May 5, 2007

Box Score

Washington, D.C. -

The Georgetown University baseball team (18-29, 6-14 BIG EAST) salvaged a split of a day-night doubleheader with Pittsburgh (21-21, 12-7 BE) at Shirley Povich Field on Saturday, losing the first game, 9-2, but winning the second contest, 1-0.

In the second game, Georgetown finally broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the seventh after almost squandering the opportunity. Sophomore Sean Baumann (Tampa, Fla./Freedom) was hit by a pitch to reach base to begin the frame. However, he was picked off first and freshman Kelly Muir (South Pasadena, Calif./Loyola) struck out swinging to subdue the Hoya hopes in the inning.

GU then received a bit of a break when freshman Tom Elliott's (Blue Bell, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) groundball was misplayed which allowed him to reach base safely. With two down, senior Mark McLaughlin (Walnut Creek, Calif./De La Salle) came to the plate and ripped a run-scoring double deep into the right field corner to put Georgetown in front, 1-0.

Junior Michael Gaggioli (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) was brilliant on the mound for the Hoyas allowing only five hits and throwing shutout baseball for six full innings. Freshman Jack Bender (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) relieved Gaggioli and earned the win, evening his record at 2-2 for the season. Bender allowed only one hit over his two innings of work. Junior Daniel Kennedy (West Orange, N.J./Regis) tied his own Georgetown single-season record with his ninth save of the season, pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

In the first game, Georgetown was able to break through in the seventh inning with the Hoyas trailing 8-0. Junior Matt Iannetta (Providence R.I./St. Raphael Academy) reached base on an error by Pitt's second baseman with one out. With two down, sophomore Greg Pustizzi (Medford, N.J./Bishop Eustace Prep) drew a walk that provided the Hoyas with two runners on the base paths. The next batter was Elliott, and he came through with a RBI single to center to put Georgetown on the board.

Freshman Tim Adleman (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) took the hill for the Hoyas and allowed seven runs, one earned, on six hits in four innings of work. The loss dropped last week's BIG EAST Honor Roll member to 3-6 on the season. Junior Erick Chandler (Somerset, N.J./Rutgers Prep) returned to the mound in a relief role for GU and allowed two runs on three hits while striking out four batters in four innings. Senior Mark Dutmers (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview) pitched a hitless ninth.

Georgetown added another run in the ninth when Baumann cranked his team-leading seventh homer of the season for the final score.

These two BIG EAST rivals will play the third and final installment of their weekend series tomorrow, Sunday, May 6 at 1 p.m. from Shirley Povich Field.