May 26, 2006

Box Score

BRONX, N.Y. - Rhode Island sophomore shortstop Mike O'Malley (Nashua, N.H.) went 2-for-7 with three RBI, but it was George Washington eliminating the defending-champion Rams, 6-5, in the Atlantic 10 Baseball Tournament at Fordham's Houlihan Park. The 17-inning marathon was the longest game in the 27-year history of the A-10 Tournament, breaking the previous record set in 1990 when Rutgers defeated Massachusetts, 8-7, in 14 innings.

George Washington (25-33) left fielder Charlie Kruer hit a solo homerun in the top of the 17th inning for the winning tally.

O'Malley gave the Rams (34-16) a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second with a three-run bases-loaded double to right center that plated junior first baseman Ryan Cunningham (Centerville, Va.), sophomore third baseman Shaun Hagey (Ephrata, Pa.) and junior designated hitter Gregg Allen (Dighton, Mass.). O'Malley would later score on a sacrifice fly by senior left fielder Daryl Holcomb (Nashua, N.H.) to give the Rams a 4-0 lead.

With two outs in the fifth inning, Cunningham singled to left and advanced to second on a walk by Hagey. Senior catcher Josh Nestor (Nashua, N.H.) would bring Cunningham around to score with a single to right as the Rams extended their lead to 5-0. It was the last run the Rams would score.

George Washington would chip away with a run in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. In the sixth, consecutive singles by third baseman Tom Stanley and Kruer, followed by a RBI ground-out by Shupin to made it a 5-1 game. After consecutive walks to shortstop Michael Parker and pinch-hitter Eizen, Parker stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Tom Shanley to cut the lead to 5-2 in the seventh inning. In the eighth, Owens would reach on an infield single and steal second before scoring on a RBI double to right field by sophomore catcher Andrew Abokhair to make the score 5-3.

The Colonials tied the game with two runs in the ninth. A RBI single by Kruer that scored pinch-runner Matt Boyd and a sacrifice fly to right by Shupin that plated Shanley made the score 5-5.

Sophomore Jamie Degidio (Narragansett, R.I.) took the loss, allowing only two hits while striking out six in five innings of relief work to finish the season with a 7-2 mark.