Final Stats

WASHINGTON - Scoring four runs in the top of the ninth, the Georgetown University baseball team (11-10) defeated Lipscomb University (15-8), 8-5, on Friday evening in Nashville, Tenn. It was the Hoyas' third-consecutive victory and the first of a three-game weekend series.

Senior pitcher Matt Hollenbeck (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) went six innings, giving up five runs on six hits while striking out two. Junior Tim Davis (Vienna, Va./James Madison HS) came in in relief and gave up no runs and two hits while striking out one in two innings on the mound to get the win. Sophomore David Ellingson (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands College Park) picked up the save, pitching a scoreless ninth inning, registering one strikeout.

Freshman Austin Shirley (Strafford, Pa./Conestoga) led the offense with three hits and two RBI. The Hoyas had 11 hits in the contest and gave up nine.

The Bisons got on the board in the bottom of the first after a walk put Grant Massey on base. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third before crossing the plate on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Hanks to put Lipscomb up 1-0.

Both squads went three up and three down in the second inning, before the Hoyas matched the Bisons in the top of the third. Leadoff hitter sophomore Beau Hall (Seaville, N.J./Ocean City) tripled to center field and sophomore Jake Kuzbel (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) hit a sac fly to the same spot to score Hall and tie it up.

With one out and one man on, in the bottom of the third, Massey hit a home run over the left field wall to retake the lead. In the next at bat, Jonathan Allison homered to right field to add one more to the scoreboard. Hollenbeck struck out the next batter and Jeffrey Crisan grounded out to end the inning with Lipscomb leading, 4-1.

In the top of the fourth, senior AC Carter (Winter Park, Fla./Orangewood Christian) reached on an error in the leadoff position and crossed the plate three batters later as senior Ryan Busch (Falcon Heights, Minn./Roseville Area) singled to right and picked up the RBI. Another error gave Hall first and the Hoyas another run as sophomore Joseph Bialkowski (Raleigh, N.C./Needham B. Broughton) scored to cut the lead to one, 4-3.

A leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth put one man on and Mike Korte singled to send him home as the Bisons clung to a two-run lead.

The Hoyas went to work in the top of the fifth as Shirley hit a leadoff single and Nick Collins (Carthage, N.C./Union Pines) added another hit. Carter doubled to left midway through the inning to send Shirley home as GU battled back. Hollenbeck held the Bison scoreless in the bottom of the fifth to keep it a one-run game.

The next three innings were scoreless as both squads had pitchers come in in relief.

Georgetown still trailed by one going into the top of the ninth with one final chance to rally. The Blue & Gray didn't disappoint, scoring four runs to take the lead.

Busch was walked to start off the inning and a single from Hall allowed Busch to advance to third. With no outs, Lipscomb closer John Pryor entered the game. Kuzbel wasted no time and doubled to left center scoring Busch to tie it at five.

Shirley then singled to right as Kuzbel and Hall both crossed the plate and the Hoyas took their first lead of the game. The Bisons made another pitching change, but it did not stop Georgetown's hot bats. Lipscomb got the next batter out, but a single from Collins scored Shirley to give the Blue & Gray the three-run lead.

Jeffrey Passantino struck out the final two Georgetown batters, and it was up to the defense to close out the victory.

Ellingson took the mound for the final inning and gave up one hit before striking out the second batter and the third flying out to center field. Ellingson walked Crisan, but the final batter grounded out to third base to end the inning and give the Hoyas the 8-5 comeback victory.

The series will continue on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. Live stats will be available at www.GUHoyas.com.