By Jim Dixon
D3baseball.com

Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Johns Hopkins looked nothing like the No. 1 team in the nation for the opening seven innings. Despite committing a World Series record eight errors, Johns Hopkins entered the eighth inning down a single run. A six run outburst gave the top seed a 10-5 win in the opening game of the 2023 DIII World Series being held at PG Cares Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

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As the leader in stolen bases, sacrifice bunts and hit by pitch, Misericordia used all their weapons to take a 5-1 lead. The Cougars gave Johns Hopkins all they could handle and more in the opening frames but it was a late offensive surge that sent Johns Hopkins into the winners bracket in Game 1.

Shawn Steurer had one of the big blows for Johns Hopkins in the eighth, a three-run double to left-center with the bases loaded. Photo by Steve Frommell, d3photography.com | More photos from this game

"It was not one of our better games of the year," said Johns Hopkins head coach Bob Babb. "We did not make the plays we should have. They put pressure on you with outstanding bunters, with team speed. The pressure is always there."

"There were a lot of nerves on both sides," said Misericordia head coach Pete Egbert. "It was not a clean baseball game and they outlasted us."

Johns Hopkins's six runs in the eighth inning proved to be a difference maker for the Blue Jays as they snatched a win late. Alex Shane reached when the shortstop was unable to field his grounder cleanly. Another error by the shortstop put Matthew Cooper,  the go-ahead runner, on base. Dillon Souvignier's infield single loaded the bases for Shawn Steuerer, and Steuerer followed with a double to left-center to clear the bases and give Johns Hopkins their first lead of the day. Catcher Sam Frank followed with a double down the right line. Frank moved to third on a Tripp Myers single and stole home as part of a double steal. Initially called out, the umpires took a long look and reversed the call for Johns Hopkins' 10th run of the game.

Upon further review, Sam Frank was safe at the plate. Photo by Patrick Coleman, D3sports.com

"These kids are so resilient and never out of it," said Babb. "We can swing the bats. Our kids have so much condifence we can come back. We have been behind so many times, it does not faze us."

"I looked up in the seventh inning after we palyed one of our worse defensive games of the year and its a two, three run game," said Johns Hopkins third baseman, Steuerer. "Trusting out guys that at any time we can breakout like we did a hundred times this year."

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Misericordia opened the scoring in the second as Johns Hopkins opened the door with a couple errors in the field. Joe Comins recahed on an error by the Blue Jay shortstop. He was erased on a ball that landed in the outfield off the bat of Connor Maryniak. The second baseman deked the runner back to first and by the time Comins realized the deception, the right fielder had the ball into the shortstop for the force out. Brendan Gray reached on an infield single to put runners on first and second. Jason Sanfilippo followed with a safety down the left field line to score Maryniak. The second run came when Sanfilippo stole second and a high throw allowed Gray to beat the return throw.

"We are tough to play against," said Egbert. "We do a lot of things to put pressure on the team. They gave us more than they should have."

Johns Hopkins got one run back in the third when they opened up with two base hits. Shane got his second hit of the game with a double down the right field line. Cooper followed with a hustle double that scored Shane.

Misericordia manufactured single runs in the fourth and fifth. Maryniak scored in the fourth. He reached on an error on the shortstop, and was sacrificed into scoring position. He advanced a base on an out by Sanfilippo and scored on the second Johns Hopkins error of the inning. Brady Madden scored the run in the fifth. He reached after being hit by the pitcher. An error and another sacrifice but put him in scoring position and scored on Gray's at-bat.

Johns Hopkins had four hits in the fourth and fifth innings but managed only one run as Misericordia turned douple plays in each of the innings to minimize the damage. The Blue Jays' run came in the fifth on a Souvignier single. Dylan Whitney singled to left and moved to third on Shane's third hit of the game before Souvignier came to bat.

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Both teams scored in the seventh. Misericordia cashed in an leadoff single for a run without the ball leaving the infield. Johns Hopkins score two runs as the tool a page ut of the Misericordia playbook. A hit batter with the bases loaded and a sacrifice fly netted the Blue Jays a pair to draw within one run of the Cougars.

"I thought the game was decided in the seventh inning," said Egbert. "We got the bases loaded, nobody out and we scratched out one run, We hit a gap there and it is a different ballgame."