May 4, 2002

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Senior Yani Rosenberg (Baltimore, MD/Gilman) struck out 10 batters and allowed just one run in a complete game to lead the Johns Hopkins baseball team to a 3-1 win over #4 seed Muhlenberg in the first game of the Centennial Conference Championship finals. The top-seeded Blue Jays, 33-6 overall, take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series versus the Mules, with the second game scheduled for Sunday at 12:00 p.m.

Rosenberg got all the support he needed in the bottom of the second inning as senior Mike DePalma (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk) reached on an infield single and two batters later sophomore Craig Cetta (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) belted a two-run home run to left field for a 2-0 lead. The homer was Cetta's fourth of the year and increased his team-leading RBI total to 39.

The Mules cut into the lead in the top of the third when junior Justin Graf (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) smashed a solo home run to left-center, his sixth of the year. The game remained 2-1 until the bottom of the sixth when DePalma collected his second hit of the day and first home run of the year, a solo shot to right field. DePalma finished the game 2-for-3 and scored two of JHU's three runs.

Rosenberg made the lead stand as he improved to 9-0 on the year with his 17 consecutive victory dating back to last season. He recorded 10 strikeouts for the 10th time in his career and leads the team with 71 strikeouts in 64 innings this season. Muhlenberg freshman Gregg Burkhart (Newtown, CT/Newtown) also pitched a tremendous game, but suffered his first loss of the season to fall to 2-1. Burkhart allowed just three runs on three hits while striking out two as he went the distance.

In the first game of the day, senior shortstop Mike Morris (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) belted a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning as Muhlenberg eliminated second-seeded Franklin & Marshall, 5-4, in the semifinal game. Franklin & Marshall finished its season with a 29-9 mark.

Junior Kevin Komeshok (Passaic, NJ/DePaul Catholic) earned his third win of the year as he allowed one run on one hit in 2.2 innings of relief for the Mules. Freshman Aaron Regensburg (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) moved from first to the mound in the bottom of the 10th and recorded a perfect inning for his first career save. Sophomore David Stahlman (Topeka, KS/Washurn Rural) took the loss for the Diplomats and fell to 4-2 despite allowing just one hit and striking out five batters in 3.1 relief innings.

Morris was 3-for-5 with a run and two RBIs for the Mules, while sophomore Joel Rush (Robesonia, PA/Conrad Weiser) added two hits, including a solo home run. Sophomore Dan Weber (Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) and freshman Scott Haft (Jupiter, FL/Jupiter) both hit solo home runs for Franklin & Marshall.

Centennial Semifinal

Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10, R H E
Muhlenberg (23-15) 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1, 5 10 2
Franklin & Marshall (29-9) 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0, 4 8 1

Battery
Muhlenberg - O'Conner, Komeshok (7), Regensburg (10) and Sadler
Franklin & Marshall - Walsh, Stahlman (7) and Weber

Extra-Base Hits
2B - Graf (MC), Derr (F&M), Haft (F&M)
HR - Morris (MC), Rush (MC), Weber (F&M), Haft (F&M)

Centennial Finals (Game 1; Best of 3)

Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, R H E
Muhlenberg (23-16) 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0, 1 4 0
Johns Hopkins (33-6) 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 -, 3 3 0

Battery
Muhlenberg - Burkhart and Sadler.
Johns Hopkins - Rosenberg and Hitchner.

Extra-Base Hits
HR - Graf (MC), DePalma (JHU), Cetta (JHU).