BALTIMORE, MD – The No. 6/9 Johns Hopkins baseball team closed out the regular season with a doubleheader split against Ursinus on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Jays took a thriller in the opener, 6-5, before falling in the nightcap, 8-3. With the split, Hopkins moves to 30-9 overall and 13-5 in Centennial Conference play heading into the postseason.
Game 1: JHU-6, UC-5
The Blue Jays survived a seesaw battle in the opener, using a late three-run surge and a lockdown performance from the bullpen to secure the win.
Hopkins jumped out to an early 3-0 lead.
William Jaun was the catalyst, driving in
Luke Baker with a double in the first before
Clay Hartje added an RBI single. Jaun struck again in the third with his second double of the day to extend the cushion.
Starter
Ryan Anderson was perfect through three, but the Bears found their rhythm in the middle innings. Ursinus roared back with five unanswered runs between the fourth and sixth innings, capitalizing on a series of timely hits and a bases-loaded walk to seize a 5-3 lead.
Refusing to blink, the Blue Jays staged a seventh-inning rally. With the bases loaded,
Jacob Harris and Baker delivered back-to-back RBI singles to knot the score at 5-5.
Alex Shane then provided the heroics, lofting a sacrifice fly to deep center to plate the go-ahead run.
William Boneno earned the win with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief, but the story of the late frames was
Dylan Zucker. Called upon for a five-out save, Zucker was dominant, retiring five of the six batters he faced and punctuating the win with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
•
William Boneno (2-1) earned the win, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings, surrendering just one hit and two walks while striking out two.
Dylan Zucker earned his seventh save of the season, hurling 1.2 shutout innings, striking out two.
• Four Blue Jays recorded multi-hit games, led by
William Jaun, who went 2-for-4 from the plate with two RBIs, two doubles and a walk.
• With a double in the contest,
Alex Shane recorded his 55
th career double, taking sole possession of the Johns Hopkins program record.
• Jaun has recorded a hit in 19 of the last 21 games and has recorded at least three hits in six of those contests.
•
Luke Baker has reached base safely in 31 of the last 32 games and recorded a hit in 20 of the last 25 games.
• The Blue Jays have scored three or more runs in 66 different innings through 38 games.
Game 2: JHU-3, UC-8
The nightcap began as a power struggle, but a complete-game effort from Ursinus starter
Max Shilstone eventually silenced the Blue Jay bats.
The first inning suggested a high-scoring affair. After Ursinus put up two runs in the top half, the Blue Jays responded with thunder.
Alex Shane and
William Jaun launched back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first to give Hopkins a 3-2 lead.
However, those would be the final runs of the day for the Jays. Starter
Cole Jefferson settled in to retire 8 of 10 batters through the middle innings, but the Bears regained the momentum in the fifth. A three-run home run cleared the fences to put Ursinus ahead 5-3.
While Shilstone kept the Hopkins offense in check, the Bears added three insurance runs in the eighth via a flurry of doubles and singles. Shilstone went the distance, holding the Blue Jays to just four hits in the 8-3 victory.
Hopkins will host a Centennial Conference Tournament Semifinal matchup on Thursday, April 30. First pitch at Babb Field at Stromberg Stadium is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
•
William Hancock (1-1) was tagged with the loss, surrendering two runs over 1.1 innings, walking four.
• Four Blue Jays recorded a hit, led by
Alex Shane, who hit a two-run home run.
William Jaun also added a home run in the contest.
• Jaun has recorded a hit in 20 of the last 22 games and has recorded at least three hits in six of those contests.
•
Luke Baker has reached base safely in 32 of the last 33 games and recorded a hit in 20 of the last 26 games.
• The Blue Jays have scored three or more runs in 67 different innings through 39 games.
• Hopkins has hit multiple home runs in 23 of its 39 games this season and at least one in 31.
