The GW baseball team defeated both Old Dominion University and Towson during their mid-week games at Barcroft Park. Wednesday, the Colonials rallied for a 6-4 victory to sweep the season series with Old Dominion; the day before, they swept the season series from Towson with a 7-5 victory.
The Colonials (23-12, 5-4 Atlantic 10) have won 10-of-12 games and have not lost a non-conference game since March 14.
“I think we are on a pretty good roll,” head coach Steve Mrowka said. “I told the guys, in baseball you play a lot of games, so you have to be consistent and do the little things.”
With the Colonials trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday, senior catcher Joe Michalski hit a lead-off home run to tie the game 4-4. Later in the inning, senior Brad Rosenblatt scored on a Josh Goldberg single to give GW a 5-4 lead.
Junior Matt Owens added a solo-homer in the eighth as insurance.
Freshman Brian Frazier allowed four runs over seven innings and picked up his fifth victory of the season. Junior Dan Pfau pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season.
“Coming out of the fall we didn’t think he would start,” Mrowka said of Frazier. “But he pitched well right out of the opening gate at Georgia Southern and he has earned his opportunity to start.”
Goldberg finished the day 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Mickey Shupin went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
The Colonials swept the season series with Old Dominion (20-22) and have won the last three contests between the schools, dating back to last year.
GW has been without A-10 standout Ryan Roberson, who pulled his hamstring at Richmond last weekend.
“We are day-to-day with the trainers on a time table for his return,” Mrowka said. “We are missing one of the best bats in the league and guys like Michalski and Shupin have had to step for us. We hope to have him jogging this weekend and maybe he will be back by the end of next week.”
On Tuesday, the Colonials squandered a five-run lead but were able to recover and pull out a 7-5 win over Towson (17-17). GW has swept the season series with the Tigers in the last three seasons. The Colonials downed Towson 14-8 last week.
The Colonials gave senior Avi Rasowsky a five-run lead, which came partly from a two-run homer from Rosenblatt. In the top of the fifth, Rasowsky allowed two runs before giving up two more in the sixth.
With the Colonials up 5-4, sophomore Derek Haese took over as pitcher and immediately gave up the tying run.
The Colonials went up for good in the bottom of the sixth as Rosenblatt doubled to score sophomore Steve Santy. In the eighth, Santy came around and scored on a wild pitch.
The Colonials return to A-10 play this weekend, hosting Duquesne (12-19, 7-5 A-10). On Saturday, the teams will play a doubleheader, which begins at noon. GW is behind the Dukes in the A-10 West standings.
“This is our biggest series to date,” Mrowka said. “They are on a great role and we are chasing them in the standings, so we have to be ready to play one-run ball games.”
