Weather
Current Conditions
In Washington, DC
P/CLOUDY
Temp: 57
Wind: 4 N
 |
|
 |
 GW freshman pitcher Eric Cantrell at Nationals Park |
 |
Baseball Cruises Past Saint Joseph's in First Game Played at Nationals Park
March 22, 2008
| GW Opens Nationals Park - gallery 1
WASHINGTON, DC - In the first ever game played at Nationals Park, Major League Baseball's newest stadium and home to the Washington Nationals, George Washington (10-9, 2-1 A-10) pounded out nineteen hits and rode the arm of freshman Eric Cantrell (Oakton, VA/Oakton) on their way to a 9-4 win over Saint Joseph's (8-12, 1-2 A-10) in the third and final game of their Atlantic 10 Conference series.
The Colonials and the Hawks split their doubleheader on Friday, at Barcroft Park, in Arlington, VA, the home field of GW baseball. Saturday's game at Nationals Park served as a test run for the Nationals' staff as they prepare for the 2008 season in their new stadium.
Making only his fourth collegiate start, Eric Cantrell pitched eight innings and allowed four runs on just four hits and struck out seven to earn the win and improve his record to 3-1. Through the first seven innings, Cantrell surrendered just one hit and four total base runners, and at one point retired nine consecutive batters. For the ninth inning, Cantrell was relived by senior Brian Frazier (Allentown, PA/Emmaus). Frazier, who was making his first appearance of the season, threw a perfect inning and notched one strikeout to preserve the GW win.
The GW offense came out strong, too, as they recorded 19 hits and nine runs. Twelve different Colonial batters tallied at least one hit, including Charlie Kruer (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) and Sean Rockey (Sammamish, WA/Eastlake/Columbia Basin CC), who each had three hits and two runs scored.
George Washington got on the scoreboard early with one run in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Charlie Kruer roped a shot down the left-field line that was snared by the Hawks' third baseman, Mike Boyland. However, Boyland was unable to make the throw in time, and Kruer was aboard safely with the first ever hit in Nationals Park. Sophomore Curtis Eward (Oak Hill, VA/Oakton) followed with a single into right field that moved Kruer over to third base and into scoring position. Senior catcher Andrew Abokhair (Ashburn, VA/Broad Run) drove him in with a rope up the middle that ricocheted of the back of Saint Joseph's starting pitcher, Jason Hessler.
The Hawks tied the game at one in the top of the third, as they took advantage of the only walk Cantrell allowed all day, to Matt Barnathan, who led off the inning. After Barnathan reached, he advanced to second on a single, stole third and then scored on a fielder's choice groundout to short.
In the bottom half of the frame, GW responded with three runs to retake the lead, one they would never relinquish again. Sean Rocky and Tom Zebroski (Port Washington, NY/Paul Schreiber) led-off with back-to-back singles and then both came around to score on a Charlie Kruer triple, a ball that just escaped the glove of a diving Jeremy Jakubowski in deep center field. Kruer scored on the very next pitch, thanks to a sacrifice-fly off the bat of Curtis Eward that made it 4-1.
The Colonials added another three runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead, 7-1. Matt Boyd (Rockville, MD/Magruder) singled into center to start things off. Consecutive bunts from Rockey and Zebroski, along with a throwing error from the Hawks' third baseman, plated Boyd and put runners on second and third with no outs. Kruer got another RBI when he grounded out to second base, and then Eward followed with a single up the middle to score Zebroski.
In the seventh, GW put together four singles to score their final two runs of the game. Gavin Swanson (Reisterstown, MD/Calvert Hall College HS) laced a single up the middle to start the frame. Two batters later, new second baseman Bryan Hwang (Northvale, NJ/Northern Valley Regional at Old Tappan) singled through the left side to put runners on first and second for Charlie Kruer, who again delivered with another single that allowed Swanson to touch home. Another pinch-hitter, Andrew Haberern (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus/Trinity College), followed with an RBI-single of his own, a shot ripped through the left side of the infield, making it 9-1 in favor of the home team.
Saint Joseph's managed to get to Cantrell in the top of the eighth inning, when they scored three runs on three hits, one of which was a two-run double off the wall in right field, hit by catcher Drew Smith. Cantrell got a fly out to center field to end the inning, and any threat of a comeback in the eighth, and Brian Frazier slammed the door shut with a perfect ninth inning.
Cantrell, who was awarded with the Northeast Region Performance of the Week by InsidePitching.com this past Tuesday, is now tied for the team lead with 27 strikeouts. Jason Hessler (1-2) took the loss for Saint Joseph's, as he surrendered seven runs and 11 hits in three innings of work.
Charlie Kruer finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs. In the three-game series, the senior outfielder hit .600 (9-for-15), with three doubles and one triple, drove in nine runs and scored another six. For the season, he leads the club with a .392 batting average, a .730 SLG% and 25 RBI.
Curtis Eward ended his day at the new stadium 2-for-3 with two RBI.
George Washington, who has now won four of their past six games, continues their season Tuesday, Mar. 25, at Towson, at 2:30 p.m.
Game Notes: GW is now 23-9 all-time against Saint Joseph's ... Head Coach Steve Mrowka is now just one win away from his 100th at GW (99-93-1) ... Rockey, Kruer and Eward all extended their hit-streaks to six games ... Stadium Firsts - Hit: Charlie Kruer (GW) ... RBI: Andrew Abokhair (GW) ... Run: Charlie Kruer (GW) ... Extra Base-hit: Charlie Kruer, triple (GW) ... Strikeout: Eric Cantrell (GW).
|
|
 |