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Box Score 2 March 31, 2012
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BALTIMORE, MD - The Johns Hopkins baseball team scored early and often in the first game of a Centennial Conference double header against Franklin & Marshall Saturday afternoon taking the first game, 10-0, before falling to the Diplomats 7-1 in the second game at the JHU Baseball Diamond.
With the split, the Blue Jays improve to 12-8-2 on the season and 3-1 in the Centennial while the Diplomats move to 13-10 overall and even their conference slate to 2-2.
Sophomore Tyler Goldstein followed his impressive performance last time on the mound for the Blue Jays with another shut down day in the first game of a doubleheader as he held the Diplomats to just three hits, just one for extra bases in the first inning while getting plenty of run support from the offense. The sophomore has thrown 13-straight scoreless innings for Hopkins, dating back to his last outing against William Paterson. Goldstein threw seven scoreless innings while striking out four and did not surrender a walk. Goldstein retired 10 straight batters from the last two outs of the first inning until the fourth when he hit Kevin Shields to give F&M just its second base runner of the afternoon. The Diplomats did not have another base runner until the seventh when Blue Wells and Connor Devlin strung together back-to-back two-out singles, but Goldstein remained dialed in and forced Patrick Andrews to fly out to center to end the inning.
The offense gave Goldstein plenty of support as the Blue Jays scored a run in every inning except for the fourth and fifth and went down in order only once. Junior Kyle Neverman got things going for the Blue Jays in the bottom of the first with a standup double to right center to lead off the inning. Classmate Mike Kanen followed suit and singled to right field and was able to advance to second as the Diplomats' right fielder threw home to hold Neverman at third. With two runners in scoring position, sophomore Mike Denlinger had a productive at-bat and grounded out to the right side of the infield to allow Neverman to score and give Hopkins an early 1-0 lead. Junior Jeff Lynch kept the hits going with a single to center to put runners on the corners for sophomore Richie Carbone. After taking the first pitch for a strike, Carbone ripped a single to center to drive home Kanen and push the Blue Jay lead to 2-0 after the first inning.
The Blue Jays tacked on another run in the bottom of the second with an RBI-double down the right field line from Kanen to score junior Matt Ricci who led off the frame with a single through the left side. Hopkins increased its lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the third on two hits. Lynch walked and Carbone followed with his second hit of the day to put two on before junior Chris Vonderschmidt grounded out to second to move the runners up a base. Junior Ryan Zakszeski singled to right field in his first game back for the Blue Jays to score Lynch and Carbone.
After a quiet fourth and fifth inning, the Blue Jays got back to business and scored a run in the bottom of the sixth and two in each of the seventh and eighth. Ricci once again led off the inning with a single up the middle to start of the sixth and scored on a single from Kanen after stealing second. The Blue Jays got two runs in the bottom of the seventh to extend their lead to 8-0. Carbone singled down the left field line and eventually came around to score after a throwing error by the Diplomats' shortstop that allowed Zakszeski to reach base safely and take second and move Carbone to third before a balk brought him across the plate. Zakszeski scored the second run of the inning on a wild pitch that got away from the Diplomats' catcher.
Hopkins scored its final two runs of the game in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch-hitting junior Chris Wilhelm and senior Joe Hemmes came around to score on a pinch-hit single from sophomore Jonathan Hettleman to push the Blue Jay lead to 10-0.
Junior Kevin Gillen came out in relief of Goldstein in the eighth. Gillen shut down the Diplomats in order in the eighth and after giving up a pinch-hit single to Tyler Veterano to lead off the ninth inning, he got a ground out and two strikeouts to close the door on the Diplomats in the first game.
The second game of the twin bill would not go as well for the Blue Jays offensively as the first did. The Diplomats got on the board first with two runs in the top of the first and never really looked back. F&M scored its first two runs on two hits and Blue Jay error in the inning. Shields singled up the middle to bring around Triantos and Will Benenson.
Hopkins would get one back in the bottom of the frame, but the lone run would prove to be its only one of the game. Neverman once again led off the game for the Blue Jays with a hit, this time an infield single to the shortstop before Kanen singled up the middle. With one out, Lynch singled down the left field line to bring around Neverman.
The Diplomats answered with a run in each of the second and sixth innings to take a 4-1 lead before pulling away from the Blue Jays with three runs in the top of the seventh to push its lead to 7-1. The Diplomats plated three runs on three hits and a Blue Jay error in the seventh to seal the victory for F&M. Senior hurler Evan Lang shut down the Blue Jays and went the distance for the Diplomats giving up just one run on seven hits while walking three and striking out only three Blue Jays.
Senior Lucas Henneman suffered the loss for the Blue Jays on the mound after throwing six innings and giving up six runs, four earned, on eight hits and two walks. Sophomore Ed Bryner and senior Mike Berliner each pitched a scoreless inning for the Blue Jays in relief. Bryner struck out two while giving up a walk and Berliner allowed just a single in the bottom of the ninth.
Kanen finished the day going a combined 4-for-8 at the plate with two RBIs and a run scored while Neverman collected four hits and two runs scored.
Hopkins continues conference play as the Blue Jays welcome in-state rival, McDaniel to the JHU Baseball Diamond on Tuesday, April 3 for a single nine-inning game. The first pitch is set for 3:30 pm.
