March 16, 2008

Box Score

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - #13 Wheaton College tallied three runs in the bottom of the seventh to break a 6-6 tie and hand the #10 Johns Hopkins baseball team a 13-8 loss on Sunday afternoon in Scottsdale, AZ. The Blue Jays (4-2) lost their second straight game to a nationally ranked opponent.

With the game tied at 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh, Wheaton had its leadoff man reach base via a walk. After he was sacrificed to second, Robert Foote came through with a single to left field to put the Lyons on top 7-6. Wheaton would tally two more runs in the inning on Jake Yagjian's RBI single to right field and Scott Guillerault was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Wheaton would tack on four more runs in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by an RBI single from Foote through a drawn in infield and an RBI triple from Hadi Raad.

This game had looked to be in Wheaton's control early as the Lyons reached Blue Jay starter Marco Simmons for three runs in the third inning. Guillerault had an RBI double for Wheaton in that frame. The Lyons would score three more runs in the fifth inning to lead 6-0 after five complete innings of play.

Hopkins started its comeback in the top of the sixth as senior Nate Adelman drew a leadoff walk. Adelman would come around to score on a ball lifted into centerfield by senior Rob Pietroforte. The Blue Jays would continue their comeback in the top of the seventh. After Wheaton got the first out of the inning, sophomore Brendan Walsh drilled a double to right center and came around to score on a home run to left field off the bat of senior Matt Benchener. The rounder tripper was Benchener's second in the last three games. Hopkins made it a 6-4 game as an RBI single from senior Jon Solomon scored sophomore Joe Borrelli. Sophomore Brian Youchak would add an RBI double to score Solomon and senior Jonas Fester plated Youchak with an RBI single of his own. Five runs in the top of the seventh allowed the Blue Jays to tie the score at 6-6 before Wheaton went back on top.

Trailing 13-6 going to the top of the ninth inning, Hopkins was able to plate two more runs with back-to-back RBI doubles from Youchak and Fester. That would be all the Blue Jays would be able to manage against the Lyons' Karl Olson.

The win goes to Wheaton's Chad Kasik, who got the final two outs in the seventh inning. The loss goes to the Blue Jays' Henry Striegl who surrendered two runs in his third of an inning worked.

Youchak finished the day 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs while Fester was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Senior Todd Emr went 2-for-5 with a double while Benchener had the home run.

Raad finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base for Wheaton. Foote went 2-for-5 in the contest with two runs scored and two RBIs.

Hopkins is back in action on Monday, March 17 against Keene State. First pitch is set for 9:30 am MST.

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