The Quinnipiac University baseball team improved to 2-0 with a 4-2 win Saturday against George Washington at Barcroft Park in Arlington, Va.
With the loss, George Washington drops to 0-8 on the year. Bobcats’ senior Spencer Kane picked up the win in his first start of the season after allowing one unearned run on five hits over six innings of work. Kane walked two batters, and hit two more, while striking out four.
It is the second strong start for the Bobcats, who received a strong performance from Derek Lamacchia on Friday afternoon. Through the first two games of the 2013 season, Quinnipiac’s starting pitching has yet to give up an earned run in 14 innings of work.
Quinnipiac freshman Steffen Herter was 3-for-4 with a RBI and two stolen bases while right-handed reliever Gary Binkiewicz picked up his first career save. Binkiewicz gave up one run on one hit in three innings of work while striking out two.
Quinnipiac put up a pair of runs over the first two innings to stake Kane a 2-0 lead. In the first, Nic Civale was hit by a pitch before stealing second and moving into scoring position. Guglietti then ripped a single to right field to score Civale with the game’s first run. In the second, Mike Blumenthal singled up the middle and then stole second. Herter then laced a single to center to score Blumenthal and give Quinnipiac a two-run lead.
In the bottom of the second, George Washington loaded the bases before Eric Kalman scored on a sacrifice fly by Derek Brown to cut Quinnipiac’s lead in half. Kane was able to pitch out of the jam, as he would throughout the game as the Colonials put runners on base in each frame.
In the fourth, Scott Donaghue led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a ground-out by Blumenthal. Tom Donovan singled back to the pitcher before Herter dropped down a bunt that he beat out for a hit to load the bases. Ruditys hit a double-play ball to short that he beat out to keep the inning going as Donaghue and Donovan, from second base, both scored to give Quinnipiac a 4-1 lead.
In the seventh, Kane was lifted in favor of freshman Gary Binkiewicz where he retired the first three batters he faced in order. George Washington also went to the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh, lifting starter Luke Staub for Colin Milon. Quinnipiac tagged Staub for four runs on nine hits over seven innings. Staub also struck-out six batters.
In the bottom of the eighth, Derek Townsend led off the inning with a double off of Binkiewicz before moving to third base on a wild pitch by Quinnipiac’s freshman reliever. Brown then hit a fly ball to center that was deep enough to score Townsend as George Washington cut Quinnipiac’s lead to two runs, 4-2.
Matthew Murakami then flew out to left field for the second out of the inning before Travers Nammack flew out to center to end the inning. Binkiewicz worked a perfect ninth for the save.
Quinnipiac will wrap-up its series against George Washington on Sunday at 12 p.m. at Barcroft Park in Arlington, Virg.
