March 13, 2012

Box Score

ASHLAND, VA - Host Randolph-Macon used a nine-run fifth inning en route to a 15-8 victory over the visiting Johns Hopkins baseball team, Tuesday afternoon.

Junior Kyle Neverman walked to lead off the game and came around to score on a double to right field from classmate Mike Kanen. Senior Aaron Borenstein singled to left to put runners on the corners for junior Jeff Lynch. Lynch drove in the Blue Jays' (2-4-2) second run of the game with a deep fly ball to score Kanen. Sophomore Richie Carbone worked a walk to put two runners on for junior Ryan Zakszeski. Zakszeski lined the second pitch he saw into the gap in right center to drive home Borenstein and Carbone for a stand up double. After advancing to third on a groundout from junior Chris Wilhelm, Zakszeski came around to score a single to right from senior Mike Musary. The Blue Jays led 5-0 before the Yellow Jackets came to bat.

After allowing the first two runners to reach base in the bottom of the first, senior right hander Sam Eagleson picked up three straight strike outs to get out of a jam with runners on the corners and no outs. In the bottom of the second, Eagleson once again worked himself out a jam with runners on by getting Jordan Wright down on strikes to end the inning.

The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the bottom of the second inning scoring two runs on three hits and a walk. Eagleson struck out his fourth-straight batter to start the frame before giving up a walk and back-to-back RBI singles for the Yellow Jackets' first two runs.

Randolph-Macon added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Blue Jay lead to 5-4.

Facing the third Yellow Jacket pitcher in the top of the fifth, senior pinch hitter J.R. Santaniello worked a 0-2 count and took the third pitch he saw in the ball game deep to left field and hit his first home run of the season off the scoreboard over the left field fence to give the Blue Jays a 6-4 lead.

The Yellow Jackets answered back with nine runs on seven hits and a Blue Jay error in the bottom of the fifth to take 13-6 lead. Seven Yellow Jackets came to the plate before Hopkins got an out. Randolph-Macon hit back-to-back RBI singles before reliever freshman Thomas Harper got Jordan to fly out to Carbone in left on a diving catch to end the inning.

Hopkins got a run back in the top of the sixth after Neverman reached on a two-out error by the Yellow Jackets' short stop. Borenstein doubled Neverman home to cut the Yellow Jacket lead to 13-7.

Randolph-Macon added another run in both the bottom of the sixth and seventh to push its lead to 15-7 on five hits over the two innings.

JHU plated the last run of the game in the top of the ninth. Santaniello worked a two-out walk before pinch hitters freshman Craig Hoelzer and sophomore Frank Schiff hit back-to-back singles to score Santaniello. The Blue Jays were unable to finish the rally however and the score held at 15-8.

Borenstein went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run score and an RBI while Zakszeski had two RBIs on the afternoon. Santaniello and Neverman each scored twice for the Blue Jays.

Johns Hopkins will return to action when the Blue Jays open their annual spring break trip to Phoenix, Arizona when they take on Springfield College in the opening game on Friday, March 16. The first pitch is scheduled for 11 am MST.