April 5, 2010

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - The Johns Hopkins baseball team won its closest game of their 12-game winning streak today against Messiah at the Blue Jay Baseball Diamond by a score of 6-4. After three-and-a-half innings the Blue Jays trailed by two but scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth and held the lead the rest of the way. With the win, Hopkins improves to 19-3, while Messiah falls to 8-11.

Messiah scored a run in the third on a Blue Jay throwing error and another run in the fifth on a sac fly to left by Sam Tajiri. Messiah loaded the bases with no one out in the fourth but Lucas Henneman (Atlanta, GA/Chamblee) came into the game to record a strike out, a sacrifice fly-out and a ground out to get Hopkins out of the inning with only one run scoring.

The Blue Jays answered by hitting six straight singles in the fourth inning. Stephen Bejsiuk (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) laced a two-RBI single to left while John Swarr (Radnor, PA/Conestoga) and Aaron Borenstein (Scottsdale, AZ/Saguaro) each had RBIs in the inning. Josh Hershberger then came in for relief and recorded three straight outs to get out of the inning.

Hopkins added two runs in the bottom of the seventh to increase the lead to 6-2. Chris Huisman (Davidsonville, MD/Archbishop Spalding) hit a solo home run to right and Swarr hit an RBI single throw the left side to score Dave Kahn (New Hyde Park/Herricks).

Messiah scored two in the ninth to cut the Blue Jay lead in half. Tajiri hit an RBI triple to left and scored on a throwing error. This would be the closest Messiah would come at the next batter struck out to end the game.

Henneman earned the win for Hopkins, pitching four shutout innings in relief and allowing just two hits and striking out four.

Ryan Scherich (Torrance, CA/Canyon) pitched one inning in relief getting one strikeout while Aaron Schwartz (Cypress, CA/Fairmont Prep) closed out the game by striking out the side, but allowing two runs, one earned.

Eric Spring took the loss for the Falcons by allowing four runs on six hits without recording an out.

Kahn went 3-for-4 for the Blue Jays with two runs scored while Swarr went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Huisman had two hits, including a home run to total two runs scored.

Tajiri went 2-for-3 for the Falcons with a triple and two RBIs. Adam Ranck had two hits in the game.

Mike Aspegren (Newport Beach, CA/Santa Margarita) and Stephen Bejsiuk (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) each made diving plays in the game and the Blue Jays turned two double plays.

Hopkins had 11 hits and three errors while Messiah totaled eight hits and one error.

The Blue Jays return to Centennial Conference action tomorrow with a home game against Dickinson. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 pm.