May 13, 2007

Box Score

Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown University (19-32, 7-17 BIG EAST) baseball team kept their postseason hopes alive with an 8-3 win at home over Villanova (26-21, 11-13 BE) this afternoon at Shirley Povich Field. The Hoyas scored the first seven runs of the game and provided more than enough run support for sophomore starter Jimmy Saris (Great Falls, Va./Langley). Georgetown lost the restarted second game from yesterday, 5-2.

Georgetown's biggest inning was the third, as they blew the game open and took a 6-0 lead over the Wildcats. Junior Matthew Bouchard (East Greenwich, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) singled to right field and advanced to third on a fielding error by Villanova rightfielder James Dolbier. Senior Brandon Davis (Poway, Calif./The Bishop's School) would follow with a RBI single to left field for the first run of the inning. On the day, Davis finished with four hits and three runs batted in.

After senior Joseph Graziano (Floral Park, N.Y./Chaminade) singled to center, junior Matt Harrigan (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) doubled to bring him home and make the score 4-0, in favor of the Gray and Blue. After a Villanova pitching change, sophomore Kelly Muir (South Pasadena, Calif./Loyola) was plunked and awarded first base, thus loading the bases.

After the next two batters were retired in order, senior Mark McLaughlin (Walnut Creek, Calif./De La Salle) came to the plate and came through with a two-run double for the final runs of the inning.

Saris finished the day throwing five-hit, shutout ball over seven innings while striking out six batters. Freshman Jack Bender (Cranford, N.J./Cranford), senior Mark Dutmers (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview) and junior Daniel Kennedy (West Orange, N.J./Regis) closed it out.

Georgetown got on the board first when Bouchard walked to lead off the first, stole second and then advanced to third on a balk. Then, Davis continued his torrid weekend with a RBI single to left open the afternoon's scoring.

The Hoyas struck again in the second after singles by Harrigan and freshman Tom Elliott (Blue Bell, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep), one of his three on the day, put two runners on base. McLaughlin provided a sign of things to come with a two-out RBI single.

In the seventh, Muir led-off with a walk, stole second and advanced to third when Villanova's catcher threw the ball into shallow centerfield. Elliott would bring him home with a run-scoring single up the middle to give the Hoyas a commanding 7-0 lead.

Davis capped his amazing final weekend with a solo home run to close out the GU scoring. For the weekend, Davis hit .667 (8-for-12) with three runs scored and five runs batted in. He also finished with a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .692 on-base percentage.

In Saturday's second game, Villanova took an early 2-0 lead, but Georgetown responded in the bottom half of the first. With two outs, Bouchard singled to center, his first of three on the day, and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. The next batter was Davis who continued his productive Saturday with a RBI single to left that sliced the deficit in half.

Villanova quickly got the run back in the second to establish another two-run lead over the Hoyas. However, Georgetown continued to keep it close by scoring a run in the third to stay within one run of the Wildcats. McLaughlin walked to lead off the inning and proceeded to steal second.

After a sacrifice bunt by senior Derek deGrijs (Nashville, Tenn./Goodpasture) advanced McLaughlin to third, Bouchard struck out for the second out and Davis walked to keep the inning alive. With runners on the corners, Villanova starter Jordan Ellis was called for a balk after it appeared as if he had successfully picked Davis off first base for the final out of the inning. McLaughlin was awarded home and Georgetown had sliced the lead to 3-2.

The score remained 3-2 into the fifth inning when Georgetown started off the frame by putting two runners on base for Davis. However, the Hoyas threat to score runs turned to disaster when Davis hit a lined shot at Villanova shortstop Derek Shunk. Since the GU runners had taken off on a called hit-and-run, Shunk simply stepped on second for the double play, and tagged the runner coming into the base for the unassisted triple play.

Villanova would tack on two more runs before the rain came in the seventh inning and suspended play until Sunday afternoon.

Junior Michael Gaggioli (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) lasted six innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and striking out four. Freshman Cary Piligian (Troy, Mich./Detroit Jesuit) came on after the restart and threw shutout, one-hit ball for the remaining three innings.

The Hoyas close the regular season with a non-conference game Tuesday night at UMBC. The game will start at 7 p.m. The Hoyas will then travel to Morgantown to close out BIG EAST play against West Virginia in a three-game series starting Thursday.