3/28/2004
Box Score
JAMAICA, N.Y. ? The Georgetown baseball team struggled offensively in the final game of a three-game series against St. John?s on Sunday, managing just two hits and one run, as the Red Storm went on to win a 5-1 contest over the Hoyas in BIG EAST play.
With the win the Red Storm took the three-game series from the Hoyas two games to one, and improved to 11-9 overall and 2-1 in the conference. Georgetown falls to 17-13 overall and 3-3 in the BIG EAST.
St. John's pulled ahead early, picking up four runs in the second inning off Georgetown starter Stephen Burns (West Chester, Pa./ Malvern Prep). With one out, Anthony DeRosa picked up the Red Storm's first hit of the afternoon with a single to centerfield that moved Chris Joachim, who reached on a walk, to second. Eddie Shultz doubled down the left field line, allowing DeRosa to advance to third and Joachim to score. On the next play, Eric Grabowski claimed the game-winning RBI, as his single up the middle drove in both Shultz and DeRosa, giving St. John's a 3-0 advantage. With two outs, Jim Martin singled to right center and drove in Grabowski to give the Red Storm a 4-0 lead, before Mike Rozema was thrown out attempting to score from first to end the inning.
The Red Storm added an insurance run in the third inning, after Joe Burke stole second after reaching base on a fielder's choice. Burke was pushed to third on a single by Joachim and DeRosa reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Burke to cross the plate.
St. John's sophomore pitcher Anthony Varvaro was consistent throughout most of the game and, with one out and runners on first and third for the Hoyas in the fourth inning, got himself out of a jam by striking out Timmy Jones (Ledgewood, N.J./ Morristown) and ended the inning by forcing a ground out to second base by Derek deGrijs (Nashville, Tenn./ BC Goodpasture).
Danny Gronski (Sammamish, Wash./ Skyline) was hit by Varvaro to start the seventh inning for Georgetown. With Robert Delaney in for relief for St. John's, Parker Brooks (Las Vegas, Nev./ Bishop Gorman) laid down a sacrifice bunt that pushed Gronski to second and, after Delaney caught Jim Supple (Summit, N.J./ St. Peter?s Prep) looking at the plate, Billy Quinn (Alta Loma, Calif./ Alta Loma) singled to left field allowing Gronski to score the Hoya's lone run. Michael Lombardi (Brookhaven Hamlet, N.Y./ St. Anthony's) grounded out to end the Georgetown threat.
After allowing one hit in the seventh, Delaney came out on fire in the eighth, striking out the side for a 1-2-3 inning. Craig Hansen took the mound for St. John's in the top of the ninth with one out, and forced Georgetown's Brooks into a game-ending double play.
Varvaro, who struck out two batters on the afternoon, improved his record to 3-0 with the win for St. John's. Burns fell to 1-4 with the loss.
The Hoyas will return to action on Wednesday, March 31 at UMBC. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
