The Basics
• Score: Hopkins – 11, Haverford - 1
• Records: Hopkins (30-11) • Haverford (20-20)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Babb Field
• Pitching Decision: W - Josh Hejka (5-2) • L – Andrew Johnson (7-1)
• The Short Story: Senior Josh Hejka got his first start of the season and the senior threw a complete game to help lead the Johns Hopkins baseball team to its 15th Centennial Conference title as the top-seeded Blue Jays defeated third-seeded Haverford, 11-1 to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on Monday afternoon. Junior Mike Eberle was named the tournament MVP as he went 7-15 with four RBIs in the tournament.
How it Happened
• Nate Davis gave the Blue Jays an early 1-0 lead on a ground-rule double to left-center to plate Tim Kutcher, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.
• Hejka, making just his second collegiate start, dazzled on the mound for Hopkins. He retired the Fords in order in the second and after a two-out error in the third, James Ingram threw out his second runner of the day to end the inning.
• A seven-run third inning all but sealed the victory for JHU. Eberle led off the inning with a single and after Davis was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Chris DeGiacomo laced a single down the left field line to plate Eberle and Chris Festa to put the Blue Jays up 3-0. AJ King followed with a ground-rule double to make it a 4-0 game and Matthew Ritchie plated DeGiacomo with a sacrifice fly to center to put the Blue Jays up 5-0. Kutcher then followed with an RBI single and a double from Eberle plated the last two Blue Jay runs of the inning as Hopkins took an 8-0 lead.
• Hejka continued to control the game on the mound for Hopkins as he worked around an error in the fifth, a lead-off double in the sixth, and a walk in the seventh and did not allow a run to score.
• JHU added three more runs in the eighth as Davis walked with the bases loaded and DeGiacomo knocked in his third run of the game with a single to left. Pete Manny then entered as a pinch hitter and his sacrifice fly to center plated the 11th Hopkins run of the game.
• Haverford finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the ninth as Ethan Lee-Tyson singled home Nick Perez with one out to make it a 10-run contest. Hejka then got a fielder's choice and a fly out to Kutcher in left ender the game and clinched the Centennial Conference Tournament for the Blue Jays.
Team Leaders
Johns Hopkins:
Hits: Eberle, Festa - 3
RBI: DeGiacomo - 3
Strikeouts: Hejka - 2
Haverford:
Hits: Lee-Tyson - 2
RBI: Lee-Tyson - 1
Strikeouts: Johnson - 3
What it Means
• This is the Blue Jays 11th Centennial Conference Tournament Title and 15th overall conference crown.
• JHU is now 9-6 all-time against the Fords in the conference tournament.
• This is the fifth time JHU has gone a perfect 3-0 in the tournament.
• The Blue Jays are now 16-5 in the championship series, 33-7 at home and 41-15 overall in the Centennial Conference Tournament.
• Johns Hopkins will be making its 23rd NCAA Appearance.
Inside the Box Score
• Eberle and Festa led Hopkins with three hits each in the game while DeGiacomo knocked in a team-high three runs.
• Hejka pitched his first collegiate complete game as he scattered just six hits allowing just the one run. He walked one and struck out two on the day.
Up Next
• The Blue Jays will await the NCAA Selection Show which will be held on Monday, May 13 at 12 pm on ncaa.com to find out their next opponent.