The Basics
• Score: Johns Hopkins- 7, SUNY Cortland - 2
• Records: JHU (3-3) • CORT (4-4)
• Pitching Decision: W – Matthew Dillard (1-1) • L – Brian Buchan (0-1)
• The Short Story: Sophomore Matthew Dillard hurled a complete game, striking out 10 in Saturday's 7-2 win for JHU. 
How it Happened
    Sophomore right-hander Matthew Dillard became the de facto ace for the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays in 2020 as the only remaining starter to throw at least 20 innings in 2019. Dillard hit a new level on Saturday evening, earning that title with a dominant performance against SUNY Cortland. The sophomore twirled a complete game, striking out a career-high 10 batters along the way, allowing just two runs, both unearned, in the victory. 
    After a Dillard strikeout stranded a Red Dragon runner on third to end the top of the second, the Blue Jays struck in the bottom half of the inning. AJ King roped a double into the right-center field gap to lead off the inning for JHU. After back-to-back strikeouts, Mike Ainsworth flared one into right field, forcing a diving attempt from Anthony Donofrio. It initially appeared that Donofrio made the catch, but it was ruled a trap and the Blue Jays were on the board as King came home to score the first run of the game. 
    Andrew Michalski led of the third, lining a ball off the top of the glove of James Ingram, before racing all the way to third on the error. Donofrio hit a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game, as Michalski barely came in ahead of a great throw from Chris Festa. 
    The Blue Jays continued the theme of scoring runs on funky plays in the bottom half of the inning. Mike Eberle walked, advancing to second on Matthew Ritchie's second base knock of the game. Festa bounced into a fielder's choice, but Eberle was able to move up to third. Austin Sacks was hit by a pitch, loading the bases and forcing Buchan from the game. Shane Mugnolo got King to line out to short, but Ben Rhodes threw the ball away trying to double up Eberle, allowing the senior to cross home plate and retake a 2-1 lead for JHU. Ingram loaded the bases once more on an infield single before Dillon Bowman came through in the clutch and poked a single to center, driving in a pair of runs. With runners on the corners, Bob Babb put the double steal into action and it worked perfectly, allowing Ingram to steal home and make it a 5-1 Blue Jay lead. 
    Leading 5-2 in the eighth, Ritchie drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, scoring Ainsworth to make it 6-2. Festa picked up his first base knock of the game, scoring pinch runner Nick Li to give Dillard some extra insurance. The sophomore faced the minimum over the final three innings, shutting down the Red Dragons en route to a Blue Jay victory.
    
Inside the Box Score
• Dillard is the first pitcher this season to reach 10 strikeouts in a game. It was done just twice last season by Jack Bunting (Denison) and Josh Hejka (Farmingdale State)
• With three hits today, Matthew Ritchie now has a hit in five of the Blue Jays six games this season, including four straight. It is the first three-hit game of Ritchie's career. 
• The Blue Jays have now won five straight against SUNY Cortland, defeating them twice in last year's Baltimore Invitational as well. 

Up Next
• The Blue Jays will close out the Baltimore Invitational as they take on Roanoke tomorrow afternoon. The game is set for 2:15 p.m. or 25 minutes following the first game of the day between Marietta and SUNY Cortland.