Box Score March 28, 2011
Box Score
GRANTHAM, PA - The Johns Hopkins baseball team fell to host Messiah, 9-1, in non-conference action on a frigid Monday afternoon in Grantham, PA. The Blue Jays drop to 9-6 on the year with the loss, while the Falcons extend their winning streak to seven games and even their record at 11-11.
Hopkins struggled to manufacture hits and put runners in scoring position for much of the contest as Messiah freshman starting pitcher Jon Lapp and sophomore Drew Frankenfield combined to hold the Blue Jays to just five hits on the afernoon. Lapp pitched six shutout innings to record the win and move to 2-1 on the year, while Frankenfield allowed one run on two hits as he closed out the final three innings for the Falcons.
The Blue Jays threatened to take an early lead in the top of the second inning, as JHU managed to load the bases with two already out in the frame. Sophomore Ryan Zakszeski kept the inning alive for Hopkins with a two-out double to left field, before fellow sophomore Jeff Lynch drew a walk and junior Joe Hemmes reached on an error by the Messiah infield. Lapp, however, worked his way out of the inning unharmed to preserve the 0-0 tie.
The Falcons would go on to score two runs in each of the following three innings to take a 6-0 advantage after four frames. Messiah tacked on another run in the fifth and two more in the seventh to reach its final total of nine.
Hopkins again loaded the bases with two aside in the top half of the sixth, but once again couldn't come through with the timely hits needed to chip away at the Falcons' lead. JHU tallied its lone run in the top of the ninth as senior Anthony Venditti knocked in Lynch with a single to left field for his third RBI of the season.
Sophomore AJ Hellow takes the loss for Hopkins to fall to 0-2. Hellow gave up six runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in his four innings of work. Sophomore Kevin Gillen stuck out two in two innings of relief, while freshman Zach Augustine and junior Aaron Schwartz each notched a strikeout in one inning on the mound for JHU.
Hopkins returns to Centennial Conference action on Tuesday, March 29 at Dickinson. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 pm in Carlisle, PA.
