March 22, 2008

Box Score

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - Senior right-hander Ryan Kuhlman pitched seven strong innings to help lift the #10 Johns Hopkins baseball team to a 14-3 victory over Hamline on Saturday morning in Scottsdale, AZ. The Blue Jays (10-3) won their sixth straight game to conclude their spring trip.

Hamline dented the scoreboard first in the contest on a two-run home run by Andrew Bennett to left field. Those would be the only two runs surrendered by Kuhlman in his seven innings of work.

Hopkins got things going in the top of the third inning. The Blue Jays loaded the bases with no outs in the frame before senior left fielder Jon Solomon came through with an RBI single. Hopkins tallied another run in the inning as senior second baseman Nate Adelman scored on a double play ground out.

The Blue Jays added to their lead in the fourth as junior first baseman Ryan Biner continued his hot hitting with an RBI single. Hopkins would get two more in the frame as Solomon's single gave him three RBIs on the day. The Blue Jays would add three more runs in the fifth inning to lead 8-2 after five innings of play. Highlighting that inning for the Blue Jays was an RBI double from senior DH Matt Benchener and RBI groundouts from Adelman and Biner.

In the seventh stanza, senior catcher Tony Margve's RBI double scored senior third baseman Todd Emr who had led off the inning with a triple to centerfield. Benchener knocked his second RBI double of the game in the inning, this time scoring junior Kris Standish, who had run for Margve. The Blue Jays final run of the inning came on a pinch-hit RBI single from senior Nick Venezia.

Hopkins led 11-3 heading to the top of the eighth inning. In what would be their final at-bat of the game, the first two Blue Jays reached base before junior Dave Garber crushed a three run home run to dead center field.

Sophomore Matt Wiegand relieved Kuhlman to start the eighth inning and after allowing a lead off home run to Bennett, shut the door to give Hopkins their sixth straight victory.

Kuhlman gets the win for the Blue Jays, his second of the season. He went seven innings while allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Andrew Seymour took the loss for Hamline after surrendering five runs in one plus innings of work.

Emr continued his hot hitting with a 2-for-3 day including three runs scored while Biner was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Benchener went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored and Solomon finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

The Blue Jays will return to action on Tuesday, March 25 as the Blue Jays open their Centennial Conference Title defense. Hopkins will host McDaniel at 3:30 p.m.

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