March 5, 2017

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - The Johns Hopkins baseball team pulled off a rare feat Sunday at Babb Field at Stromberg Stadium: defeating the first- and second-ranked teams in the country in the same day. The Blue Jays needed comeback efforts in each game. Junior Mike Smith knocked the ball out of the park in the bottom of the ninth to complete the comeback against the top-ranked Red Dragons. The Blue Jays overcame a 6-1 deficit against second-ranked Keystone to earn a 7-6 win through seven complete innings before the game was called for darkness.

Game One Information

Score:  Johns Hopkins-6, #1 Cortland St.-5

Records:  JHU (3-1), Cortland St. (5-2)

Location:  Baltimore, MD • Babb Field at Stomberg Stadium

First Pitch:  11:04 am

Weather:  Mid 30s, Sunny, Cold

Attendance:  60

Pitchers of Record:  W-Preston Betz (1-0), L-Patrick Merryweather (1-1)

Game One Summary

• The Blue Jays trailed 3-0 after five innings, but plated a pair of runs in the sixth, seventh and ninth innings to pull out the 6-5 upset of the top-ranked Red Dragons.
• Down 5-4 after allowing a single-run in the top of the ninth, the Blue Jays got a one-out infield single from freshman Dillon Bowman and a two-out, two-run home run to left field from junior Mike Smith to secure their first win against a number-one ranked team since May 24, 2008, when they topped Chapman, 5-4, in the College World Series. The home run is the fifth of Smith's career.
• Cortland scratched out its three-run lead on the strength of a single run in the top of the first and two more in the fifth. Jon Warner opened the fifth with a double and later scored on an error and Justin Teague added an RBI-single to fuel the two-run fifth.
• Cortland starter Alex Weingarten cruised through the first five innings without allowing a hit before the Blue Jays used an error, a single and a walk to load the bases and chase Weingarten. The 3-0 lead was down to 3-2 after an Ryan Orgielewicz infield single and a bases-loaded walk chased in a pair of runs.
• Cortland had the lead at 4-2 after the top of the seventh as the Dragons got an unearned run to grab the two-run lead, but the Blue Jays struck back in the bottom of the inning to tie things up. Again it was Bowman who played a role in the two-run rally as his bases-loaded single to left plated Mike Eberle and Tommy Mee, who had reached on a field choice and a walk, respectively.
• Cortland grabbed its final lead of the game in the top of the ninth as Warner drew a walk and later scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-4; that set the stage for Smith's heroic, which set off a wild celebration at home plate.

Game Two Information

Score:  Johns Hopkins-7, #2 Keystone-6

Records:  JHU (4-1), Keystone (0-2)

Location:  Baltimore, MD • Babb Field at Stomberg Stadium

First Pitch:  2:55 pm

Weather:  High 30s, Sunny, Cold

Attendance:  60

Pitchers of Record:  W-Sean McCracken (1-0), L-Dan Maguire (0-1)

Game Two Summary

• The Blue Jays once again had to play from behind after surrendering three runs in the top of the second to the Giants. Keystone recorded three hits in the inning before Hopkins starter Nick Burns struck out the final two batters to conclude the inning.
• JHU countered in the bottom of the second. An error helped Smith reach second base and a two-out single from senior TJ Gordon sent Smith home to cut the deficit to 3-1 heading into the third inning.
• The Giants maintained their offensive momentum, adding three runs in the next two innings. In the top of the third, Brady Barr reached first base on an error before ultimately scoring on a single by Ryan Callahan. Barr followed up his performance with a two-out homerun off of Hopkins reliever Sean McCracken in the top of the fourth for his third run on the day, extending Keystone's lead to 6-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.
• The Keystone batters went three-up, three-down in the top of the fifth, as Brian Lin made three straight catches in right field, swinging the momentum in favor of the Blue Jays. Lin hit as the leadoff batter in the bottom of the fifth inning, reaching base on an error. With Conor Reynolds and Dillon Bowman on base, Smith hit a single up the middle to send Reynolds home and advance Bowman to second. Eberle knocked a single to right field for his first career RBI, sending Bowman home to cut the Giants' lead to 6-3.
• The Blue Jays tied the game up in the bottom of the sixth. Lin singled, Reynolds was hit by a Yeison Andujar pitch and Orgielewicz walk to load the bases for JHU. Hopkins took advantage of mistakes by the Giants as another walk, an error and another Blue Jay hit by a pitch evened up the score, 6-6. Dan Maguire took over at the mound for the Giants for the final out of the sixth inning.
• McCracken struck out Barr for the first Keystone out of the seventh inning, with a pair of ground outs concluding the inning without a run for the Giants. The Blue Jays loaded the bases once again in the bottom of the seventh as Lin notched his third hit of the game and Reynolds and Bowman walked. Lin scored on off an Orgielewicz ground out for the Blue Jay victory as the game was called for darkness after seven completed innings.

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