April 18, 2011

Box Score

ANNVILLE, PA - The Johns Hopkins baseball team nearly dug itself out of an early 5-0 hole, but its comeback attempt fell just short as the Blue Jays fell, 6-5, to Lebanon Valley in non-conference action on Monday in Annville, PA. Hopkins sees its five-game winning streak come to an end and drops to 18-11 overall, while the Dutchmen improve to 12-17 with the win.

Lebanon Valley tallied five runs in the bottom half of the second to take a commanding early advantage. Junior Thomas Rasich opened the scoring barrage with a solo homer to left center, before JHU walked a run home and junior Colt Zarilla sent a sacrifice fly to deep center field to put LVC up 3-0. Junior Jacob Rhody followed with a two-out, two-RBI double that hit off the wall in left center and the Dutchmen were up 5-0.

Hopkins began to slowly chip away at the LVC lead in the third, as junior Sam Wernick connected on his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left center, to put JHU on the board. Freshman Mike Denlinger then drew a two-out walk and sophomores Matt Ricci and Chris Wilhelm came through with back-to-back singles, with Wilhelm's bringing in Denlinger from second base to make the score 5-2.

The Dutchmen added another run in the fourth, but the Blue Jays responded with a run in both the fifth and sixth frames to pull within 6-4. Denlinger notched an RBI double to left center in the fifth, while sophomore Zach Small launched his fifth homer of the year to right in the sixth.

The Blue Jays had a golden opportunity to pull even and perhaps even seize the lead in the top half of the ninth, but LVC freshman reliever Corey Cinicola was able to work out of a bases loaded jam with just one out to secure the win.

Junior Aaron Borenstein earned a free pass to begin the ninth with a hit by pitch, Wernick dropped a one-out single into left center and senior Tim Rappazzo loaded the bases with a single into right center. Graduate student Steve Bejsiuk then came to the plate in a pinch-hitting role and delivered an RBI single to right to bring Hopkins within one, 6-5. Cinicola entered for the Dutchmen and thwarted any potential last-inning rally as he forced a double play to the middle infield and LVC escaped with the one-run victory.

The JHU relievers looked sharp as the Blue Jays held the Dutchmen to just four hits after the second inning. Junior Garrett Gomez allowed one run on three hits in 4.1 innings of work, while juniors Lucas Henneman, Mike Berliner and Blake Platt combined for two scoreless innings to keep JHU within striking distance late in the contest.

Sophomore starter A.J. Hellow takes the loss for Hopkins to fall to 0-3 on the year, while junior Dustin Deibert picks up the victory for LVC. Deibert allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings on the rubber.

Wernick paced JHU with a 2-for-4 outing with a home run, Rappazzo also recorded two hits and Wilhelm, Denlinger and Small each posted RBIs in the loss.

Rhody and junior Aaron Mills led LVC with two RBIs apiece, while sophomore Derek Brousseau went 2-for-3 with a game-high two runs scored.

Hopkins returns to Centennial Conference action on Wednesday, April 20 against Washington College. First pitch is set for 3:30 pm at the JHU Baseball Diamond.