May 18, 2003

Box Score

BOYERTOWN, PA - DeSales scored four runs in the seventh inning to break open a close game en route to an 8-4 win over Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Baseball Tournament this afternoon in Bear Stadium. The Blue Jays were eliminated from the tournament and finish the season with a 34-7 record, while the Bulldogs improved to 29-12 and advanced to face Otterbein in the championship game.

DeSales took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third without recording a hit. Nolan Neiman walked on four pitches to lead off the inning, he then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lew Campanaro and took third on a wild pitch. Neiman then scored two batters later on a groundout by Dan Fratantoro.

Hopkins tied the score in the top of the next inning as sophomore Paul Winterling (Glenelg, MD/McDonogh School) belted a solo home run to left field, his team-leading 12th of the season and second of the tournament. The Blue Jays then took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth as junior Craig Cetta (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) doubled down the right field line to lead off the frame and scored two batters later on a single by senior Joe Urban (Nanticoke, PA/Bishop Hoban).

The Bulldogs answered with six runs in the next two innings to take a commanding 7-2 lead after seven innings. DeSales scored twice in the sixth and four times in the seventh on the strength of six hits, two errors and two walks in the two innings.

JHU battled back with two runs in the top of the eighth to cut the margin to 7-4. Junior Tim Casale (West Hempstead, NY/Chaminade) singled with one out and junior Doug Hitchner (Haverford, PA/Episcopal Academy) followed with a single to left to put runners on first and second. Senior Jay Cieri (Pine Brook, NJ/Montville) drove in Casale with a double to the gap in left center and Hitchner scored on a groundout by sophomore Mike Spiciarich (Syosset, NY/Chaminade).

The Blue Jays were unable to get closer the rest of the way as DeSales tallied one run in the bottom of the eighth to set the final margin at 8-4. Jeff Hurley did not allow a run in the final 1.2 innings to earn his third save of the season for the Bulldogs.

Tim Gombar improved to 6-0 on the season as he gave up four runs on eight hits in 7.1 innings for DeSales. Junior Sven Stafford (Evanston, IL/Evanston) fell to 3-2 for Hopkins as he allowed six runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings.

Hopkins reached 34 wins for the fifth time in school history and was just two wins shy of the school record of 36 set during the 1998 season.

Line Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 -R H E
Johns Hopkins (34-7) 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 -4 8 2
DeSales (29-12) 0 0 1 0 0 2 4 1 x -8 11 0
Winning Pitcher- Tim Gombar; Losing Pitcher- Sven Stafford; Save- Jeff Hurley
2B- JHU: Cieri, Cetta; DU: Hauze 2, Campanaro, Hoffman, Peters
HR- JHU: Winterling