March 8, 2017 Final Stats
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - The Georgetown University baseball team could not come back a third time, falling to Central Michigan University, 9-7, on Wednesday afternoon at North Charlotte Regional Park as part of the Snowbird Baseball Classic. With the loss, the Hoyas fell to 8-6 on the season and saw its six-game winning streak come to an end. The Chippewas improved to 5-7.
Sammy Stevens (Birmingham, Mich./Brother Rice) led the GU offense with two hits, both doubles, and two RBI. He also scored two runs. Jake Bernstein (Frederick, Md./St. John's College HS) and Michael DeRenzi (Mendham, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) both had two hits and scored a run.
Joseph Bialkowski (Raleigh, N.C./Needham B. Broughton) started on the mound and went just 2.0 innings, allowing six runs on six hits and a walk. Jeremiah Burke (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem Central/La Salle Institute) threw 2.1 innings, allowing just one run on two hits with a strikeout. Noah Abdalla (Raleigh, N.C./Northern Highlands Regional [N.J.]) fired a scoreless inning with a strikeout and Brent Killam (Nokomis, Fla./Venice) threw 1.2 hitless innings with three strikeouts.
After Central Michigan opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the first, the Hoyas answered right back with three of their own in the bottom half of the inning. With DeRenzi and Zach Racusin (Morristown, N.J./Salisbury School/Marist) on first and second via a fielder's choice and a walk, Stevens laced a two-run double into the right-center field gap to score both runners. Jake Kuzbel (Ashburn, Va./Stone Ridge) followed with a double of his own to the right field wall to score Stevens and knot the score, 3-3.
The Chippewas retook the lead, 6-3, with three more runs in the top of the second.
The Blue & Gray again had an answer, scoring three runs in the bottom of the third to tie things back up. With one out, back-to-back walks to Stevens and Kuzbel as well as a single from John Simourian (Andover, Mass./Philiips Andover) loaded the bases. Ryan Davis (Danville, Calif./San Ramon Valley) pushed Stevens across the plate with an RBI groundout. After Richie O'Reilly (Hermosa Beach, Calif./Loyola HS) walked to reload the bases, Beau Hall (Seaville, N.J./Ocean City) scorched a single off of the third baseman, scoring Kuzbel. Bernstein then walked with the bases loaded to score Simourian and tie the game, 6-6.
Central Michigan again took the lead, 8-6, with two unearned runs off of Nick Morreale (Lake Elmo, Minn./St. Thomas Academy/IMG Academy) in the top of the fourth. The Chippewas added a run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to extend the lead back to three, 9-6.
The Hoyas got a run back in the bottom of the eighth. Two-out singles by Bernstein, DeRenzi and Racusin loaded the bases. A wild pitch allowed Bernstein to slide home to cut the deficit to 9-7, but the tying runs were stranded in scoring position.
The Blue & Gray could not mount a rally in the ninth as the game ended, 9-7.
Georgetown will enjoy a day off on Thursday before returning to the Snowbird Baseball Classic on Friday for a three-game series against Lafayette. First pitch of game one is set for 5 p.m. Simon Mathews (West Haven, Conn./Hopkins School/Temple) will take the mound for the Blue & Gray. Live stats will be available at www.GUHoyas.com.
Notes ââ'¬" Racusin's eighth-inning single extended his hitting streak to 11 games. He has hit safely in all but one game this season.
