch-hitter Scott Peddicord hit a single to right. Sizemore exited and handed the ball to sophomore Dan Kennedy (West Orange, N.J./Regis), who induced a fly ball out and struck out the final batter to secure his fourth save of the season.

Georgetown took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after putting the first two batters on base. Dargen started things with a single down the right field line and moved to second when Craft walked. Junior catcher Brandon Davis (Poway, Calif./The Bishop's School) sent a 2-0 offering from UMBC starter Tom Schlein through the left side, bringing home Dargen with the game's first run. Schlein got out of the jam without further damage and the Retrievers tied the game in the next half inning.

Mike Scheffel hit a two-out single off Sizemore, moved to second when Zach Clark singled down the left field line and then scored on a single to center from Joe Fowler, who was picked off at first by Davis to end the inning.

The Hoyas had a chance to break the tie earlier in the game. They loaded the bases with one out in the third after junior right fielder Mark McLaughlin (Walnut Creek, Calif./De La Salle) singled, senior Timmy Jones (Ledgewood, N.J./Morristown) reached on an error and Dargen singled, but Schlein worked his way out of the jam.

Buchholz relieved Schlein in the fourth and retired the first six batters he faced before the Hoyas hit him for the winning run in the sixth.

UMBC was able to put a runner on base in all but one inning, but Sizemore was sharp throughout. He struck out two batters in the first inning and added two more in the second. After the Retrievers tied the game in the third, he retired the first two batters in the fourth. Mark Lemon was walked with two out, stole second and looked like he would break the tie when Ian Carman singled, but Degrijs sent his relay throw from left to Dargen, who wheeled around and made a perfect throw to Davis for the final out of the inning. Sizemore gave up a leadoff single in the fifth, but induced a ground ball double play to thwart the rally and then retired the side in the sixth inning.

Sizemore allowed one earned run on eight hits to go with two walks and eight strikeouts as he improved to 4-2 this season. Buchholz (0-1) took the loss for UMBC. Dargen scored both Georgetown runs and had three hits, while Craft and Davis each had run-scoring hits.

Georgetown hosts BIG EAST Conference rival Louisville this weekend at Shirley Povich Field. The Hoyas and Cardinals begin a three-game series on Friday at 3 p.m.