March 23, 2004

Box Score

Baltimore, MD - Johns Hopkins juniors Paul Winterling (Glenelg, MD/McDonogh) and Mike Durgala (Annandale, VA/Thomas Jefferson) each homered as the sixth-ranked Blue Jay baseball team came back to defeat Gettysburg, 5-3, Tuesday afternoon in the Centennial Conference opener for both teams.

Brian Pernice gave the Bullets the early lead as he hit the first pitch from Hopkins senior Jeremy Brown (Baltimore, MD/McDonogh) over the rightfield fence for a leadoff home run.

The Bullets, who fell to 7-7-1 on the season, added a run in the fourth. Joe Gossweiler, pinch running for Mike Luteran after Luteran had reached on a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a balk, went to third on a groundout by Brendan McDonald, and, following a strikeout by Austin Ball, stole home.

The Blue Jays, who improved to 14-0 on the year, got a run back in the bottom of the fifth. Senior Doug Hitchner (Haverford, PA/Episcopal Academy) led off the frame with a single and was pinch ran for by junior Eric Nigro (Randolph, NJ/Taft Prep). Senior Tim Casale (West Hempstead, NY/Chaminade) then singled and advanced to second while Nigro went to third on an error by Bullets leftfielder Ben Carey, and senior Rob Morrison (Malibu, CA/Loyola) singled to right to plate Nigro.

Senior Craig Cetta (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) followed with a walk to load the bases, but Gettysburg starter Tom Gallione avoided further damage by striking out Durgala and getting junior Mike Spiciarich (Syosset, NY/Chaminade) to bounce into a fielder's choice.

After another walk to Luteran with one out in the top of the sixth, Gossweiler again pinch ran and advanced to third on a single to centerfield by McDonald on a hit-and-run. Ball then singled to rightfield to plate Gossweiler and make it a 3-1 game, but JHU junior Matt Righter (Clarion, PA/Lawrenceville Prep) got out of the jam by striking out Mike Cipolloni and getting Chase Straub to ground out to second.

Winterling opened the bottom of the inning with a line drive home run to left, but after senior Carl Ippolito (Ewing, NJ/Pennington School) followed with a double, Gallione retired three straight Blue Jays to keep it a 3-2 game.

However, the Blue Jays took the lead in the seventh off Gossweiler. Morrison opened the inning by reaching second on a throwing error by Gettysburg third baseman Ron Lettieri, and moved to third when Cetta flew out to right. Durgala then drilled a two-run homer to left to give Hopkins the lead for good.

The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the eighth as senior Brian Morley (Tappan, NY/Don Bosco Prep) reached on an error by Ball at second base and advanced to second. Hitchner moved Morley to third with a sacrifice bunt, and Casale drove him home with a sacrifice fly to right.

Hopkins senior Sven Stafford (Evanston, IL/Evanston) struck out the side in a perfect ninth to record his fifth save of the season.

Brown allowed two runs on three hits while striking out eight in the first five innings, while Righter gave up one run on two hits with six strikeouts in three innings pitched to pick up his first win of the season.

Gallione scattered nine hits in six innings of work, allowing just two runs while striking out three for the Bullets. Gossweiler took the loss to fall to 1-2 after giving up three runs, one earned, on two hits in the final two innings.

Winterling finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and a run batted in for the Blue Jays, while Durgala was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Morrison went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a run batted in.

The Blue Jays will face the Bullets again Friday at 3 p.m. in Gettysburg, PA.

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