To avoid a sweep and secure the team’s playoff seeding, baseball beat the Saint Joseph’s Hawks 5–1 at Tucker Field Saturday after falling in each of the first two games of the series.
With the win, the Colonials clinched the No. 4 seed and will now take on the No. 5 seed Saint Louis Billikens Wednesday in the double elimination Atlantic 10 championship. The winner of the outing will play No. 1 seed VCU Thursday.
“[We need to] keep playing like we know we can, like we played today, keep grinding and keep fighting,” freshman shortstop Nate Fassnacht said.
Freshman starting pitcher Elliott Raimo capped a successful rookie regular season, pitching 6 2-3 innings of one run ball allowing only six base runners on three hits and three walks. During his eighth win of the year he struck out seven and lowered his career earned run average to 3.07.
GW’s pitching staff was able to shut down a Hawks offense that scored a total of 20 runs in the previous two games – limiting them to just one run on four hits. Saint Joseph’s star catcher Deon Stafford, a top MLB draft prospect, went 0-for-3 on the afternoon.
“All three of my pitches felt good today, they were all working,” Raimo said. “I was able to throw that changeup to lefties get them off balance, use the curve too.”
Although it’s still a regular season game, the day had a playoff air to it as the Colonials (29-25, 14-10 A-10) were fighting for seeding and the Hawks (21-24, 12-11 A-10) needed a win to make the cut for the Atlantic 10 championship.
GW got on the score sheet quickly. In the bottom of the second, Fassnacht launched his fifth home run of the season off Hawks freshman Jordan DiValerio – a no-doubter over the scoreboard in right center field.
“I was just looking for a good pitch over the plate and found it,” Fassnacht said.
The Colonials loaded the bases with two outs in the inning before senior center fielder Joey Bartosic took a five-pitch walk to bring in another run.
With the threat of missing the tournament looming, the early deficit prompted the Hawks to go straight to the bullpen. Despite the pitching change, senior right fielder Andrew Selby singled in a run to put GW up 3–0 before the inning ended.
The game was then fairly quiet until the top half of the seventh inning. After walking two straight batters with two outs, Raimo was relieved of his pitching duties. He walked off to a standing ovation and handed off the ball to senior closer Eddie Muhl.
Saint Joseph’s senior second baseman Taylor Boyd singled to left off Muhl, scoring the runner from second.
The Colonials got the run back in their half of the inning after a Selby triple landed past the diving Hawks glove and a sacrifice fly by senior infielder Cody Bryant was good for his 29th RBI of the season.
After two base runners reached in the top of the eighth with no outs, head coach Gregg Ritchie put the ball in the hands of sophomore righty Will Kobos who escaped the jam.
In a long bottom of the eighth, Saint Joseph’s went to the bullpen twice, but Bryant drove another run with a bases-loaded single.
Kobos closed out GW’s regular season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to complete the six out save, his third of the year.
Before the game, the Colonials said goodbye to their 11 senior players and 3 senior student managers in a pregame ceremony.
“Those are some really special young men,” Ritchie said. “They honored the university and they honored this program in bringing it back to relevance.”
Senior first baseman Bobby Campbell was given the team’s most valuable player award for his strong offensive performances throughout the season.
Junior catcher Brandon Chapman received the teams Got Your Back Award for his perseverance in a game. He played through the last five innings after an injury before going to the hospital for stitches.
