The Basics
• Score: JHU – 6, Shenandoah - 3
• Records: JHU (34-11) • Shenandoah (35-14)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Babb Field
• Pitching Decision: W – Jack Bunting (13-0) • L – Robert Klinchock (7-6) • Josh Hejka (6)
• The Short Story: It was a record-setting day on the diamond for the Johns Hopkins baseball team as the Blue Jays defeated Shenandoah, 6-3, to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three Super Regional. Jack Bunting set the new single-season win record while Josh Hejka tied the career saves record, and the team tied the record for most home runs in a season.
How it Happened
• Both starting pitchers were in control in the early portion of the game before Hopkins broke through against Klinchock, scoring three runs in the third. Tim Kutcher led off the inning with a solo shot to center and Chris DeGiacomo worked a four-pitch walk to force in the second Hopkins run of the inning. Matthew Ritchie later grounded out to second to score the final JHU run of the inning.
• The Hornets got to Bunting in the fifth as Grant Thompson hit a two-out double to left and a walk and wild pitch put runners on the corners. Henry Delavergne hit a foul ball to third and Ritchie made a spectacular over the shoulder diving play to end the inning and keep Hopkins in the lead, 3-0.
• Back-to-back two-out doubles from Mike Eberle and Chris Festa extended the JHU lead to 4-0 in the fourth.
• Shenandoah got into the run column in the sixth as Frankie Ritter led off the inning with a double. Bunting got the next batter to fly out to center but then gave up a walk to Tristian Baker to put two runners on. A groundout put two runners in scoring position for Luke Nussman who singled home Ritter, but Ritter was thrown out at home to end the inning and keep JHU in the lead, 4-1. The Blue Jays responded in the bottom of the inning as Eberle singled home Pete Manny, who singled to open the inning, in with the fifth JHU run.
• With Hejka now on the mound, the Hornets led off the eighth with a single, but Ritchie made another spectacular play at the hot corner with one out, diving for a Robert Marcelle grounder and starting a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
• A walk to Brad Parsons to lead off the eighth turned into the sixth run of the day for JHU as Eberle singled him home to give Johns Hopkins a 6-1 advantage.
• The Hornets rallied in their last at-bats as Baker led off the inning with a single and Keegan Woolford singled and a JHU throwing error put runners on second and third with no outs. An RBI groundout from Nussman made the score 6-2 and Jamie Naill followed with an RBI single to make it a 6-3 game. Hejka then got Ryan Coulon looking to end the game and secure the 6-3 Blue Jay win.
Team Leaders
Johns Hopkins:
Hits: Eberle - 3
RBI: Eberle - 2
Strikeouts: Bunting - 3
Shenandoah:
Hits: Eight tied - 1
RBI: Nussman - 2
Strikeouts: Klinchock - 9
What it Means
• Bunting broke the Blue Jay single-season record for wins and Hejka has tied the career saves record as he now has 14 in his career.
• JHU has now hit 80 homers this season which ties the single-season program record which was set in 2010.
• With his two hits in the game, Kutcher now has 100 in his career.
Inside the Box Score
• Bunting went six innings on the mound for the Blue Jays as he allowed four hits and three walks. He struck out three and allowed just one run to lower his ERA to 2.20. Hejka went the final three innings on the mound as he allowed four hits and two runs and struck out two.
• For the Hornets Klinchock went 7.2 innings on the mound and gave up six runs (five earned) and struck out nine.
• Eberle led the way for Hopkins with three hits and two RBIs while Kutcher, Festa and AJ King all had two hits in the game.
Up Next
• Hopkins and Shenandoah will be right back on the diamond for game two of the three-game series beginning at 12 pm.
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