Box Score April 5, 2014
Box Score
STEVENSON, MD - Hopkins lost its first Centennial doubleheader of the season to Franklin & Marshall Saturday afternoon, losing 8-3 and 4-3 on a windy afternoon at Park Field. Error-ridden play proved to be the difference, as 10 Hopkins errors (five in each game) made way for eight Diplomat runs throughout the afternoon. The Jays fall to 12-5 on the season (0-3 CC), while F&M improves to 10-10 on the year (2-1 CC).
Game 1 (JHU 3, F&M 8)
Franklin & Marshall took advantage of early Blue Jay mistakes, scoring five runs in the first two innings to eventually down Hopkins 8-3 in game 1. Freshman David Iacobucci finished 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs to lead the Diplomats, while junior RHP Brandon Theriault threw four scoreless innings in relief to seal the win.
After getting a man on with a single and a fielding error, senior RHP Tyler Goldstein forced a strikeout and groundout from F&M to take control in the top of the first. However, one of Iacobucci's three singles in the game drove in both baserunners, and the Diplomats took an early 2-0 lead.
Hopkins answered back in the bottom of the first, as a single down the left field line from Mike Denlinger gave the senior his 100th career hit. Sophomore Kyle Gillen scored from first on the play, and the Jays trailed only one run heading into the second.
F&M only managed one hit in the top of the second, but another pair of throwing errors gave the Diplomats baserunners with no outs. Luke Seib, Rob Anderson and Brett Poniros all drove in RBIs in the prolonged inning, and JHU found itself in a 5-1 hole before getting off the field.
Hopkins managed to add one run each in the second and third innings, but it was not enough as the bats went cold in the final six. JHU only mustered four hits for the remainder of the game, while the Diplomats tacked on insurance runs in the seventh and eighth before securing the 8-3 win.
Game 2 (JHU 3, F&M 4)
Losing 3-2 with two outs in the top of the ninth, Franklin & Marshall was down to its last out as freshman Casey Bulik came to the plate. With runners on first and second, Bulik drove the first pitch he saw from junior RHP Jacob Enterlin deep into right center to score both runners and give his team a 4-3 lead. Hopkins got a leadoff single from sophomore Raul Shah in its comeback attempt in the bottom of the inning, but junior RHP Andrew Green retired the next three batters to earn his third save of the season.
Hopkins trailed 2-1 for most of the game, after another early defensive collapse opened the door for the Diplomats in the first inning. With two outs in the top of the first, a fielding error scored a pair of runs from second and third to give F&M another early lead.
Playing from behind, the Jays were able to answer again on another RBI single from Denlinger in the bottom of the first. The game shifted into a pitcher's duel throughout the middle innings, as Enterlin settled in to rack up seven Ks and no hits between the second to eighth innings.
Hopkins finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth, after senior John Maxwell walked and was pinch run for by freshman Thomas Gordon. Gordon stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher, setting junior Colin McCarthy up for an RBI single in his ensuing at bat. A sacrifice fly from freshman Conor Reynolds later on in the inning brought the go ahead run in for the Jays, and put them three outs away from their first conference victory of the year.
Late inning heroics from the Diplomats will have to put off the chance for that victory until tomorrow, when Hopkins travels to face Haverford in its second doubleheader of the weekend.
Note: Although the games are being playing at Haverford's field, Hopkins will be denoted as the "home" team for tomorrow's doubleheader. Due to construction on the new Blue Jay baseball diamond, Hopkins will play the doubleheader at Haverford as the "home" team.
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