April 6, 2002

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Senior Yani Rosenberg (Baltimore, MD/Gilman) pitched a one-hitter in the opening game and sophomore Doug Hitchner (Haverford, PA/Episcopal Academy) drove in the game-winning run in the second game as the Johns Hopkins baseball team swept a Centennial Conference doubleheader against Franklin & Marshall. The Blue Jays, who have won nine straight games, improved to 21-4 overall and 8-0 in the Centennial, while the Diplomats fell to 16-8 overall and 6-2 in CC play.

With JHU's 4-1 win the opener, head coach Bob Babb became the 14th active Division III baseball head coach to win 600 career games. After the doubleheader sweep, Babb boasts a career record of 601-235-8 (.716) in 23 seasons at Hopkins. He has led the Blue Jays to 10 Middle Atlantic Conference Southeast League titles, seven UAA titles, four Centennial Conference championships, and nine NCAA Division III Tournament appearances.

Rosenberg, who improved to 4-0 and won his 12th straight decision, held the Diplomats hitless through 6.1 innings before Sal Monaco broke up the no-hitter in the top of the seventh with a double down the left field line. That was all F&M could muster as Rosenberg struck out seven and did not allow an earned run. He lowered his ERA to 0.31 and has allowed just 15 hits in 29 innings pitched this season. John Walsh went the distance for F&M and suffered his first loss of the year.

Senior Ben Taylor (Pawling, NY/Trinity-Pawling) got the Blue Jays on the board with a two-run home run in the second inning after junior Joe Urban (Nanticoke, PA/Bishop Hoban) reached with a single. Taylor's home run was his team-leading fifth of the year and gave him 17 RBIs for the season. JHU would add two runs in the fourth as freshman Mike Durgala (Annandale, VA/Thomas Jefferson) singled home Urban and senior John Krivonak (Canfield, OH/Canfield) plated Taylor with a single to give Hopkins a 4-0 advantage it would not relinquish.

Franklin & Marshall struck first in the second game, scoring five runs on four hits in the third inning. The Blue Jays responded with seven runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-5 lead. Junior Jay Cieri (Pine Brooke, NJ/Montville) drove in two runs with a double and sophomore Carl Ippolito (Ewing, NJ/Pennington School) followed with a two-run single to highlight the rally. The Diplomats tied the game at 7-7 in top of the fourth on a goundout and a wild pitch. After failing to score with a runner on third and one out in the bottom of the sixth, JHU loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and Hitchner brought home Urban with a single for the game-winning run.

Sophomore Matt Righter (Clarion, PA/Lawrenceville Prep) picked up the win in relief to improve to 3-1 on the year. He allowed just one hit in three innings of work. Nathan Diercks suffered the loss in relief for Franklin & Marshall.

The Blue Jays return to action Monday as JHU hosts Villa Julie for a non-conference contest beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Game 1 Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, R H E
Franklin & Marshall (16-7, 6-1 Centennial) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1, 1 1 2
Johns Hopkins (20-4, 7-0 Centennial) 0 2 0 2 0 0 -, 4 7 4

Battery
Franklin & Marshall - Walsh and Weber
Johns Hopkins - Rosenberg and Prevas

Extra Base Hits
2B - Monaco (F&M)
HR - Taylor (JHU)

Game 2 Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, R H E
Franklin & Marshall (16-8, 6-2 Centennial) 0 0 5 2 0 0 0, 7 7 4
Johns Hopkins (21-4, 8-0 Centennial) 0 0 7 0 0 0 1, 8 6 2

Battery
Franklin & Marshall - Gossner, Kozak (3), Diercks (6) and Weber
Johns Hopkins - Brown, Righter (5) and Hitchner

Extra Base Hits
2B - Eck (F&M), Cieri (JHU)