ARLINGTON, Va., April 2 — Junior Tim Reeves was 0-for-4 and at bat in the bottom of the eight inning as the GW baseball team led against Georgetown Wednesday afternoon at Barcroft Park. But Reeves’ problems at bat disappeared with one swift swing, sending the ball out of the park for a grand slam.
Reeves’ four RBIs were the final runs scored of the game his team took 11-4. Beyond giving the Colonials a little bit more insurance that the game would be theirs, the infielder also extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
“We were fortunate to hold Georgetown from scoring today,” coach Steve Mrowka said. “We had some good, timely RBIs.”
Before the eighth inning, neither team led by more than two runs. The Colonials (15-11) struck first, tallying twice in the first inning. But the Hoyas (8-14) got right back in it with two runs in the third inning. The advantage would flop back and forth until the bottom of the sixth, when junior Matt Boyd’s RBI single gave GW the lead for good.
The eighth inning brought five runs in for the Colonials, as a walk with the bases loaded came one batter before Reeves stepped to the plate. Afterward, the game was all but out of reach for the Hoyas.
“That really sealed the deal,” Mrowka said. “It went from a tight game to there being some breathing room.”
Breathing room was hard to come by outside the box score, as well, as the pitching staff got itself into a few jams. Twice the bases were loaded, but the Colonials escaped while only allowing one run.
“That’s what we want to see when those guys get themselves in jams,” Mrowka said. “They got tough, stayed focused and managed to get out of it.”
Reeves has been one of the team’s most valuable players this year, batting .405 entering the game against Georgetown. In an upset at No. 15 Virginia last week, the first baseman batted 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI. He leads his team in batting average and on-base percentage.
And yet Reeves struggled most of Wednesday, throwing his bat and helmet after striking out in the fourth inning. He said he was upset with his performance before his grand slam and that the bomb was more luck than anything else.
“It was nice having all those guys on base,” he said after the game. “I was confident we were going to win at that point, but I guess that just put the game away.”
Reeves also said he did not even know about the hitting streak until Mrowka informed him before the game.
The Colonials next host Massachusetts in a three-game series this weekend. The first game is Friday at 3 p.m.
