George Washington University

May 25, 2006

Box Score

BRONX, NY - Facing elimination for the second straight game, the George Washington University baseball team received a complete game five-hit performance from LHP Dan Pfau (Flemington, NJ) and a career-high tying three RBI from catcher Andrew Abokhair (Ashburn, VA) in defeating third-seeded Dayton, 6-1, Thursday evening on day two at the Atlantic 10 Championship at Jack Coffey Field at Fordham's Houlihan Park. The sixth-seeded Colonials now face top-seeded Rhode Island Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in an elimination game for both squads.

GW, now winners of six of its last nine games, pounded out 11 hits against the Flyers, including the first two home runs of the championship and the first career blast by Abokhair. Dayton becomes the second team eliminated by the Colonials in the tournament. GW knocked out fourth-seeded Charlotte yesterday.

The Colonials opened up the scoring in the second when a chopper off the bat of Abokhair allowed junior Mickey Shupin (Sea Girt, NJ) to score from third base to make it 1-0. Shupin led off the inning with a single and advanced to third base when senior Matt Owens (Fayetteville, GA) executed a perfect hit-and-run with a single to left centerfield.

UD evened things up at 1-1 in the top of the third as designated hitter Frank Tedesco drew a one-out walk and later scored on a single from leftfielder Bobby Getty.

Shortstop Michael Parker (Newton, MA) gave the Colonials the lead for good in fifth when he hit the first home run of the tournament, and fifth of the season, to lead off the inning to give GW a 2-1 advantage.

From there, the Colonials tacked on four more runs over the next two innings to build a five-run lead at 6-1. After Owens led off the sixth with a single, Abokhair blasted his first career home run over the left field fence to make it 4-1 at the time.

In the seventh, sophomore Charlie Kruer (Old Bridge, NJ) led off with a ground-rule double and third baseman Tom Shanley (Stanfordville, NY) brought him home with a single up the middle. A failed pick-off attempt by the pitcher allowed Shanley to advance to second and he later scored when UD shortstop Michael Massa's throw skipped past the first baseman trying to throw out Shupin on what was ruled an infield single.

Pfau (3-5) allowed just one run on five hits with seven strikeouts and just two walks in tossing his second complete game of the season.

GW's three through seven hitters combined for nine hits, five runs and four RBI, while lead-off hitter Parker finished 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run.

The Colonials take on the No. 1 seed Rhode Island Rams at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 26 on day three of the A-10 Baseball Championship. If GW wins, it faces the loser of No. 2 St. Bonaventure-No. 5 Saint Louis at 7:00 p.m. Friday evening.