March 8, 2011
Box Score
WASHINGTON - Georgetown scored four times in the bottom of the ninth inning, but it was not enough as Penn jumped out to a 6-1 lead after seven innings and held on to beat the Hoyas, 9-5, in the Rollins College Baseball Week, being held at Alfond Stadium in Winter Park, Fla.
It was the second-straight loss for the Hoyas, who fall to 7-5 overall, while Penn improves to 2-2.
Trailing 9-1 in the bottom of the ninth, sophomore shortstop Mike Garza (San Antonio, Texas/Douglas MacArthur) hit a one-out single and senior third baseman Sean Lamont (Houston, Texas/Bellaire) walked before a double down the right field line from senior catcher Erick Fernandez (Hialeah, Fla./Hiahleah) cut the lead to 9-2. Senior first baseman Dan Capeless (Centreville, Mass./Boston College HS) followed with a sacrifice fly to score Lamont and make it 9-3 and sophomore pinch-hitter Danny Poplawski (Bellevue, Wash./The Overlake School), in just his fourth at-bat this season, blasted a two-run home run to left center, making it 9-5. Penn reliever John Beasley entered the game and retired the final batter to secure the win for Penn.
After four scoreless innings from Georgetown starter Charles Steinman (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Chaminade), the Hoyas gave their pitcher a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when junior right fielder Rand Ravnaas (Fort Worth, Texas/All Saints' Episcopal) hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season to left-center leading off the inning.
The lead was short-lived as the Quakers scored three times in the top of the fifth to take a 3-1 lead and send Steinman to the showers. Sophomore reliever Thomas Polus (Crown Point, Ind./Andrean) threw a scoreless sixth inning, but a walk and an error followed by a two-run triple from Penn's Brandon Engelhardt helped push the lead to 6-1. The Quakers added another run in the eighth and two more in the ninth off freshman Chris Casale (Potomac, Md./Gonzaga) as the lead grew to 9-1.
Steinman took the loss for the Hoyas, throwing 5.0 innings and giving up three runs on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
Georgetown continues play in the Rollins College Baseball Week on Wednesday, March 9, playing host Rollins. First pitch at Alfond Stadium is slated for 6 p.m.
