The GW baseball team scored 38 runs in its past two games and Dan Rouhier and Chris Barry combined to drive in 17 of them. Rouhier and Barry both hit grand slams in Tuesday’s 16-4 victory over the United States Naval Academy Tuesday at Barcroft Park. In the Colonials 22-4 victory over Towson University, Barry and Rouhier both hit three-run homeruns.
It seems the Colonials offense is peaking at the right time.
GW will travel to Temple for a doubleheader with the first-place Owls Friday. The Colonials (24-14, 8-4 Atlantic 10) could move into a share of first place if they sweep Temple.
The Colonials dominated from the start Wednesday, scoring nine runs in the first two innings while holding Towson scoreless. GW scored five runs on three hits. Jake Wald’s three-run shot to leftfield capped off the rally lifting the Colonials to a 9-3 lead after two innings.
Barry’s three-run homerun in the seventh pushed the lead to 16-3. Rouhier led a six-run ninth inning with a three-run homerun.
Ron Christie earned his fourth victory of the season pitching seven innings. Christie surrendered four runs on eight hits.
On Tuesday, Chris Barry’s fourth-inning grand slam broke the game open, and Dan Rouhier’s seventh-inning grand slam put it out of reach as the GW sunk Navy16-3 Tuesday at Barcroft Park.
GW took control of a tight ballgame in the bottom of the fourth inning when Tony Brown knocked in Travis Crowder, giving the Colonials a 5-3 lead. Brown advanced to second on a wild pitch and Matt Krimmel walked. Rouhier found his way on base via a pitching error. This set the stage for Barry’s grand slam. His shot to center advanced the GW lead to 9-3.
Crowder scored three times on the day and reached base in all of his five at bats. GW coach Tom Walter said he is proving to be an effective leadoff hitter.
“Anytime you get your lead-off man on base like that you’re going to produce,” Walter said.
Walter also said he was impressed with his team’s ability to rally with two outs.
“Today we did a great job of getting two-out hits, and that’s what great teams do,” Walter said. “They find ways to score with two outs – it separates the average teams from the real good teams.”
GW pounded out six more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning pushing its lead to 14-3. The string of hits started with Tony Dokoupil’s solo shot to left-centerfield. Ross Smirne singled to centerfield, and Jake Wald doubled. Crowder and Krimmel followed with back-to-back walks. Rouhier stepped in with the bases loaded and a chance to drive in four runs. He delivered with a powerful shot down the left-field line.
“(Rouhier) put a real good swing on the ball, the first good swing I’ve seen in weeks,” Walter said. “Every hitter has a slump and fortunately for us Danny has gotten over his early. He’s our big guy and the one I want up there in big situations.”
With the win, GW starter Chris Worth improved to 4-4. Despite a shaky third inning where Navy scored three runs on Worth. He pitched five strong innings giving up three runs on five hits and two strikeouts.
