Final Stats

BETHESDA, Md. - Xavier University scored six runs over the final three innings to defeat the Georgetown University baseball team, 8-5, on Friday evening in a BIG EAST Conference game at Shirley Povich Field. With the loss, GU fell to 15-20 on the season and 1-3 in BIG EAST play, while the Musketeers improved to 13-22 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

Eric Webber (Stockton, Calif./Saint Mary's) led the offense with two hits and was on base four times with a run scored. Beau Hall (Seaville, N.J./Ocean City) also had two hits and scored a pair of runs while Jake Kuzbel (Ashburn, Va./Stone Ridge) had two singles and added an RBI.

Matt Smith (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) started and went 7.1 innings, tying a season high with seven strikeouts. He gave up seven runs, although just four were earned, on five hits. Tim Davis (Vienna, Va./James Madison HS) gave up a run in 1.2 innings of relief, striking out three.

The Hoyas got on the board quickly in the bottom of the first. Walks to Hall and Michael DeRenzi (Mendham, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) and a bunt single by Kuzbel loaded the bases with nobody out. Hall came home to score as Joseph Bialkowski (Raleigh, N.C./Needham B. Broughton) grounded into a double play, giving GU a 1-0 lead.

Xavier tied the score in the top of the third with a walk, two stolen bases and a sacrifice fly.

Georgetown answered right back in the bottom half of the inning as Hall again led off with a walk. He went to second on a ground out by DeRenzi and scored when Kuzbel blooped an RBI single into left field, reclaiming the lead for the Hoyas, 2-1.

The Musketeers scored an unearned run in the fifth to tie the score, 2-2, but again GU came right back to regain the lead. DeRenzi started the rally with a one-out single. With Kuzbel batting, DeRenzi took off for second as the Xavier pitcher threw to first on a pickoff attempt. The throw from the first baseman sailed into left field, allowing DeRenzi to move to third. The left fielder scooped up the ball and fired errantly to third, allowing DeRenzi to scamper all the way home. Bialkowski restarted the rally with a two-out double down the left field line and scored on a single by Chase Bushor (San Diego, Calif./Santa Fe Christian) to give the Hoyas a 4-2 lead.

GU tacked on a run in the bottom of the sixth as Webber reached on a two-base error by the third baseman and came around to score on an RBI single from Dillon to put the Blue & Gray up, 5-2.

Xavier cut the lead to one, 5-4, with a two-run double in the top of the seventh. The Musketeers scored three times in the top of the eighth to take a 7-5 lead before tacking on an insurance run in the ninth.

The two teams will resume their three-game series on Saturday at 3 p.m. Simon Mathews (West Haven, Conn./Hopkins School/Temple) will take the mound for the Blue & Gray. Live stats and web stream will be available at www.guhoyas.com.