WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 1) -- Georgetown's baseball team fell 5-4 and 8-5 to Seton Hall in BIG EAST play on Saturday, April 1, at the GU Baseball Stadium.
Game one, which was scheduled for seven innings, went into extra frames after the Hoyas rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4. Seton Hall took a 4-0 lead with a two run shot by first baseman Alfie Critelli in the first, and homers by center fielder Mike Bascom and second baseman Joe Cuervo in the third and fifth innings. Georgetown got its rally going in the seventh when Mike Green (So., McLean, Va./Landon School) pinch hit for shortstop Matt Carullo (Fr., Oakton, Va./Paul VI) with two outs, and singled down the left field line to score John Perko (Fr., Bay Village, Ohio/Bay). Second baseman Jay Catalano (Jr., Hunting Valley, Ohio/University School) also crossed the plate off an error by the Pirates' catcher. Then, with bases loaded, third baseman Eric Santana (Jr., Santurce, P.R./Edgewood) singled down the right field line to score Green and pitcher Jim Vankoski (Jr., Aston, Pa./Strath Haven) to knot the game at 4-4.
In the ninth, the Pirates regained the advantage with a RBI double from catcher Adam Arslanian to win the contest 5-4. Santana led GU with a 2-4 day and two RBI with a walk while Arslanian was 2-4 with one RBI for Seton Hall. Chris Rielly nabbed the win for the Pirates pitching 2-1/3 and recording four strikeouts. Vankoski started for Georgetown going 8-1/3 innings and allowing five runs off 10 hits.
GU led game two 4-2 at the end of the fourth, but the Pirates scored at least one run in the final five innings to take an 8-5 decision over the Hoyas.
Georgetown was on the board quickly scoring three runs in the first. Third baseman Eric Santana singled to center field which brought in shortstop Matt Carullo. Then, designated hitter Mike Green doubled down the right field line to score Santana and center fielder Jim Vankoski. The Pirates were able to trim the margin to 3-2 after third baseman Ray Navarrete hit a two RBI double to left field in the third.
The Hoyas added another run in the fourth off left fielder Josh Corman's (Lexington, Ky./Lafayette) sacrifice fly RBI which scored right fielder Brian Cassese (Jr., Scarsdale, N.Y./Eastchester). Seton Hall tied the game at 4-4 with one run in the fifth and sixth innings and each score coming with two outs in the inning. In the seventh, right fielder Jeff Miller hit a RBI single and Adam Arslanian walked in run to give the Pirates a 6-4 advantage. Seton Hall tacked on two insurance runs in the each of the final two innings.
GU had a chance in the ninth when catcher Pat Wade (Jr., Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown) doubled down the right field line to open the stanza. John Perko, who pinch ran for Wade, came in to score off the sacrifice fly by Josh Corman to make it 8-5, but two groundouts ended the Hoya inning. Vankoski went 3-5 for GU and scored a run, while Arslanian hit 2-for-3 and recorded two RBI for the Pirates. Matt Arizin (Jr., Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Charter) started on the mound for GU going six innings and allowing four runs off nine hits with three strikeouts. Reliever Paul Perillo (So., Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Ardsley) took the loss after allowing two earned runs off two hits in 1-1/3 innings.
Georgetown (10-23, 0-8 BIG EAST) will look to prevent a sweep from Seton Hall (16-8, 3-2 BIG EAST) as the teams compete on Sunday at 12:00 noon in the final game of the three game series being held at the GU Baseball Stadium.
