March 22, 2012

Box Score

MESA, AZ - The Johns Hopkins baseball team blasted 11 runs in the first game of a doubleheader against Wesleyan to take a 11-2 decision while outlasting a late inning rally from the Cardinals to complete the sweep with a 7-6 win in the night cap.

With the sweep, the Blue Jays improved to 8-5-2 on the season while the Cardinals fell to 4-8.

In the opening game of the double dip, senior Alex Eliopoulos carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before surrendering his first hit in the bottom of the fifth on shallow fly ball to left field.

The Blue Jays scored early and often in the short seven inning game. Junior Kyle Neverman led off the ball game drawing a walk and stole second before senior Aaron Borenstein drew a one-out free pass. Classmate Scott Barrett hit the Blue Jays' sixth triple of the season to right center to clear the bases and give Hopkins a 2-0 advantage. Barrett came around to score on a wild pitch to push the Blue Jay lead to 3-0 before the Cardinals came up to bat.

Hopkins added two more runs in each of the second and third innings to take a 7-0 lead. Neverman singled and Borenstein walked before junior Jeff Lynch worked a eight-pitch walk to load the bases for Barrett. Without hesitation, Barrett took the first pitch he saw to left center to once again bring around Neverman and Borenstein for his third and fourth RBI of the game in the top of the second. The Blue Jays manufactured their first run in the top of the third on a sacrifice bunt from junior Adam Weiner to put classmate Hank Sanders on third and senior Mike Musary on second. Neverman drove in Sanders with a sacrifice fly to right and junior Mike Kanen drove in Musary with a single to left center to plate Musary.

Sophomore Richie Carbone doubled home Lynch and Barrett in the top of the sixth before Sanders hit the Blue Jays seventh triple of the season to bring around Carbone. Musary doubled down the left field line to drive home Sanders to put the finishing touches on the Blue Jays' 11-run performance.

The Cardinals got two runs back with a run in the both the bottom of the sixth and seventh but would ultimately fall to the Blue Jays, 11-2. Steve Moran singled to left and came around to score on a failed pickoff attempt and error on the Blue Jays for the Cardinals first run of the game in the sixth. The Cardinals scored their final run of the game on a two-out one-run double from Joe Giaimo that scored Ben Hoynes.

Eliopoulos got the win for the Blue Jays, throwing six commanding innings, giving up just one run, unearned, on three hits and one walk while fanning five batters.

The Blue Jays got the sweep of the doubleheader with an exciting finish in the night cap. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead after two innings behind a two-run single from junior Chris Vonderschmidt in the first and a RBI-single from Neverman in the second.

The Cardinals got two runs back in the fourth and fifth to pull within one, 3-2. Wesleyan got the runs on just three hits and stranded five batters over the two innings, including leaving the bases loaded in the fifth.

The Blue Jays took a 5-2 lead after the fifth with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Lynch singled home sophomore Mike Denlinger before coming around to score on a error by the Cardinal first baseman. Wesleyan came right back and scored two in the top of the sixth on two hits to cut the lead back to one, 5-4.

The Blue Jays would literally steal a run back after a successful double steal attempt with runners on first and third. Junior Jonathan Hettleman stole second and Hoelzer stole home for his third stolen base of the game. The Cardinals got the run back in the seventh on two hits but once again stranded runners in scoring position and the Blue Jays held a 6-5 advantage going into the bottom of the eighth. With two outs in the eighth, Neverman drew a walk and stole second to put himself in scoring position for Denlinger. Denlinger ripped a 2-2 pitch to right center for the Blue Jays eighth triple and scored Neverman to give Hopkins a 7-5 advantage.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, Chris Bonti advanced to third on a wild pitch before David Skura doubled down the left field line to score Bonti and put the tying run in scoring position. Senior reliever Aaron Schwartz hit the next batter to put the go-head run on base. After getting Moran to watch the first strike, Schwartz got Moran to ground out to third for the final out of the game and hold off the Cardinals to complete the doubleheader sweep.

Senior Blake Platt earned the win for the Blue Jays to improve to 2-1 on the season while Schwartz earned his fourth save of the year.

The Blue Jays return to action tomorrow, March 22, when they take on Williams for the second time during this spring break trip. The two teams faced each other last Monday with the Blue Jays coming out on top, 9-7. The first pitch is scheduled for 10 am MST.