This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Brennan Murray

No lead can ever be too comfortable in a baseball game, a lesson the Colonials (12-20) underlined Wednesday against No. 24 Virginia.

Though a first-inning offensive power trip gave GW a four-run advantage out of the gates, the Cavaliers eventually regained the upper hand. Spreading 16 runs over five innings, Virginia’s hitters proved too much for the Colonials’ pitching to quell, ultimately resulting in a 16-4 GW loss.

The Colonials’ first-inning rally exemplified the type of early energy the team has sought all season. After junior Derek Brown started things off with a single through the left side, senior Brett Bowers, who leads the team with a .317 batting average, smashed a double to right, scoring Brown.

The hitting spurt continued with two outs in the inning when senior Stephen Oswald placed a ball over the right-field wall, bringing the lead to two. Following a single by senior Ryan Thomas and a double by senior Jimmy Best, GW’s advantage rose to four on the scoreboard. But they were the last four runs the Colonials would score on the game.

The Cavaliers put together two huge offensive showings of their own in the third and fourth frames, tallying a total of 12 runs. Tallying scores in the first, second and seventh frames as well, Virginia’s offense proved tiring for GW, which sent a total of five pitchers to the hill on the day. Sophomore reliever Colin Milon provided the only scoreless inning of work, retiring the Cavaliers in a one-two-three fashion in the eighth, garnering two strikeouts.

The Colonials’ hitters found no answer for Virginia’s pitching after the first inning. They sprinkled just four hits over the final eight innings, failing to bring any runners on base to the plate.

GW heads Richmond Friday to play the first of its three games against the Spiders. Sitting at 2-4 in A-10 play, the Colonials have a chance to pull even or better in their conference record over the weekend’s competition.