GW Baseball Tops UMass Lowell, 9-6, in Series Opener

Recap, photo courtesy of GW

Six Colonials post multi-hit games as part of 17-hit day

ARLINGTON, Va. - GW baseball started its weekend set against UMass Lowell amidst flurries and frigid conditions, but its offense proved no worse for the wear in a 17-hit attack that led to a 9-6 win on Friday at Tucker Field at Barcroft Park.
The Colonials entered the weekend ranked among the nation's top 15 in runs per game and wasted no time getting started, collecting three runs in the first inning on consecutive run-scoring hits from sophomore Tyler Hix, senior Dom D'Alessandro and first-year Noah Levin.
Hix's RBI was his 25th of the season, moving him to second place in the nation.
GW added to its lead via a throwing error in the second, scoring first-year Trey Torain, who was 2-for-4 with a stolen base in his first career start.
The River Hawks drew closer with a run in the top of the third, but GW promptly countered with a sacrifice fly from junior Nate Fassnacht in the fourth. Fassnacht, the reigning A-10 Player of the Week, recorded his fourth straight multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a double, three runs scored, two steals and an RBI.
Two innings later, D'Alessandro notched his third hit of the game with a two-run single, driving in his second and third runs of the game in the process, to make it 6-2.
The early offense was all in support of junior starter Jaret Edwards, who collected his third win of the season in his second quality start of the campaign. Edwards scattered eight hits in his six innings of work, yielding two runs and two walks while striking out three.
UMass Lowell drew to within 7-3 with a run in the seventh before the Colonials countered with two in the eighth when a phenomenal squeeze bunt from sophomore Colin Brophy plated two runs thanks, in part, to tremendous hustle from Fassnacht, who scored all the way from second on the play.
The River Hawks did not go quietly, scoring three times in the top of the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate. Junior Keegan McGinnis was summoned to record the final two outs, inducing a flyout with two on to secure his second save of the year.
In addition to Fassnacht, D'Alessandro and Torain, junior Steve Barmakian (3-for-5, R), Hix (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI), and first-year Cade Fergus (2-for-3, 3 R, SB) all had multi-hit performances.