BALTIMORE, MD – The No. 4/5 Johns Hopkins baseball team launched nine home runs in an offensive outburst Monday afternoon, defeating Hood, 32-1, in seven innings at Babb Field at Stromberg Stadium. The victory improves the Blue Jays to 10-2 on the season.
The 32 runs scored tied the program record for most runs in a game, matching a 32-2 win over Washington College in 2003. The total also currently stands as the highest single-game run output by a division III team this season.
It also marked just the second time in program history that Hopkins has hit three grand slams in a game – the first since that same 2003 contest – and the first time the Blue Jays have hit two grand slams in the same inning.
Starting pitcher
William Boneno worked around early traffic in the top of the first, allowing runners to advance to second and third on a wild pitch before recording a strikeout to end the inning and turn the game over to the Hopkins offense.
The Blue Jays immediately erupted for 10 runs in the bottom of the first.
Jacob Harris led off the inning with a home run, and
Clay Hartje and
Alex Shane each followed with grand slams as Hopkins raced out to a 10-0 lead.
Hood broke through with a run in the top of the third to make it 10-1, but Hopkins quickly answered. The Blue Jays exploded for 12 runs in the bottom of the inning to extend the lead to 22-1.
Lukas Geer started the rally with an RBI single, and with the bases loaded,
Damian Brown crushed Hopkins' third grand slam of the afternoon to push the lead to 16-1. Later in the inning,
Tate Stearns delivered a pinch-hit three-run home run – the first of his collegiate career – to cap the inning.
Hopkins continued to add on in the fourth when
Kieffer Ary hit his first collegiate home run to make it 23-1.
Hamilton Adams followed with a two-run homer in the fifth, also the first of his career, extending the lead to 25-1.
On the mound,
Zach Prager made his first collegiate appearance in the sixth inning and impressed, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts.
The Blue Jays capped the scoring with seven runs in the sixth.
Nathan Lewis opened the inning with a solo home run before
Aaron Bock added a three-run blast.
Ryan Morris collected his first collegiate hit with an RBI single,
Michael Baturin contributed a sacrifice fly and
Quinn Robbins drew a bases-loaded walk to complete the scoring.
Hopkins returns to action Wednesday, March 11, when the Blue Jays host Lycoming at Babb Field at Stromberg Stadium before heading to Florida for their Spring Break trip. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
•
William Hancock (1-0) earned the win with 3.0 innings of one-run baseball, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out two.
• Six Blue Jays recorded multi-hit games. Shane, Hartje and Brown each hit a grand slam, while Adams, Ary and Stearns all recorded the first home run of their collegiate careers. Morris also collected his first career hit.
• Prager made his collegiate debut in relief and retired all three batters he faced, striking out two.
• With a single in his first at-bat, Shane extended his hitting streak to nine games and has now recorded a multi-hit performance in five consecutive games.
