This post was written by Hatchet senior staff writer Josh Solomon.
BRONX, NY— Like the offense of a particular major league team in the Bronx, GW’s has sputtered of late.
Heading into the weekend series against Fordham, the Colonials offense averaged 3.7 runs a game in the prior two Atlantic 10 series. The two before that, GW had scored an average of 7.5 runs a game.
And last week GW struggled to score with the team’s ace on the mound, senior Bobby LeWarne. He pitched a complete game, giving up three runs but the Colonials were nearly no-hit against VCU.
At Fordham Friday afternoon, LeWarne saw nearly no help from his offense again. He gave up two runs in a long first, one run in the third, and gave back three runs after GW scored two in the top half of the fifth.
The Colonials would lose 7–2, leaving 11 runners on base over the course of the game – and striking out 12 times.
“Ugly,” head coach Gregg Ritchie said to start his comments on the game.
“It was not a performance that I think as a group we would be completely proud of,” he said. “It was kind of lackluster a bit. I think it should be a wakeup call to finish this season outright. We’re way better than what we showed.”
LeWarne earned the loss, leaving in the fifth, going 4.1 innings, giving up six runs, all earned, on 12 hits and two walks. He was unable to locate his pitches, missing up in the zone often.
Bobby “The Bull” looked like he was going to live up to his nickname, after escaping a potential early exit in the second inning. LeWarne stranded the bases loaded with no outs after striking out his one batter of the day and then working a 1-2-3 double play on a come-backer to him.
LeWarne would give up one run in the third, but seemed to settle in. In the fifth inning, Fordham led off with a solo home run – as the Rams (24-23, 10-6 A-10) also did to start the first inning – which doubled LeWarne’s home run total on the season to four. The inning quickly unraveled from there, with GW’s starter only able to record one out in the inning before given the hook.
“Oh no, that game is on me,” LeWarne said. “If I throw up a zero after we put up two runs there the game would be completely different.”
The only support LeWarne received though during his outing was courtesy of two runs in the top of the fifth. GW (20-26, 9-7 A-10) put runners on second and third with one out. Junior Bobby Campbell singled back up the middle to drive in two runs, but those would be the lone runs for the Colonials.
“Their guy was tough,” junior Kevin Mahala said. “He was down in the zone consistently throwing strikes, mixing. He made it a little tough for us.”
In the seventh, GW seemed that they would be able to cut the lead back down to two after once again advancing runners to second and third with one out. This time Campbell could not drive in the runs, striking out on a check-swing, while junior Kevin Mahala popped up to first base to end the inning.
“We counterpunched a couple times but we couldn’t come up with big at bats,” Ritchie said. “There were too many panic at bats in situations where you had a chance to put the ball in play and do something.”
GW would also commit two errors on the day. The slick turf field from the morning’s rain caused issues for the Colonials, despite being used to playing on turf at home.
The third run of the game scored on a hard ground ball through the left side of the infield, which was slowed down when it plopped in a puddle of rain and turf, ending a chance to throw out the runner heading home.
The field may remain wet with expected showers Friday night and Saturday morning. The second game of the series is scheduled for 2 p.m. Junior Shane Sweeney (2-3, 4.56 ERA) is the anticipated starter for the Colonials.
