April 28, 2003

Box Score - Game 1

Box Score - Game 2

COLLEGEVILLE, PA - The Johns Hopkins baseball team earned the top seed in the Centennial Conference playoffs by sweeping a doubleheader against Ursinus College Monday afternoon. The Blue Jays won the opener, 15-3, and took the second game, 3-1, to improve to 28-4 overall and 15-2 in the conference.

Hopkins has won 11 consecutive games, its longest winning streak since the 1998 season, and secured the top spot in the conference playoffs for the second straight year. Ursinus fell to 22-11-1 overall and secured second place in the league with a 12-5-1 mark. JHU will host the semifinals and finals of the conference playoffs on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4.

The Blue Jays took control of the opening game with 12 runs in the first four innings. After a scoreless first, JHU struck for two runs in the second as sophomore Paul Long (Oklahoma City, OK/Heritage Hall) drove in sophomore Mike Durgala (Annandale, VA/Thomas Jefferson) with a single and junior Tim Casale (West Hempstead, NY/Chaminade) plated Long with a single.

Hopkins added four runs in the top of the third to take a 6-0 lead. Durgala drove in sophomore Mike Spiciarich (Syosset, NY/Chaminade) with a single and Long highlighted the inning as he drove in three with a bases loaded double.

JHU put the game out of reach with six runs in the fourth to take a 12-0 advantage. Sophomore Paul Winterling (Glenelg, MD/McDonogh School) drove in two runs with a single, while junior Craig Cetta (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) and senior Joe Urban (Nanticoke, PA/Bishop Hoban) both added two-run doubles.

Spiciarich was 4-for-4 with four runs, while Long went 4-for-4 with five runs batted in and Durgala was 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs. Hopkins collected 23 hits in the contest and scored in double figures for the 14th time this season.

Sophomore Ryan McConnell (Lancaster, PA/Penn Manor) picked up the win for the Blue Jays to improve to 2-1 on the year. He allowed two runs on three hits while striking out six in six innings. Freshman Andrew Bail (Chicago, IL/Latin School) pitched one inning of relief for JHU.

Ryan Regensburg drove in two runs for Ursinus, while Jordan Hartline was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Ryan Bown took the loss as he gave up five runs on nine hits in two innings of work.

Regensburg gave the Bears a brief lead in the second game as he hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second for a 1-0 advantage. Hopkins answered in the top of the next inning as junior Brian Morley (Tappan, NY/Don Bosco Prep) drove in senior T.W. Bruno (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) with a groundout.

Sophomore Eric Nigro (Randolph, NJ/Taft Prep) broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth as he delivered a two-run home run, his second of the season, to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead they would not relinquish.

Freshman Jason Thayer (Finksburg, MD/Westminster) earned his second win of the season as he went the distance for JHU. Thayer allowed one run on seven hits and struck out five in his first career complete game.

Noah White suffered the loss for the Bears as he pitched all seven innings. He allowed three runs on five hits while striking out six batters in seven innings.

The Blue Jays return to action Tuesday as Hopkins travels to face Montclair State at 7:00 p.m.

Game 1 Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 -R H E
Johns Hopkins (27-4, 14-2 CC) 0 2 4 6 1 0 2 -15 23 1
Ursinus (22-10-1, 12-4-1 CC) 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 -3 5 3
Winning Pitcher- Ryan McConnell; Losing Pitcher- Ryan Bown
2B- JHU: Spiciarich 2, Durgala, Long 2, Cetta, Urban; UC: Rodriguez
3B- UC: Gizzi

Game 2 Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 -R H E
Johns Hopkins (28-4, 15-2 CC) 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 -3 5 1
Ursinus (22-11-1, 12-5-1 CC) 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 -1 7 0
Winning Pitcher- Jason Thayer; Losing Pitcher- Noah White
2B- JHU: Morley, Nigro; UC: Gizzi 2
HR- JHU: Nigro; UC: Regensburg