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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. The Virginia baseball team saw its school-record 18-game winning streak come to a halt Wednesday, as George Washington earned a 17-5 win over the Cavaliers at Davenport Field. Virginia got off to a great start with five runs in the first inning, only to watch the Colonials’ offense explode to post 16 unanswered runs.
Dan Grovatt (Fr., Tabernacle, N.J.) went 1-for-3 with two RBI for Virginia, while six other Cavaliers recorded a hit. Jeff Lorick (So., Duluth, Ga.) took the loss for Virginia and fell to 2-1 after giving up three earned runs and four hits in an inning of work out of the bullpen. Virginia’s Tyler Wilson (Fr., Midlothian, Va.) made his first career start and went three innings, giving up five earned runs, six hits and a walk while striking out four. The Colonials’ 17 runs and 18 hits both were season highs for a Virginia opponent.
Brian Frazier (1-0) earned the win for GW with four scoreless innings of relief after starting pitcher Ryan LaPointe was knocked from the game after the first five batters reached base. Frazier went four scoreless innings and gave up two hits and three walks with one strikeout. After Virginia recorded five runs and four hits in the opening inning, the Colonial bullpen shut the Cavaliers down and gave up just three hits the rest of the way.
After George Washington (12-9) scored a run in the first on a Charlie Kruer single, Virginia (20-5) came up with a big first inning. Greg Miclat (Jr., Concord, Va.) scored on an errant throw to tie the game, and Grovatt hit a two-run single to give UVa a 3-1 advantage. Ryan Smith (So., Waldorf, Md.) hit an RBI single and John Barr (Fr., Ivyland, Pa.) added a run-scoring fielder’s choice to push the lead to 5-1.
George Washington chipped away at the lead with a run in the third on a Kruer single and took the lead with four runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from Brendon Kelliher.
The Colonials tacked on two in the fifth inning on a two-run double by Gavin Swanson, then exploded for eight runs in the eighth inning, with the final seven coming with two out. GW added a run in the ninth on a Chris Marsicano RBI single for the final margin.
Virginia returns to ACC play this weekend as Virginia Tech comes to town. The teams play at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The games Friday and Sunday will be webcast on ACC Select, while the Saturday afternoon contest will be televised regionally on RSN.