COLONIALS HAND DUKES 4-1 SETBACK IN HOME BASEBALL OPENER

Thursday, February 23

Harrisonburg, Va.

TBA

James Madison University

0-4

George Washington

1-0

George Washington

James Madison

COLONIALS HAND DUKES 4-1 SETBACK IN HOME BASEBALL OPENER

2/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Feb. 23, 2006 – Sophomore catcher Andrew Abokhair (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs to support seven shutout innings pitched by senior Josh Wilkie (Alphretta, Ga./Chattahoochee) as George Washington defeated James Madison 4-1 in non-conference college baseball Thursday afternoon at JMU's Long Field/Mauck Stadium.

The game was the season opener for the GW Colonials and the home opener for the Dukes, who fell to 0-4. It was the second straight year that the Colonials spoiled the Dukes' home opener, and it also marked the first time in the 43-game series, which began in 1975, that the Colonials have won three in a row. GWU, which went 41-19 a year ago, also extended its winning streak to 16 straight against teams from the Colonial Athletic Association. The Colonels play in the Atlantic 10.

Wilkie surrendered just five hits, walked none and struck out 10. Senior left-hander Dan Pfau (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central) picked up a save, his second against the Dukes in as many meetings, working 1 1/3 innings and striking out three.

Sophomore right fielder Gavin Swanson (Reisterstown, Md./Calvert Hall) snapped a scoreless tie with a two-out homer on a three-two pitch in the top of the fifth, the first collegiate homer of his career. The Colonials extended the lead to 3-0 in the sixth, plating a pair of unearned runs when Abokhair tripled off the fence in right-center.

The Dukes' lone run was unearned and came in the eighth when pinch-runner Matt MacDougall (Newport News, Va./Denbigh) scored from third following an error on a grounder to short by senior second baseman Michael Cowgill (Lexington, Ky./Henry Clay). Redshirt freshman Lee Bujakowski (Hopewell, Va./Hopewell) nearly tied the score but his hard liner hit the top third of the fence in right for what resulted in a loud single.

GW got the run back in the top of the ninth on an RBI triple to the left-center gap by junior left fielder Mickey Shupin (Sea Girt, N.J./Wall).

Pfau, who earned a win against the Dukes in relief in last year's season opener for both teams, then entered to fan three of the four he faced.

JMU starter Jacob Cook (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee Davis) gave up only one earned run in 5 2/3 innings, but was tagged with the loss. He walked three and struck out five. Redshirt junior right-hander Clay McKim (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) tossed the final 3 1/3, yielding a run in the top of the ninth, allowing five hits, three walks and fanning five.

JMU will continue its nine-game homestand with a three-game series against Fairfield University beginning with a 2:30 p.m. game Friday afternoon. GWU travels to Chapel Hill, N.C. for a three-game series against the North Carolina Tars Heels, also starting Friday, but at 3 p.m.