By Lauren Dellipoali, Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications
The Basics
• Score: Johns Hopkins – 6, Farmingdale St. - 2
• Records: JHU (31-11) • Farmingdale St. (32-8)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Babb Field
• Pitching Decision: W – Josh Hejka (6-2) • L – Steven Burke (6-1)
• The Short Story: The Johns Hopkins baseball team was trailing 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth on the opening day of the NCAA Regional, but the Blue Jays scored six unanswered runs against Farmingdale St. as Josh Hejka pitched his second consecutive complete game and JHU defeated the Rams, 6-2, on Friday afternoon.
How it Happened
• Nick Attaardi led off the game with a single to left, and that was the only hit the Rams would get off Hejka until a home run by Vincent Rice gave the Rams a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Michael Amandola hit a two-out single in the inning and came around to score the second run of the game on a throwing error. Hejka then got Morgan McCarthy looking to end the frame.
• Nate Davis doubled to lead off the fourth and Matt Ritchie worked a two-out walk but Burke left them stranded to keep the Rams in the lead.
• The Blue Jay bats came alive with two outs in the sixth as Chris DeGiacomo got the JHU rally started with a single up the third base line and came around to score on an AJ King double to center. Ritchie followed with a double to plate King and tie the game at two. A walk to James Ingram brought Mark Lopez to the plate to face the new Rams' pitcher, Ryan Mallon, and the sophomore took the 1-0 pitch over the left field fence to give the Blue Jays a 5-2 advantage.
• Farmingdale St. got the first two batters on in the seventh but Hejka retired the next three to keep the Hopkins lead at three.
• JHU added an insurance run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Davis to take a 6-2 lead, and that was more than enough run support for Hejka, who worked around a lead-off walk in the eighth and retired the Rams in order in the ninth to secure the 6-2 Blue Jay victory.
Team Leaders
Johns Hopkins:
Hits: Ritchie - 2
RBI: Lopez - 3
Strikeouts: Hejka - 11
Farmingdale St:
Hits: Rice - 2
RBI: Rice - 1
Strikeouts: Burke, Mallon - 2
What it Means
• This was the first complete game by a Blue Jay pitcher in the NCAA Tournament since 2013 when Carter Burns pitched a complete game against Ramapo on May 17, 2013.
• Johns Hopkins is now 10-13 in the first game of an NCAA Regional.
• JHU improves to 4-0 all-time against the Rams.
Inside the Box Score
• Hejka threw his second-consecutive complete game as the senior struck out a career-high 11 batters while scattering just seven hits and walking just one. He is the second Blue Jay pitcher to strike out 11 batters this season as Jack Bunting struck out 11 on March 20 against Denison.
• Lopez is now tied for fifth on the team with his five homers this season and his 20 RBIs are sixth most on the team. The Blue Jays now have seven players with at least 20 RBIs.
• Davis is now tied with DeGiacomo for the team-lead in RBIs as the junior now has 42 this season.
Up Next
• Hopkins will head to the winner's bracket to take on Susquehanna in the second game on Saturday, May 18. First pitch will be at approximately 2:30 pm.
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