April 11, 2008

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD -The #15 Johns Hopkins baseball team pounded out 18 hits including nine in an 11-run fourth inning to defeat Gettysburg 18-4 on Friday afternoon in Centennial Conference action. The Blue Jays (20-4, 8-1 CC) have now won 20 + games in 17 straight seasons under head coach Bob Babb.

Hopkins trailed by one in the first before tying the game with a single run in the bottom of the second inning.

The Blue Jays took control of the contest in the fourth inning as they sent 15 men to the plate and scored 11 runs in the frame. Highlighting the inning for Hopkins was home runs from sophomores Lee Bolyard (Burke, VA/Lake Braddock) and Brian Youchak (Pittsburgh, PA/Vincentian Academy). Bolyard's was the first of his career while Youchak now has two in the last two games. Also in the inning, the Blue Jays got RBI doubles from seniors Matt Benchener (Newtown, PA/Holy Ghost Prep), Todd Emr (Westwood, NJ/Saddle River Day), junior Ryan Biner (Crystal Lake, IL/Prairie Ridge) and Bolyard.

The Blue Jays added to their lead with four runs in the fifth inning as senior Rob Pietroforte (Brooklyn, NY/Berkeley Carroll) joined the hit parade with an RBI single along with one from Benchener and Emr added a sacrifice fly.

Gettysburg got three runs back in the top of the sixth as Scott Vladyka hit a three-run home run to left center.

Ahead 16-4 in the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Jays added their final two runs of the game as senior Nick Venezia (Piscataway, NJ/Rutgers Prep) crushed a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left field.

Senior Ryan Kuhlman (Hicksville, NY/Bethpage) started on the hill for the Blue Jays and picked up his fourth win of the season. Kuhlman threw five innings, allowed just one run, one walk and struck out six. Will Kleva took the loss for Gettysburg after surrendering 11 runs in 3.2 innings of work.

Benchener was 4-for-4 with four RBIs, and two runs scored, as two of his four hits were doubles. Senior Tony Margve (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs while Emr finished the day 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Bolyard went 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBIs including his first career home run and a double.

Hopkins is right back at it as the Blue Jays travel to Ursinus, tomorrow for a Centennial Conference doubleheader. First pitch of game-one is set for 12:30 p.m.

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