Sometimes the best way to cure the frustrations of losing five of your last seven baseball games is to beat up on a weaker team.
That’s exactly what the GW baseball team did this weekend as the Colonials swept a three-game set against La Salle at the Hank DeVincent Field in Philadelphia.
Junior Dan Rouhier powered the GW offense with eight hits over the two-day stretch, knocking in four runs and scoring six, while Matt Krimmel added seven hits for the Colonials. All three GW starters pitched deep, going at least five innings for the Colonials. Junior Adam Belicic went the distance in the opener and freshman Greg Conden improved his perfect record to 6-0 in Saturday’s second game.
GW (29-18, 11-5 Atlantic 10) faces two non-conference opponents this week, beginning with a trip to the University of Maryland at Baltimore Country Tuesday and a home game against Howard Wednesday at Barcroft Park.
GW 16, La Salle 10
Sunday, April 23
The bats were rocking Sunday as GW completed a three-game sweep of La Salle with a 16-10 victory over the host Explorers.
GW’s seven-run third inning was marked by a plethora of singles and doubles – five one-baggers and three two-baggers – as the Colonials stormed out to a 9-3 advantage after three innings. The Explorers (7-30, 3-12 A-10) closed the gap to 11-9 in the middle innings with separate three-run spots in the fourth and sixth frames, but the Colonials posted a three-spot of their own in the seventh to pull away.
In the inning, senior Matt Walker drove home Jake Wald and Ryan Dacey with a two-run double and later scored on a Mike Bassett double, his third of the game.
The Colonials finished the day with 23 hits – one home run, eight doubles and 14 singles. GW’s home run was hit by Chris Barry, a two-run shot in the eighth inning. Sophomore Chris Worth went five innings for GW, giving up six runs on six hits. Only four of the runs were earned.
GW 17, La Salle 3
GW 3, La Salle 2
Saturday, April 22
The Colonials won a 3-2 pitcher’s duel in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader and then rolled over La Salle 17-3 in the second game.
GW briefly trailed in the second game 1-0 after the first inning, but the Colonials proceeded to score in the final six innings to manhandle the Explorers.
Offensively, GW’s lead-off man reached base and scored from the third inning on. Rouhier and Krimmel each scored three runs apiece in the game, and every GW starter had at least one hit. The Colonials finished strong, scoring seven runs in the final inning. Defensively, Conden shut down La Salle in the middle innings, giving up a total of three runs and five hits in the game.
Belicic (7-4) went the distance in the first game of the day and picked up his seventh win of the season. Down 3-2, the Explorers looked to rally in the seventh, but GW catcher Eric Mitchell threw out La Salle’s Mike Bell at second, clearing the bases with two outs. Belicic then struck out Mike Cavallaro to end the game.
Belicic got all the offensive help he would need from Rouhier, Krimmel and senior Ryan Hauseman. Rouhier homered in the second inning and Krimmel broke a 1-1 fourth-inning tie with a lead-off home run. Hauseman knocked in the game-winner in the inning with a bases-loaded single to rightfield that scored Walker. A double play prevented the Colonials from scoring more runs in the inning.
