Oct. 27, 2010
WASHINGTON - The Georgetown Baseball team capped off a very successful fall season with the highly anticipated Blue-Gray series, which is a five-game series of intrasquad scrimmages. After losing the first game of the series, the Blue team rebounded to come back and win the next three ball games to clinch the series.
The Gray team came back in the fifth and final game to win, making the overall score of the series: Blue 3 - Gray 2. The five-game series showcased Georgetown's strong offense, with several occasions of clutch hitting performances on both ends. There were also some very impressive individual pitching outings, leaving the program very optimistic about the potential for the 2011 season.
Game 1: Gray 6 - Blue 2
The Gray team came out in game one of the series and set the tone with an early offensive attack. The Gray offense created a margin early in the game, and was able to carry their early-inning success through the rest of the game. Leadoff hitter, junior outfielder Rand Ravnaas (Fort Worth, Texas/All Saints' Episcopal), was a key part in getting the offense going for the Gray club, as he went for 4-for-6 with four singles and an RBI. Freshman first baseman Steve Anderson (Albany, N.Y./ Guilderland) had a fantastic day at the plate, nearly hitting for the cycle with four hits (two singles, double, and a homerun) and two RBI. Along with a steady offense, the Gray team pitching staff threw the ball very well in game one. Junior right-handed pitcher Bobby Kirby (Bel Air, Md./ Loyola Blakefield) pitched 4 1/3 innings allowing two runs, and senior relief pitcher Pablo Vinent (Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit) followed with three innings of scoreless baseball with two strikeouts. Senior transfer Michael Seander (Cranston, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy/Duke) closed out the win with a scoreless ninth inning posting three strikeouts, no walks, and allowing one hit. Junior right fielder Andy Lentz (Farmington Hills, Mich. / Brother Rice) was the lone offensive highlight for the Blue squad, going 1-for-3 at the plate, with a double and an RBI.
Game 2: Blue 10 - Gray 1
Game two of the series was played at beautiful Nationals Park as a surprise gift from head coach Pete Wilk and was a wonderful experience for everyone involved with Georgetown baseball. The Blue team made the most of their Nationals Park experience with a dominant victory over the Gray Squad. Sophomore utility player Justin Leeson (Exton, Pa./West Chester) served as a great table-setter for the Blue squad, reaching base four times, going 3-for-5 with a triple, two singles, a walk and two RBI. Junior utility player Kevin Johnson (Peabody, Mass./ Belmont Hill) had a great day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and two big RBI. On the mound, redshirt senior left-handed pitcher Alex Meyer was very impressive for the Blue team. Meyer threw five solid innings (five strikeouts, two hits, two walks, one run) and did not allow the Gray team to gain any momentum throughout the game. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Thomas Polus (Crown Point, Ind./ Andrean) was equally as impressive in relief for the Blue squad, tossing four scoreless innings (two hits, one strikeout, no walks). The lone highlight for Gray team in game two was leadoff hitter outfielder Rand Ravnaas, who went 1-for-3, with a double, a walk, and a stolen base.
Game 3: Blue 8 - Gray 1
The Blue team came into game three of the series with the same intensity and high level of play that they displayed in game two. Starting pitcher junior right-hander Will Harris (Winter Park, Fla./ Trinity Prep) set a great tone for the Blue squad with three solid innings, striking out four while allowing only one hit, one walk, and one run. Freshman right-hander Jack Vander Linden (Dallas, Texas/ Episcopal Dallas) carried the efficiency on the mound into the later innings, with two scoreless innings of relief for the Blue squad. Freshman pitcher Alex Baker (Charlotte, N.C./ Ardrey Kell ), and sophomore right-handers Chris Casale (Potomac, Md./ Gonzaga College H.S.) and Neal Dennison (Houston, Texas/ Lamar), combined for four scoreless innings of relief to close out the victory for the Blue team. On the offensive side, fifth- year senior first baseman Dan Capeless (Centreville, Mass./Boston College H.S.) shined, as he posted a 3-for-4 (single, double, triple) day at the plate with an RBI. Additionally, Johnson was a key contributor to the Blue team success in game three, with another 3-for-5 performance (three singles, RBI).
Game 4: Blue 10 - Gray 5
For the third consecutive game, the Blue squad turned in another impressive performance with a five-run victory over the Gray team. Junior catcher Nick Geary (Miami, Fla./ Ranson Everglades) led the way for the Blue team, reaching base four out of five times, and cashing in two important RBI's (two singles, two walks). Kevin Johnson had another productive day at the plate; going 2-for-4 with two RBI in the winning effort. Meyer had his second start of the series and he got the job done once again for the Blue side. Alex Meyer scattered six hits over four innings, with five strikeouts, no walks and three earned runs. Vander Linden threw well for the second consecutive game with three innings of solid relief pitching (three strikeouts, one walk, two hits allowed, and one run). The Gray offense had a few bright spots in the losing effort in game four, highlighted by freshman outfielder Christian Venditti (Newton, Mass./ St. Sebastian's) who turned in a 1-for-2 day at the plate with a single, a walk, and an RBI and senior third baseman Sean Lamont (Houston, Texas/ Bellaire) went 2-for-4, with a double and two runs scored.
Game 5: Gray 5 - Blue 3
The Gray team managed to bounce back in the fifth game of the series to get the victory in the final game of the fall season. Venditti had a stellar day at the plate, going 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and an RBI. Lamont reached base twice with a single, a hit-by-pitch and also had an RBI. Senior outfielder Dan Godefroi (Andover, Mass./ Andover High) went 1-for-3 with an RBI single in a crucial moment of the game. Bobby Kirby had his second strong start of the series, turning in four positive innings, scattering five hits, one strikeout, and two earned runs. Michael Seander turned in another solid relief effort for the Gray bullpen, posting five strikeouts, one walk and two hits over 2 1/3 innings. Sophomore James Heine (Chapel Hill, N.C./ East Chapel Hill) threw a scoreless inning of relief to secure the victory for the Gray team. Offensive highlights on the Blue side were Dan Capeless (1-2, two walks) and Andy Lentz (triple, RBI). Although the Blue team played even with the Gray squad in pretty much every statistical category, the Gray team managed to get a few more clutch hits to take the victory in game five. The final game of the series was by far the most competitive game of the series. It was a very well-played baseball game on both sides, and it was a great way to cap off the 2010 Fall Baseball season.
