BALTIMORE, MD – The Johns Hopkins baseball team opened up its Centennial Conference Tournament bid in a major way Thursday afternoon, pouring in 14 runs with four home runs in the opening inning en route to a 27-5 win over fifth-seeded Haverford. The Blue Jays' 27 runs are tied for the fifth most in a single game in program history and are the most in a Hopkins game since 2003. 

Quinn Rovner made quick work of the Fords (22-15, 11-7 Centennial) on the mound in the opening half inning before the top-seeded Blue Jays (30-9, 16-2 Centennial) blew the game open within their first few at bats en route to a 14-run frame.

Dylan Whitney got things started with a leadoff home run to give Hopkins the lead on the second pitched they faced. Alex Shane drew a walk on the ensuing AB, with a two-run shot from Shawn Steuerer followed by another solo homer off the bat of Caleb Cyr making it a 4-0 game. Jacob Harris and Isaiah Winikur hit a pair of singles before Matthew Cooper drew a walk of his own to load the bases and bring Jimmy Stevens to the plate. With just one out, the senior launched the ball over the wall in dead center for his first collegiate grand slam, doubling the Blue Jays' lead in the process. 

Now having hit through the lineup once, Hopkins drew six consecutive walks to bring in three more runs before another free 90 for Cooper, a wild pitch and a Stevens single scored the Blue Jays' 14^th run of the game on just seven hits.

Haverford got themselves on the board with a run in the second, but it was Hopkins adding three more over the next two innings before a five spot in the fourth lifted the Jays over the 20-run mark and set a new season high.

This time it was Cyr opening the frame with a solo shot — his second of the day — to make it 18-1, with Harris and Winikur getting hit by pitches before a Cooper blooper to right field loaded the bases. Stevens — who had already hit one grand slam on the day — took one off his back to bring in his career-best sixth RBI of the day, with a two RBI double off the bat of Shane and a sac fly from Steuerer setting a new high-water mark in runs on the season at 22.

The Fords got as close as 24-5 after scoring a pair of runs in both the fifth and seventh innings, but in the bottom half of the seventh it was Hopkins putting up yet another crooked number to add on to their already explosive day.

With the bench emptied, Seif Ingram, Jimmy Nunez and Damian Brown loaded the bases on a trio of free passes before a Jake Siani single down the first-base line scored two. With Brown still on third, Nathan Lewis stepped into the box and hit a deep ball to left that was caught but traveled far enough to score the sophomore for the Blue Jays' 27^th and final run of the afternoon.

Entering as the fifth and sixth relievers for Hopkins, Grant Meert and Ethan Fifer both pitched scoreless innings to secure the 27-5 win and the Blue Jays' spot in the winner's bracket.

Hopkins returns Saturday, May 4 where they will play McDaniel in the second of three games to be played on the day. Game 1 between Haverford and Dickinson is scheduled for 10 a.m., with the Blue Jays' game to follow.

Inside the Box Score – Johns Hopkins
• Rovner made the start in Thursday's game, allowing one run in three innings of work, but it was Cole Eggleston earning his third win of the season after tossing a scoreless fourth inning as the first man out of the bullpen. Nicolas Jos, Meert and Fifer also tossed shutout frames, with Tyler Sugrim and Thomas Cancian giving up two runs apiece.

• Hopkins' five homers ties its season high, marking the the fifth time this season they have hit five over the wall. In their three games against the Fords — just one of which was played at Babb Field — the Jays have combined to hit 14 homers.

• Four different Blue Jays registered two hits in the game in Shane, Steuerer, Cyr and Stevens. Shane was a perfect 2-2 with three runs, three RBIs and three walks, Steuerer went 2-3 with a pair of runs and three RBIs, Cyr added three RBIs and three runs with his team-best 13^th and 14^th homers of the year and Stevens paired his six RBIs with three runs of his own in a 2-2 day.

• Hopkins' 27 runs came on only 36 at bats, with the Blue Jays drawing season highs in both walks (17) and hit-by-pitches (9). Three different players drew multiple walks paced by Shane's three, while eight different batters earned a free trip to first after being hit by a pitch.

• In Hopkins' three games against the Fords, the Blue Jays outscored Haverford 49-9.