ANNVILLE, PA – The No. 3/4 Johns Hopkins baseball team rolled past Lebanon Valley, 19-1, in its final tune-up before conference play Tuesday afternoon at McGill Field. The Blue Jays exploded for 13 runs in the first inning and improved to 17-4 on the season.
The game was effectively decided in the opening frame, as Hopkins sent 17 batters to the plate and scored 13 runs on nine hits.
Luke Baker opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly, and
Lukas Geer followed with an RBI single down the left field line to make it 2-0.
With the bases loaded,
Quinn Robbins drew a walk to force in a run before
Damian Brown delivered a two-run single to extend the lead to 5-0. Another bases-loaded walk made it 6-0, and consecutive RBI singles from Baker and
Alex Shane pushed the advantage to 9-0.
William Jaun added a sacrifice fly, Geer picked up his second RBI hit of the inning, and
Shane Keough tripled home a run to make it 12-0. Robbins capped the outburst with an RBI double, giving Hopkins a 13-0 lead after one.
The Blue Jays continued to add on, scoring five runs in the fourth inning. Baker drew a bases-loaded walk, Shane brought in a run on a groundout and Jaun recorded his second sacrifice fly of the game.
Nathan Lewis later lined a two-run double down the right field line to extend the lead to 18-0. In the fifth,
Keiffer Ary delivered a pinch-hit RBI single to push the margin to 19-0.
On the mound, Jaun worked around early trouble to earn his first win in a Hopkins uniform. After loading the bases with one out in the first inning, he induced an inning-ending double play and settled in, retiring eight of the next 10 batters he faced. He finished with 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three. Simurdiak followed with a perfect fifth inning, striking out two.
Lebanon Valley broke through in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk by Adam Jirik to make it 19-1.
Owen Haripersad made his collegiate debut in the seventh and recorded the first two strikeouts of his career in relief.
Hopkins returns to action on Saturday, March 28, when it hosts Franklin & Marshall at Babb Field at Stromberg Stadium to open Centennial Conference play. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
• Jaun (1-1) earned the win with 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three.
• Haripersad struck out the first two batters of his collegiate career.
• Three Blue Jays recorded multi-hit games with Baker leading the offense with four RBIs and two walks.
• Baker has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games and is riding a 10-game hitting streak.
• The Blue Jays have scored three or more runs in 36 different innings through 21 games.
