BALTIMORE, MD – The sixth-ranked Johns Hopkins baseball team hosted Rutgers-Camden in non-conference action Tuesday afternoon, holding off a ninth-inning rally to beat the Scarlet Raptors 4-3.
 
Neither side was able to get much going in the opening two innings of Tuesday's game before Rutgers-Camden opened the scoring in the top of the third to take a 1-0 lead. The Blue Jays (4-2) put a runner on in each of the next three innings but were unable to capitalize until the sixth inning when Matthew Cooper launched his first homer of the year to left field to knot the game at one.
 
The game remained level through the seventh in what turned into a pitcher's duel between the Scarlet Raptors' (5-2) Daniel Robeson and Hopkins' Kieren Collins before the Blue Jays finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Dillon Souvignier and Caleb Cyr drew walks before Isaiah Winikur took a pitch off his leg to load the bases with one out. Following a flyout to third base, Jimmy Stevens stepped up to the plate and ripped a double to left center that slipped past the outstretched glove of Rutgers-Camden's center fielder to clear the bases and give the Jays their first lead of the game at 4-1.
 
Following a shutdown eighth inning, Matt Savedoff returned in the ninth to end the game but struggled early, hitting a batter before back-to-back walks loaded the bases with no outs. A big-time strikeout of the Scarlet Raptors' third pinch hitter of the frame settled the junior back in, with a fielder's choice on the next at-bat registering the second out but bringing one across home plate to make it a two-run game. A single — the lone hit Savedoff gave up in his outing — made it 4-3 before the junior fanned his fourth batter of the night to secure the win.
 
Inside the Box Score — Johns Hopkins:

• Collins was excellent in his second start of the year, allowing six hits, one run and striking out seven in seven innings of work. Leaving the game with the score knotted at one, Collins was forced to take the no decision.
• Earning his first win of the year was Savedoff, who allowed two runs on just one hit and struck out four in two innings.
• In just his second collegiate start, Lukas Geer went 2-3 as the DH with a pair of singles.
• The other Blue Jays to register multiple hits was Stevens, who sent 2-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. The senior now ranks second on the team in batting average (.400) and doubles (3) and first in RBIs (6).
• Cooper's home run was his first of the year, making him the sixth different Hopkins player to go yard on the season.