Senior Brad Rosenblat is making the most of his last year at GW. He led the baseball team’s offensive machine, which scored 10 runs on 14 hits Sunday to take the rubber game of a three-game set with Duquesne. The Colonials, who split Saturday’s doubleheader, have won three consecutive Atlantic 10 series and 12 of their last 15 games.
“We were neck-and-neck with them in the standings so it was important,” Coach Steve Mrowka said of beating Duquesne. “Today we stepped up and swung the bats and did what we had to do.”
The series win moves the Colonials (25-13, 7-5 A-10) into second place in the A-10 West standings. GW has four A-10 series remaining, against Dayton, Xavier, La Salle and Temple.
Sunday, junior Josh Wilkie pitched eight innings, allowing two runs while striking out 10. The victory brings Wilkie’s record back to the .500 mark on the season at 3-3.
“He had a great outing,” Mrowka said. “He picked us up and have us a chance to win.”
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Rosenblat had a lead-off home run. For Rosenblat, it was his 14th home run of the year, which tops the A-10. The Colonials got two more runs in the first to lead 3-1 after one.
With the bases loaded in the fourth, Rosenblat came to the plate again and ripped a double that allowed GW to extend its lead to 5-2. Rosenblat finished the day 2-for-5 with three RBI’s.
“He’s doing everything we could ask of him,” Mrowka said. “He plays a great right field, he hits, he gets on base and he drives in runs. He’s having a great senior year and is a big part of our offense.”
The Colonials got two runs in the fifth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth to pull away for the blowout victory.
Freshman Charlie Kruer was 3-for-5 with three RBI’s. Junior Matt Owens also collected three RBI’s in the victory.
Saturday, GW split the doubleheader with the Dukes (13-22, 8-7 A-10) in two pitcher-dominated games.
In game two, the Colonials could not muster enough offense to help senior Dan Sullivan pick up his sixth victory of the year. Sullivan pitched strong over five and one-thirds innings, but a two-run homer in the top of fifth inning ended his outing.
The Colonials got one run back when senior Geoff Milsom brought in Owens in the bottom of the fifth. But then their offense quieted, and the contest ended with a 2-1 loss.
The Colonials mustered just three hits and struck out nine times against Duquesne starter Bob Reifschneider.
In game one, GW used a powerful performance from sophomore Derek Lutz to beat the Dukes 3-1. Lutz threw a complete-game three-hitter while striking out 11.
Rosenblat kicked off the scoring for the Colonials when he hit a solo homer in the third inning. With the scored tied 1-1 in the fifth, senior catcher Joe Michalski drove in Owens to give GW the lead, 2-1.
In the sixth, sophomore Michael Parker stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and no one out. Parker hit into a 6-4-3 double play that allowed Rosenblat to score.
Rosenblat went 2-for-3 while scoring twice in the victory.
The Colonials return to action Wednesday at Barcroft Park at 3 p.m. against James Madison (16-23). GW won the first match-up between the teams, 8-4 in 11 innings in February.
