March 15, 2010

Box Score

Chandler, AZ - The Johns Hopkins baseball team defeated Dickinson State (NAIA), 11-5, on the strength of some strong hitting and pitching performances from the sophomore class. Sophomores Aaron Borenstein (Scottsdale, AZ/Saguaro) and Sam Wernick (Dallas, TX/Dallas Jesuit College Prep) combined for seven hits and seven RBIs while four sophomores pitched all nine innings. The Blue Jays improve to 7-1 while the Blue Hawks fall to 5-2.

Sophomore Blake Platt (Munster, IL/Munster) recorded his first-career win for the Blue Jays by pitching 2.2 innings in relief allowing one run and striking out two Blue Hawks. Sophomore Matthew Volpe (Pelham, NY/Pelham Memorial) pitched three innings and allowed one run and struck out two batters. Sophomore Alex Eliopoulos (Arlington, VA/The Heights School) closed out the game pitching the final two innings. Eliopoulos allowed no runs and stuck out one batter and allowed only one hit. Starter Ryan Kahn (Cooper City, FL/American Heritage) had two strikeouts in the game.

The Blue Jays picked up where they left off yesterday scoring seven runs in the first two innings. In the first, Wernick roped a two-RBI single to left to score grad student Brian Youchak (Pittsburgh, PA/Vincentian Academy) and senior John Swarr (Radnor, PA/Conestoga).

Senior Matt Bernardi (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) scored fellow senior Mike Aspegren (Newport Beach, CA/Santa Margarita) and Youchak in the second inning. Wernick hit his second two-RBI single of the game and later scored on a double to right-centerfield by Borenstein.

The Blue Hawks started chipping at the 7-0 Blue Jay led in the bottom of the second by pushing three runs across the plate. Senior Nolan Bracken scored Dickinson State's first run on a single by junior Cole Zamira. Junior Derrick Gunderson scored next on a sacrifice fly by junior Ryan Kanzaki. After a bases loaded walk to score the third run of the inning, Platt entered the game to pitch for Hopkins and recorded two consecutive outs to get out of the inning.

Dickinson State added a run in the fourth on a double by junior Kevin Park that scored senior Hector Sanchez. Park added another run for the Blue Hawks with a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Blue Jay lead to 7-5.

After being held scoreless for five innings, Hopkins scored three insurance runs in the top of the eighth. Youchak reached on a hit-by-pitch and scored on Wernick's third single of the day. Senior James Teta (Centereach, NY/Sachem) scored senior Jesse Sikorski (Syracuse, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) on a single and Wernick scored on a Borenstein double.

Hopkins added another run in the ninth as Sikorski doubled down the right field line to score senior Dave Kahn (New Hyde Park/Herricks).

Junior Tucker Slagle took the loss for Dickinson State as he pitched five innings and allowed seven runs on 12 hits.

Wernick had three hits in game with five RBIs while Borenstein went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs. Senior catcher Joe Borrelli (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) went 3-for-5 in the game. Youchak, Sikorski, and Aspegren each had two hits in the game. The Blue Jays had 19 hits on the day.

Gunderson led the way for Dickinson State as he went 3-for-4 with a double. Park had two RBIs to go along with his home run and double and Bracken also had two hits. The Blue Hawks had 10 hits in the game.

The Blue Jays return to action tomorrow when they take on Simpson at 11:30 am MT.