Box Score May. 2, 2005
Box Score
BALTIMORE, MD -- Johns Hopkins and Muhlenberg split a pair of Centennial Conference baseball games Monday afternoon. The Mules scored five runs in the sixth inning of game one to turn a 4-3 deficit into an 8-4 lead and held on for an 8-7 win. The Blue Jays jumped out to a 4-0 lead in game two and held off a late Muhlenberg rally for a 6-5 win to earn the split. Hopkins improves to 28-7 overall and 13-5 in the Centennial Conference, while the Mules are now 17-14 overall and 8-10 in the Centennial.
Muhlenberg managed just three hits against Hopkins starter Jason Thayer (4-2) (Finksburg, MD/Westminster) through the first five innings of the first game, but scored five runs on three hits in the sixth to take the 8-4 lead. Senior Matt Long's (Jim Thorpe, PA/Jim Thorpe) three-run home run capped the five-run rally, which also included an RBI-single by C.J. Kessler (Roebling, NJ/Florence) and a sacrifice fly by A.J. Bettini (Brewster, NY/Brewster).
The Blue Jays scored twice in the bottom of the sixth as Dave Montegari's (West Hempstead, NY/Chaminade) two-run home run made it 8-6 and Paul Long's (Oklahoma City, OK/Heritage Hall) solo home run in the bottom of the seventh pulled the Blue Jays to within 8-7. But Muhlenberg's Gregg Burkhart (Newtown, CT/Newtown), who scattered seven hits over seven innings, retired the final two batters to seal the win and improve to 3-1 on the year.
Long gave Muhlenberg a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with a two-run home run, but that was matched by a Gary Rosenberg (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) two-run shot in the bottom of the inning. A Bettini sacrifice fly in the top of the second made it 3-2 and that lead held until the bottom of the fourth.
Rosenberg singled to open the fourth inning and later scored on a fielder's choice and Eric Nigro (Randolph, NJ/Taft Prep) stole home on a delayed double steal to give the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead. The lead held through the fifth inning before the Mules took the lead for good with the five-run sixth.
In game two the Blue Jays scored twice in the third and twice in the fourth to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Rob Sanzillo (Katonah, NY/Somers) singled, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a fielder's choice in the second. Rosenberg later singled-home Long to account for the other second-inning run. Sanzillo added a solo home run in the fourth and Paul Winterling (Glenelg, MD/McDonogh) scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.
The Mules struck for three runs in the sixth off Hopkins starter Ryan McConnell (Lancaster, PA/Penn Manor) to pull within one. Long laced an RBI-single to right field and the Mules plated runs on a fielder's choice and an error before McConnell got out of the inning.
The Blue Jays tacked on two more runs in the sixth as Sanzillo doubled home Montegari and later scored on an error to give the Blue Jays a 6-3 lead. The lead held until the ninth, when Joe Carlo (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) singled and Ryan Sassaman (Bear, DE/St. Elizabeth) followed with a two-run home run to left with two outs. Mike Hart (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) entered as a pinch hitter, but McConnell (2-1) struck him out looking to seal the win.
- 30 -
