April 24, 2003

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Junior Russ Berger (Owings Mills, MD/Owings Mills) recorded his second straight shutout to lead Johns Hopkins to a 8-0 win over Washington College in Centennial Conference baseball action this afternoon in Baltimore.

Berger, who allowed just six hits, improved to 6-0 on the year as the Blue Jays won their seventh consecutive game to improve to 24-4 overall and 11-2 in conference play. He extended his scoreless inning streak to 18.1, lowered his ERA to 2.68 and improved to 15-4 for his career. Berger pitched a two-hit shutout in the first game of a doubleheader against Haverford in his last start.

Washington, which fell to 1-22 overall and 1-13 in CC games, threatened in the top of the first as Marco Muscella reached on an infield single and Matt Stover followed with a single to right. The rally was quickly wiped out as James Barossi lined into a triple play, the first for JHU since the opening game of the 2001 season.

With the runners going, Barossi hit a line drive to first baseman Mike Durgala (Annandale, VA/Thomas Jefferson), who then tagged first and threw to second baseman Mike Spiciarich (Syosset, NY/Chaminade) for the force at second base.

Hopkins opened the scoring in the bottom of the second as junior Craig Cetta (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) walked to lead off the inning and scored on a double of the wall in left center by sophomore Paul Long (Oklahoma City, OK/Heritage Hall).

The Blue Jays added one run in third inning on an RBI single by Durgala, and junior Tim Casale (West Hempstead, NY/Chaminade) gave JHU a 3-0 advantage with a solo home run to right field in the fourth. Casale extended his hitting streak to seven games with his second home run of the season. He is batting .478 (11-for-23) during his hitting streak with six runs scored and seven runs batted in.

Hopkins increased its lead to 4-0 in the sixth as senior Jay Cieri (Pine Brook, NJ/Montville) drew a bases loaded walk and the Blue Jays would then tally two runs in the seventh and eighth innings for the final margin.

Durgala led off the seventh with a double to the gap in left center and scored on a single to left by Long. Two batters later, Long scored on a double to left center by Casale. In the eighth, Spiciarich reached on an error and scored on a double to right field by Durgala, who then scored on an error to give Hopkins an 8-0 advantage.

Durgala finished the contest 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs, while Long and Casale were both 2-for-3 with a run and two runs batted in. Cieri added a run and an RBI, and senior Joe Urban (Nanticoke, PA/Bishop Hoban) was 1-for-3 with a run scored. The Blue Jays totaled 11 stolen bases in the game, led by sophomore Paul Winterling (Glenelg, MD/McDonogh School), who swiped three bags. Durgala, Long and Spiciarich each added two stolen bases on the day.

Barossi suffered the loss for Washington as he allowed four runs on six hits while striking out four and walking six in 5.1 innings.

Hopkins returns to action Saturday as the Blue Jays host Muhlenberg in a Centennial Conference doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 -R H E
Washington College (1-22, 1-13 CC) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -0 6 2
#11 Johns Hopkins (24-4, 11-2 CC) 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 2 x -8 11 0
Winning Pitcher- Russ Berger; Losing Pitcher- James Barossi
2B- JHU: Durgala 2, Long, Casale, Morrison
HR- JHU: Casale