The GW baseball team is rolling again after dropping four in a row last week. The Colonials (27-11, 4-5 Atlantic 10) extended their current win streak to seven games, beating host Delaware State Wednesday and thevisiting University of Delaware Tuesday. GW flexed its offensive muscle to win both games, scoring 18 total runs.

Wednesday’s 10-7 victory featured five Colonial homeruns. Sophomore catcher Joe Michalski and freshman center fielder Matt Owens went back-to-back in the third inning, with Owens adding another in the ninth. Sophomore Anthony Raglani led off both the fourth and sixth innings with solo shots.

Michalski had a more dramatic home run the day before. The no. nine hitter came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with GW trailing by one and a man on base. He hit a two-run walk-off homer to cap a three-run rally, giving the Colonials an 8-7 win over the Blue Hens.

“The ninth inning was a see-saw on Tuesday,” head coach Tom Walter said. “We had no momentum, but Joe just came up there and hit a homerun. A clutch hit here and there – that’s what college baseball is all about.”

Some Colonials said they were not satisfied with the slight win against University of Delaware, a team that is 10 games under 500.

“We didn’t play so great throughout,” senior left fielder Tony Dokoupil said. “We showed resilience, but we never should’ve had to come back in the bottom of the ninth.”

Walter said he is pleased with his team’s progress despite the close games Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We’re swinging the bat real well and scoring runs.” Walter said. “We’re doing what we need to do.”

GW 10, Delaware State 7
Wednesday, April 23

Freshman starter Dan Pfau picked up his third win by allowing only one run on five hits Wednesday. The Colonials provided Pfau (3-0) and the rest of the pitching staff with plenty of run support, taking an 8-1 lead into the seventh.

Delaware State made it interesting, scoring six runs in the seventh to come within one, but would get no closer. Senior Jeff Fertitta hit an RBI double in the eighth and Matt Owens hit his second homer of the day in the ninth to close out the scoring.

Sophomore Nick Koken pitched two scoreless innings to pick up his A-10-leading sixth save of the season. Freshman shortstop Tom Shanley went 3-5 on the day to improve his average to .407, the 32nd highest average in the nation.

GW 8, U. of Delaware 7
Tuesday, April 22

The Colonial offense began their ninth inning rally Tuesday when sophomore first baseman Ryan Roberson led off with a solo shot to left center field, bringing the Colonials within one run. After singles by senior Tony Dokoupil and sophomore Brad Rosenblat, GW got into trouble when sophomore Geoff Milsom popped a bunt straight to the pitcher, who doubled up Rosenblat. But Michalski came to the rescue immediately following the double play with his game-winning homerun.

The Colonials had taken an early lead, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second on Dokoupil’s two-run RBI single and Milsom’s sacrifice fly to left. Delaware responded with two runs in the fourth, two more in the fifth and three in the sixth to take a 7-3 lead. GW trimmed its deficit to three on Raglani’s two run shot to right in the sixth, and the score would not change until GW’s ninth inning dramatics.