March 21, 2008

Box Score

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - Six runs in the seventh inning helped propel the #10 Johns Hopkins baseball team to an 11-4 victory over Springfield College on Thursday morning in Scottsdale, AZ. The Blue Jays (7-3) have now won three in a row as the top three batters in the line-up combined to knock in eight of the Blue Jays' 11 runs in the contest.

Hopkins put the first run on the board in the top of the third inning as sophomore Brian Youchak singled home junior Dan Merzel, who had reached via a triple. Springfield answered with two runs in the bottom of the stanza and another run in the fourth inning. The Blue Jays found themselves in a 3-1 hole after four complete innings of play.

Blue Jay starter Greg Harbeck found his zone and cruised through the fifth, sixth and seventh innings allowing just two base runners during that stretch.

Meanwhile, Hopkins had gotten its bats going in the top of the seventh inning. Merzel pulled the Blue Jays to within one with a sacrifice fly. After Youchak reached base, senior shortstop Jonas Fester put the Blue Jays on top, 4-3 with a two RBI double to left center. Fester now has 47 career doubles and need just three more to tie the JHU and Centennial Conference record for career doubles at 50.

The Blue Jays continued to pile on the runs in the seventh inning as freshman Jesse Sikorski had an RBI hit to plate Fester and senior Matt Benchener had a ground rule double to score Sikorski. Hopkins got its final run of the inning as senior Jon Solomon came home on a balk.

Hopkins would add three more runs to its total in the eighth inning as Youchak had an RBI double and later scored on Fester's home run to left field. Springfield would tack on another run in the eighth inning but it would not be enough as Hopkins added one final run to its total in the ninth inning for an 11-4 victory.

Harbeck gets the win for the Blue Jays after hurling 7.1 innings, striking out five and allowing the four runs. Junior Dave Fioretti relieved Harbeck with one out in the eighth and shut the door on Springfield the rest of the way to help record the victory. The loss went to Justin O'Brien who surrendered six runs in a third of an inning worked.

The top three batters in the Blue Jay line-up were a combined 6-for-14 with five runs scored and eight RBIs. Merzel went 1-for-4 out of the leadoff spot with a run scored, two sacrifices and an RBI groundout. Youchak finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs while Fester was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBIs. Fester also extended his hit streak to 20 games dating back to last season. Sikorski finished the day 3-for-3 including his first career collegiate hit.

Joey Kropa went 2-for-3 with two runs scored out of the leadoff spot for Springfield.

The Blue Jays will be back in action on Thursday, March 20th with their second contest of the day. Hopkins faces Wisconsin La-Crosse at 2 p.m. MST.

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