March 21, 2011

PHOENIX, AZ - The seventh-ranked Johns Hopkins baseball team scored seven of its eight runs in the first three innings and the Blue Jay pitchers allowed just five hits en route to an 8-1 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan on Sunday in Phoenix, AZ. JHU improves to 6-3 on the year with the win, while the Wolves fall to 3-6.

For the third straight game the Blue Jays loaded the bases in the first inning, but managed to come up with a much different result on this day as three JHU runs crossed the plate in the opening frame.

Juniors Sam Wernick and Aaron Borenstein started the game off right for Hopkins with back-to-back hits, before sophomore Zach Small reached first on a walk. Junior Mike Musary then earned a free pass to first after being hit by a pitch, allowing Wernick to trot home.

Sophomore Kyle Neverman followed Musary's at-bat with a single to left that knocked in the first two of his game-high three RBIs of the day to give Hopkins an early 3-0 lead.

The Blue Jays stayed hot at the plate over the next two innings, recording two runs in each frame to jump out to a 7-0 advantage. Wernick was again a catalyst at the plate for JHU, knocking in graduate student Joe Borrelli with a deep double that sailed over the left fielders head. Borenstein and senior Jesse Sikorski each followed with groundouts to the right side of the infield that allowed the speedy Wernick to reach home for the second straight inning.

In the bottom of the third Musary blooped a single to short left to reach base for the second time, before Neverman notched his third RBI of the game by roping a triple to the gap in right-center.

Sophomore Ryan Zakszeski then knocked in Neverman with a grounder to the right side of the infield for his first RBI of the season to give Hopkins a commanding seven-run lead.

Hopkins tacked on its final run in the sixth as Wernick again launched a shot to left field - this time for a triple - and Borenstein knocked him home for his fourth RBI of the season.

Sophomore Kevin Gillen picked up the win for the Blue Jays in his second career start and 2011 debut. Gillen allowed just four hits and one run in five innings.

Freshman Zach Augustine made his second appearance of the season on the mound in relief of Gillen, striking out two in two hitless innings. Juniors Mike Berliner and Aaron Schwartz each also pitched a scoreless inning of relief to close out the win for JHU.

Neverman went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Wernick went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI to pace Hopkins, while Sikorski went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the win.

JHU will next face off against Williams (MA) on Monday, March 21 at 11 am.