Final Stats

BETHESDA, Md. - The Georgetown University baseball team dropped its BIG EAST opener on Thursday afternoon, falling to Creighton University, 7-5, at Shirley Povich Field. With the loss, the Hoyas had their six-game winning streak snapped and fell to 20-13 overall and 0-1 in conference play, while the Bluejays improved to 12-16 overall and 3-1 in the BIG EAST.

Simon Mathews (West Haven, Conn./Hopkins School/Temple) started and pitched 5.2 innings, allowing five runs on 10 hits while striking out six. Jimmy Swad (Washington, D.C./St. Albans) allowed one run in 2.1 innings of relief, picking up four strikeouts.

Michael DeRenzi (Mendham, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) led the GU offense with two hits, including his fourth home run of the season, and scored two runs. Jake Kuzbel (Ashburn, Va./Stone Ridge) also crossed the plate twice.

Creighton opened the scoring with single runs in the second and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead.

The Hoyas manufactured a run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the deficit to one, 2-1. Ryan Weisenberg (Parkland, Fla./San Ramon Valley) reached on an error and advanced to second on a balk and third on a sacrifice bunt. He scored on an RBI ground out by Beau Hall (Seaville, N.J./Ocean City).

The Bluejays opened things up with three runs on four hits in the top of the sixth to take a 5-1 lead.

Georgetown answered right back with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the frame. DeRenzi and Kuzbel reached on back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. One out later, DeRenzi scored when a ground ball by Eric Garza (San Antonio, Texas/Ronald Reagan/TCU/San Jacinto) went through the shortstop's legs for an error. Kuzbel, who had gone to third on the play, scored on an RBI ground out by Ryan Davis (Danville, Calif./San Ramon Valley) to pull the Hoyas to within two, 5-3.

The teams traded runs in the eighth inning. Garza worked a tough, nine-pitch at-bat before lofting a sacrifice fly to score Kuzbel, who had been hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, to make it a two-run game again, 6-4.

Creighton scored a run off of Nick Leonard (Washington, D.C./Maret) in the top of the ninth to extend its lead back to three. DeRenzi launched a solo home run to center field with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but it was not enough as the Hoyas dropped the series opener.

The two teams will resume their three-game series on Friday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. and Jack Cushing (Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus) will take the mound for the Blue & Gray.