March 5, 2006
Final Stats
Game One Box | Game Two Box
BALTIMORE - Senior right fielder Gary Rosenberg (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) compiled a 5-for-8 afternoon, including his first homer in 2006 to power Johns Hopkins to a 8-1 over Rutgers-Newark on a blustery Sunday afternoon at JHU Baseball Field. The visiting Scarlet Raiders claimed the second game, 5-3.
In the first inning of game one, Rosenberg singled in sophomore Jon Solomon (Fairfax, VA/Riverdale Baptist) to put Hopkins ahead, 2-0. Rosenberg added a long ball in his second at-bat of the season, with a drive over the right field porch to put the Blue Jays up, 4-0. In the fifth, Rosenberg singled and scored to complete a 3-for-3 game.
Solomon also posted a multi-hit effort in the season-opener, going 2-for-3 and scoring twice. His first inning RBI single got Hopkins on the board, and marked Solomon's first career hit.
In both games, no Hopkins pitcher worked more than two innings. Senior right-hander Jason Thayer (Westminster, MD/Westminster), who earned the start and the win (1-0) in game one, worked two efficient innings by fanning four while allowing only one hit. Sophomore righty Ryan Kuhlman (Hicksville, NY/Bethpage) did his part in relief, striking out three in two innings to boost the Blue Jays through four innings.
Rutgers-Newark senior right-hander Stephen Rice was tagged with the game one loss, bringing his 2006 record to 1-1. Rice worked five innings.
The Scarlet Raiders broke through offensively in the second game, plating three in the top of the second inning. After junior designated hitter Wilson Martinez led off the inning with a double to left field, senior catcher Mike Marcucci drove him home with a single to right field, giving Newark its first lead of the afternoon and triggering the decisive inning of the game.
Newark got insurance in the fifth, as a misplayed ball on a single to right field by junior first baseman Bill Mercurio brought two for the Scarlet Raiders, opening up a 5-1 lead.
Hopkins had opportunities to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, but left three runners in scoring position to end the threat.
Junior lefty Tom Reynolds (2-0) earned the game two win for Newark, allowing only one earned run over seven innings. Scott Barchetto worked out of a ninth-inning jam to pick up his second save of the season. Hopkins senior lefty Jim Flannery (Rocky River, OH/St. Edward) was saddled with the loss (0-1).
Rosenberg, sophomore shortstop Jonas Fester (Syosset, NY/Syosset) and junior catcher Rob Sanzillo (Katonah, NY/Somers) each tallied two hits for the Blue Jays.
With the split, Johns Hopkins opens its season at 1-1. Rutgers-Newark improves its record to 4-3 on the young season.
