WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 5) -- Georgetown took a 9-1 lead into the sixth inning but still lost to Air Force by a 12-9 margin as the Falcons rallied for 11 runs in the final three innings in baseball action on Sunday, March 5, at the GU Baseball Stadium. The Hoyas fall to 8-9 overall while the Falcons improve to 13-7.
A score in the first inning combined with five runs in the second staked GU to a 6-1 lead. Freshman Jason Boice (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) knocked in Matt Carullo (Fr., Oakton, Va./Paul VI) in the first to tie the game at 1-1. Marc Carlini (Alexandria, Va./Episcopal) singled in Josh Corman (Sr., Lexington, Ky./Lafayette) and Brian Cassese (Scarsdale, N.Y./Eastchester) and Boice homered to score Carlini and Carullo to give the Hoyas the 6-1 advantage. Sophomore Jon Blodgett (Peabody, Mass./Peabody) lifted a shot over the center field fence to score Pat Wade (Jr., Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown). Corman would score again on a balk in the fifth to push the Hoya lead to 9-1.
Air Force head coach Reed Peters, who was ejected in the sixth, lit a fire under his troops as they rallied for three runs in the sixth, two in the seventh, and three more in the eighth and ninth innings each. The Falcons' Brendan Shannon singled in Brian LaBasco and Mike Thiessen homered for two RBI to trim the Hoya margin to 9-4. Steve Jones would launch one in the seventh and Shannon posted a RBI double for 9-6. In the eighth, Jones singled to right field scoring two, and Shannon singled to left to bring in Jones to knot the game at 9-9. USAF registered three more scores in their half of the ninth, and the Hoyas could not respond falling 12-9.
Boice led the Hoya charge with a 2-for-4 day and four RBI with a run scored and a walk. Carlini went 1-3 with two RBI, one run, and two walks, while Blodgett was 1-4 with two RBI and one run. Air Force's Jones paced the Falcons going 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Brendan was 3-6 with three RBI and a run while Thiessen went 3-for-5 for two RBI and two runs.
Jim Vankoski (Jr., Aston, Pa./Strath Haven) started on the mound for GU going 6-1/3 innings with six earned runs, three strikeouts, and 11 hits. Georgetown's Tony Pina (So., Middleboro, Mass./Middleboro) got the loss. David Diehl pitched 4-2/3 innings of relief for the Falcons allowing one hit off 14 batters for the win.
Hoya baseball travels to take on Howard on Tuesday, March 7 for an afternoon tilt which starts at 3:00 p.m.
