BALTIMORE, MD – Trailing by five runs in the sixth inning, the No. 6/8 Johns Hopkins baseball team exploded for a six-run rally to roar past Ursinus, 8-7, on Thursday afternoon. With the comeback victory, the Blue Jays (31-9) remain in the winner's bracket and advance to face McDaniel in the Centennial Conference Semifinals on Saturday.
The afternoon didn't start as planned for the Blue Jays. Ursinus (23-17-1) struck early, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first. While
Clay Hartje cut the deficit with a solo home run in the second, the Bears answered back with a three-run blast from Brett Barret in the third to extend their lead to 5-1.
After
Jacob Harris notched a solo shot in the fifth, Ursinus again responded with a two-run single, pushing the score to 7-2 and leaving Hopkins searching for answers.
Down to their final 12 outs and trailing by five, the Blue Jay offense found its spark in the bottom of the sixth. Hartje ignited the rally with his second solo home run of the day, followed by a clutch two-run double from
Luke Baker to pull Hopkins within one.
The momentum shifted when
Alex Shane tripled on the second pitch he saw, knotting the game at 7-7. The hit parade continued as
William Jaun laced a go-ahead double—the team's fifth consecutive hit—to give the Blue Jays their first lead of the day at 8-7.
After a rocky start, veteran starter
Kieren Collins (6-0) showed his mettle. With the lead finally in hand, Collins retired six straight batters across the seventh and eighth innings, including two dominant three-up, three-down frames.
Collins handed the ball to closer
Dylan Zucker in the ninth. Zucker was perfect in relief, striking out the final two batters of the game to secure his eighth save of the season and preserve the 31
st win for Hopkins.
Hopkins returns to Babb Field at Stromberg Stadium on Saturday, May 2, for a Centennial Conference Semifinal matchup against McDaniel. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
•
Kieren Collins (6-0) earned the win, allowing seven runs on 11 hits and two walks while striking out five over 8.0 innings.
Dylan Zucker recorded his eighth save of the season, retiring all three batters he faced, including two by strikeout.
• Four Blue Jays recorded hits, led by
Alex Shane, who went 4-for-5 with an RBI and finished a home run shy of the cycle.
Clay Hartje added two solo home runs, while
Jacob Harris was a triple away from the cycle.
•
William Jaun has recorded a hit in 21 of the last 23 games and has recorded at least three hits in six of those contests.
•
Luke Baker has reached base safely in 33 of the last 34 games and recorded a hit in 21 of the last 27 games.
• The Blue Jays have scored three or more runs in 68 different innings through 40 games.
• Hopkins has hit multiple home runs in 24 of its 40 games this season and at least one in 32.
