Kutcher's Home Runs Lifts Hopkins Over #27 Salisbury, 7-5

More news about: Johns Hopkins

 By Lauren Dellipoali, Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications 

The Basics 
• Score: Hopkins – 7 • Salisbury - 5
• Records: JHU (23-11) • Salisbury (25-9)
• Location: Salisbury, MD • Salisbury Baseball Field
• Pitching Decision: W – Sean McCracken (6-1) • L – Jimmy Adkins (2-1)
• The Short Story: Tim Kutcher hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth to break a 4-4 tie as the Johns Hopkins baseball team defeated #27 Salisbury behind a complete game performance by Sean McCracken.  

How it Happened
Alex Darwiche worked a one-out walk in the second and advanced to second on a single by Mike Smith. Chris DeGiacomo then singled up the middle as Darwiche scored from second on the single to give JHU the early 1-0 lead.
• The Sea Gulls pulled ahead in the bottom of the inning as Jack Decker singled and then stole second. A walk put runners on first and second and a sacrifice bunt put both runners in scoring position for Will Gutekunst who singled home both runners to give the Gulls a 2-1 lead.
• Hopkins responded quickly scoring two runs in its next at-bats to regain the lead. Dillon Bowman walked and Mike Eberle followed with a double down the left field line to put two runners in scoring position for Darwiche who knocked them both in with a single down the right-field line as JHU went up 3-2.
• A Scott Ardoin single in the bottom of the third tied the game at three and Salisbury took a 4-3 lead in the fourth on a Will Gutekunst RBI single.
• Once again JHU had an answer as Bowman hit his fifth home run of the season to tie the game at four.
Colby Wilson reached on a fielder's choice and scored on Kutcher's home run which game Hopkins a 6-4 lead.
• McCracken retired Salisbury in order in the seventh and worked around an error in the eighth to keep the Blue Jays in the lead.
• Eberle and Austin Sacks led off the top of the ninth with back-to-back walks and Darwiche singled to load the bases. Eberle then scored on a wild pitch to give Hopkins a 7-4 advantage.
• Colby Dean led off the bottom of the ninth to bring the Sea Gulls to within two runs of tying the game, however, McCracken three straight flyouts to end the game and give JHU the 7-5 win.

Team Leaders
Johns Hopkins:
Hits:
Darwiche (4)
RBI:
Kutcher, Darwiche (2)
Strikeouts:
McCracken (5)

Salisbury:
Hits:
Colby Dean (3)
RBI:
Will Gutekunst (2)
Strikeouts:
Adkins (7)

What it Means

• JHU is 11-14 against the Sea Gulls and has won the last two meetings after losing the previous six meetings.
• Hopkins is 5-3 on the road this season.
• This is the third complete game thrown by a JHU pitcher in the last four games.

Inside the Box Score
• Bowman now has a 10-game hitting streak and has reached base in 12 straight games.
• Eberle, Smith, and Kutcher have reached base in 15 straight games. Smith went 2-5 while Eberle went 2-4 with a walk. Kutcher went 1-5 in the game with a home run and two RBI.
• Darwiche went a perfect 4-4 at the plate with a walk and two RBI.
• DeGiacomo also had two hits in the game with an RBI and a walk.
• Hopkins is now 8-1 in McCracken's starts as he improves to 6-1 on the season. In his nine innings, he allowed seven hits and five runs with five walks and five strikeouts.
• The Blue Jays outhit the Sea Gulls 13-7 and are now 15-2 in games which they outhit their opponents.

Up Next
• Johns Hopkins returns to the diamond on Tuesday, April 24 for a Centennial Conference matchup against Washington College. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 pm at Babb Field at Stromberg Stadium.

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