• Score: #13 Johns Hopkins-11, Messiah-9
• Records: JHU (6-3) • MES (8-7)
• Pitching Decision: W: Tarantino (1-0) • L: Kunkel (2-1) • Save: Savedoff (2)
• The Short Story: Johns Hopkins answered Messiah's three-run seventh inning with two runs of their own, taking an 11-9 lead they would hold over the final two innings. 

How it Happened
• There was no time wasted in pushing runs across the board on Tuesday evening. The Jays and Falcons combined for seven runs in the first two innings with the teams trading three-run second innings. Matthew Cooper kicked off an outstanding evening, hitting a leadoff homer to right field. Messiah struck back with a two-run double off the bat of Evan Wagaman, taking a 2-1 lead against starter Matthew Dillard. Two batters later, Jarrett Gordon laid down a sacrifice squeeze bunt, scoring Wagaman for a 3-1 lead. With two runners on in the bottom of the inning, Dylan Whitney drove a ball to right, picking up an RBI double and putting two in scoring position. James Ingram laced a ball to left, scoring another run and moving Whitney up to third. Cooper picked up another RBI, hitting a ground ball to short. Ingram was retired on the play, but a throw home was late and Cooper added an RBI on the fielder's choice. 
 
• The Jays tacked on another in the third, getting a sharply hit leadoff single from Shawn Steuerer. After a pair of flyouts, Sam Frank crushed a two-out double into left center, bringing home Steuerer and making it a 5-3 game. 
 
• Controversy struck in the fourth inning. After retiring nine straight batters, Dillard was removed from the contest by the umpiring crew for a "foreign substance." Reed Bolin came out to start the fifth for JHU, but was removed after retiring just one batter and allowing a pair of doubles. Gordon picked up another RBI with the second double. Jonah Offman entered the game, but was taken deep by Sam Zercher to put Messiah on top by a run. 
 
• Once again, the Jays had an answer. Steuerer made noise once again, lacing a one-out double down the left field line. With two outs, Jack Pausic crushed a ball to left center, leaving the yard and putting the Jays back on top, 7-6. Cooper added another homer, this one a two-run shot, an inning later to extend the lead to 9-6. 

• Trevor Davis came on to pitch the seventh for Hopkins, but was removed quickly, allowing the first two batters to reach base. Jack Tarantino entered with runners on second and third. The lefty unleashed a wild pitch, bringing in a run to make it 9-7. Tarantino registered a strikeout before a sac fly brought another run home to make it 9-8. With two away, Joshua Ammons sent a ball over the left field wall to tie the game at 9-9. 

• As was the case all night long, the game didn't remain tied for long. deFaria led off the inning with a double to right. Pausic drew a walk and the Jays were in business. Frank was retired, but Whitney singled through the hole to load the bases. After a Messiah pitching change, Ingram laid down a two-strike bunt, Dennis Snyder, the new pitcher, fielded it and glove tossed it home, but Dustin Isanogle dropped it, allowing deFaria to score and give JHU the lead. After striking out Cooper, Snyder allowed an RBI single to AJ King, giving the Jays some necessary insurance. Matt Savedoff tossed the final 2.0 innings, picking up his second straight save. 

 
 Inside the Box Score
• Cooper had a massive game for the Jays, hitting a pair of homers, his first two hits as a Blue Jay, and driving in four runs out of the leadoff spot. 

• Add three more hits for Steuerer who leads the team with 17 knocks through nine games. The freshman is hitting .447 and slugging .684.  

• Pausic hit his first home run of the season, driving in a pair of runs in a two-hit day. The senior has an OBP of .400 in his eight games. 

• Savedoff struck out four in two innings out of the bullpen, earning the save in consecutive contests.

What It Means

• Hopkins improves to 16-4 all-time against the Falcons, winning consecutive games after a 14-4 win in 2020. 
 
Up Next
• The Blue Jays will head down to Florida for the Russmatt Invitational. The Jays open up play on the trip on Thursday afternoon against Ramapo.