In its opening weekend of games, the baseball team saw firsthand what ultimately wins baseball games — pitching.

In each of its three games against George Washington (5-1) pitching squandered a lead for a team. The Bulldogs (1-2) saw two leads vanish Saturday but found revenge Sunday, coming back to earn their first victory of the young season.

In game one, Yale’s offense put up a quick three spot on the Colonials in the first inning behind fours hits — two doubles and two singles. Jake Doyle ’08, who missed the entire 2007 season due to injury, drove in the game’s first run with a single to right scoring Ryan Lavarnway ’08 who had doubled to left in the prior at-bat.

After scoring one in the bottom of the first, the Colonials put up seven two-out runs in the fourth, building a lead they would not relinquish, and in the process knocking starter Brandon Josselyn ’09 out of the game.

The Bulldogs made a game of it, highlighted by preseason All-American Lavarnway’s three-run home run in the sixth, but couldn’t generate offense to keep up with the Colonials, losing 9-8.

Game two saw more of the same as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning but four Colonial runs in the fourth off of Yale starter Chris Finneran ’10 proved to hold up as the Bulldogs fell again, 5-3.

On Sunday it was Yale who came from behind and rode a great pitching performance to victory. GW struck first, scoring on a double play ball. Brian Irving ’09 then dominated the Colonials lineup. Irving went on to strike out thirteen without surrendering a walk, scattering five hits and two runs over seven innings. Steve Gilman ’09 closed it out in the ninth, striking out two in the process.

All the offense needed on Sunday afternoon was generated with one swing. A Lavarnway three-run home run in the top of the third — his second in as many days — held up as the Bulldogs defeated the Colonials in the series finale, 4-2.