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AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Mental errors late cost GW in 7-5 loss to Hornets

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Josh Solomon.

The Colonials, fresh off of a rough weekend sweep at Southeastern Louisiana, fell to Delaware State 7-5 at Barcroft Park Thursday.

Three runs came in the first for GW (1-4), but that lead would quickly disappear – a trend that would continue all game long. Two one-run innings were also erased and by the ninth inning, Delaware State had scored a run apiece in back-to-back innings to tie the game.

A communication error in the middle of the infield on a potential inning-ending double play led to one run on an errant throw. Then, a wild pitch brought home another run for the eventual final 7-5 score. Little mental mistakes by the freshmen wouldn’t cost GW the game, but they would make the loss on a bitterly cold day that much tougher.

Junior Xavier Parkmond hits an RBI single Thursday against Delaware State to extend GW's lead to 5-3 in the sixth inning. Josh Solomon | Hatchet Staff Photographer
Junior Xavier Parkmond hits an RBI single Thursday against Delaware State to extend GW’s lead to 5-3 in the sixth inning. Josh Solomon | Hatchet Staff Photographer

It was the first of four straight home games for the Colonials and 16 of their next 19.

“There was some scrap, but there’s still some immature, anxious play,” head coach Gregg Richie said. “There’s still in the moment kind of stuff where you have to have a slower heartbeat.”

GW threatened in the ninth with runners on first and second with two outs, but a flyout to left – where the wind was blowing out all game – ended the contest.

Sophomore Xavier Parkmond had a solid game in the two-hole, going 2-5, with one run and one run batted in. In his first at bat, he would stroke the first pitch to right center before going on to steal second. Freshman Colin Gibbons-Fly drove him in with a single down the right field line, helping chase the Hornets starting pitcher out of the lineup before the end of the first frame.

Parkmond would later single in sophomore Matthieu Robért from third to extend the lead to two in the sixth inning.

But it was the mistakes by the rookies in the last three innings that allowed Delaware State to chip at the lead. In the seventh, freshman Andrew Piccin walked in a run after loading the bases with two singles and a hit-by-pitch.

Senior Colin Milon would give up a leadoff homerun in the eighth – his first earned run of the season – that tied the game. Milon would eventually take the loss on the day.

Then came the ninth and a potential double-play ball to end the inning gone wrong. Freshman shortstop Kevin Mahala fielded the grounder, looked at second for freshman Eli Kashi – who came in the eighth as a pinch runner – but he wasn’t at the bag yet. Mahala tried to run it over himself, but realized there was not enough time, so he hurled a last second throw towards first that sailed to the Hornets dugout.

One run would score and Delaware State had a lead it would not give up.

“There was absolutely no communication from the word ‘Go’ on that,” Richie said.

Sophomore Bobby LeWarne, in his first start of the season, pushed through five innings with 93 pitches to keep the Colonials in it. The 6-foot-1 righty struggled to command his fastball all five innings, but spotted his off speed pitches in pivotal moments to work out of jams en route to eight strikeouts.

“My changeup was good. I used that most of the time,” LeWarne said. “If I kept my fastball low, I could’ve been more successful. Still working.”

In the second inning, he let up three runs to answer the three his offense had just put on the board. But they came unearned.

LeWarne retired the first two batters of the inning, but then gave up back-to-back Hornets singles. A ground ball to Mahala was bobbled, as he was screened by the base runner at second, loading the bases. The next batter roped a bases-clearing double to knot the game up at three.

For a first start, Richie was satisfied with his performance and said that once he starts locating his fastball, LeWarne will be their go-to middle of the week pitcher.

Heading into the weekend series against Lafayette, GW will start senior Aaron Weisberg and freshman Jacob Williams, respectively, for Saturday’s doubleheader. Both will look to go deep into their games and eat innings for the bullpen. Williams will be starting in spot of sophomore Max Kaplow, who did not record an out in his last outing. Senior Luke Staub is slated for the final action Sunday.

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