April 3, 2008

Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Catholic University scored two runs in the fifth to make it a one run game but senior Ryan Kealy (Ardsley, NY/Ardsley) shut the door to lift the #21 Johns Hopkins baseball team to a 7-6 win over Catholic University on Thursday afternoon. The Blue Jays (16-3) won their twelfth straight game in rainy cold conditions that limited the contest to just five innings.

Hopkins wasted little time in getting things going as junior DH Dan Merzel (Hopkinton, MA/Hopkinton) dropped a bunt single down the third base line to start the game. After Catholic got the first out of the inning, senior center fielder Rob Pietroforte (Brooklyn, NY/Berkeley Carroll) roped a double to center field that Merzel rode home for the game's first run.

Catholic got the equalizer in the bottom of the frame on a fielder's choice groundout. The Cardinals would go back on top in the bottom of the second inning as Tommy Bowles led off the inning with a triple and scored on Matthew Rosner's RBI single.

The Blue Jays took the lead back in the top of the third inning. Catholic got the first out of the inning before Merzel got hit by a pitch. After Merzel stole second, senior right fielder Isaac Katz (Merion, PA/Lower Merion) came through with a double to plate the tying run. Katz would score the go-ahead run as senior third baseman Todd Emr (Westwood, NJ/Saddle River Day) produced a two-out single to right. Two batters later junior first baseman Dave Garber (Mount Joy, PA/Donegal) singled to score Emr.

Hopkins led 4-2 after three innings of play. The Blue Jays added to their lead in the fourth inning as sophomore second baseman Lee Bolyard (Burke, VA/Lake Braddock) singled leading off the inning and later came around to score on a wild pitch. The second run in the inning came as Emr drew a walk with the bases juiced to force in a run.

Catholic tallied two runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 6-4 ballgame. The Blue Jays scored what would be the winning run in the top of the fifth inning. Garber reached on an error to start the inning and came around to score on a sac fly off the bat of senior shortstop Nate Adelman (Redwood City, CA/Menlo School).

In the bottom of the fifth, the Cardinals' lead-off man reached via a walk. After a Blue Jay error put runners at first and third, the Catholic runner stole second. Kealy was able to buckle down and get the first two outs of the inning on strikeouts, before Joseph Maca stroked a two-run single to make it a 7-6 game. Kealy got the final out on a ground out to secure the victory.

Sophomore Greg Harbeck (Glen Ridge, NJ/Montclair Kimberly Academy) started for the Blue Jays on the hill going three plus innings and surrendering three runs in tough conditions. Kealy picked up his third win of the season after getting the final three outs in the contest.

Merzel did a solid job out of the lead-off hole for the Blue Jays. He finished the game 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a stolen base. Emr went 1-for-2 with a run scored and two RBIs and in the process extended his hit streak to 14 games. Katz was 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

The Blue Jays will be back in action tomorrow, April 4 when they host Washington College in a Centennial Conference contest. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.

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