March 17, 2014

Box Score

FT. MYERS, FL - Johns Hopkins scored seven runs in the final two innings to get past UW-Platteville 12-7 Sunday afternoon. After scoring the game's first four runs, the Jays found themselves behind after a five-run fifth inning put the Pioneers ahead 5-4. With the game on the line, junior RHP Thomas Harper was clutch out of the bullpen, striking out five in two innings to earn his first win of the season. Hopkins improves to 6-2 on the year, while UW-Platteville drops to 1-4.

With the game tied 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Jays found themselves in a jam with baserunners on second and third for the Pioneers with no outs. Head Coach Bob Babb called upon Harper to provide relief for the second time this weekend, and once again the Villanova, PA native delivered. Harper struck out the first two batters he faced, and forced the third into an easy groundout to deny the Pioneers the chance to take the lead.

The Hopkins batters carried that momentum into the top of the eighth, as Conor Reynolds, Pete Siciliano and Christopher Casey all reached on base on two walks and a bunt single to start the inning. The Jays then went to work clearing the base paths, as Junior Colin McCarthy ripped an RBI single down the left field line to score Reynolds from third. After an error by the second baseman scored another run, senior Richie Carbone knocked in his seventh RBI of the season to give Hopkins an 8-5 lead.

Despite giving up a single in the bottom of the eighth, an unfazed Harper struck out the three other batters swinging to further deflate the UW-Platteville bench. In the top of the ninth, The Blue Jays provided insurance with four more runs on five hits to widen the gap on the Pioneers. UW-Platteville was able to get two back in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't make up the deficit as a groundout to third base secured the 12-7 win for Hopkins.

It looked as though Hopkins would stay ahead after the fourth and fifth innings, scoring two runs in each to go up 4-0 on Platteville. After allowing only two hits through four innings, sophomore RHP Colin Friedman got into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. The Pioneers rallied with six singles in the inning, scoring five runs. Senior RHP Zach Augustine was able to stop the bleeding in his third relief appearance of the year, securing the last two outs to halt the Platteville onslaught.

Hopkins will play its fifth game in Ft. Myers tomorrow at 1:00 pm when the team faces Fredonia State at the Player Development Center.

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