Box Score March 19, 2014
Box Score
FT. MYERS, FL - Junior RHP Thomas Harper retired the final three batters he faced, to halt a charging UMass-Boston team in the bottom of the ninth and secure a 5-4 victory for Hopkins Wednesday afternoon. After allowing a pair of lead off hits, the Villanova, PA native buckled down in the game's final inning as he forced two groundouts and a strikeout to earn his second save of the season. Seniors Richie Carbone and Jonathan Hettleman both knocked in a pair of RBIs, while junior Colin McCarthy scored two runs to help give the Jays the one-run edge. JHU improves to 9-2 on the season with the victory, while UMass-Boston drops to 4-3 with the defeat.
The Blue Jays started the game hot at the plate, as the squad's two through five hitters all reached base with only one out. With the bases loaded, Carbone smacked his sixth double of the season down the left field line to bring in two, while Hettleman hit into a groundout which scored Denlinger from third in his ensuing at bat. Rogers then notched his second RBI of the season on a slap single to bring in Carbone and give Hopkins a 4-0 advantage. The Beacons finally got out of the inning with a groundout to first, but not before the Blue Jays scored four important runs it what would be a tightly contested matchup.
Senior RHP Tyler Goldstein wasn't allowing much early in his third start of the season, as UMB only managed two hits through the first four innings. The Beacons finally found their way around the base paths in the bottom of the fifth, after freshman Daniel Mantoni brought in two with a two-out double. Goldsetin forced a groundout to the shortstop to end the inning, but not before UMass-Boston could cut the lead to 4-2.
The Beacons got another run back in the bottom of the sixth, after a leadoff triple and error gave UMB runners on first and third with no outs. Senior Zach Augustine was brought in for his fourth relief appearance of the year, and wasted no time picking off an UMass-Boston pinch runner trying to get a jump at first. An RBI groundout scored another run for the Beacons, but the Jays ended the inning still ahead 4-3.
Hopkins scored what would be the game-deciding run in the top of the seventh, after McCarthy reached first on a single. A sacrifice fly from Hettleman later on scored McCarthy and gave Hopkins the 5-3 lead, but The Blue Jays could not keep the runs coming. A baserunner caught stealing at second gave UMass-Boston its third out, and put the Jays back on defensive.
Augustine was perfect in the seventh and eighth, not allowing a hit or baserunner to reach, to set up Harper in the bottom of the ninth. The inning got off to a shaky start for Harper as he allowed two singles into right field to start the inning. A groundout to the shortstop scored a man from third for the Beacons to cut the lead to 5-4, but another UMass-Boston baserunner reached third with only one out.
In perhaps the play of the game, Carbone picked up a softly hit ball from UMB's Nick Brothers in the infield and dove to swipe the tag on the runner just before he reached first. The New York, NY native quickly sprang up to check the runner at third back to the bag, and gave the Jays a much needed second out.
Harper then racked up his 13th strikeout of the season to end the game and securing Hopkins its second one-run victory of the year.
The Blue Jays will return to action tomorrow at Terry Park against St. Joseph's Long Island at 10:00am.
Note: With the victory today, Bob Babb won his 999th career game as a Division III Baseball head coach (all with Johns Hopkins). Babb will have three more chances to reach the milestone in Ft. Myers as Hopkins has games scheduled for tomorrow, Friday and Saturday.
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