April 10, 2008

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Six runs in the fifth inning erased a one run deficit and lifted the #15 Johns Hopkins baseball team to a 9-4 win over Villa Julie on Thursday afternoon. The Blue Jays (19-4) won their second straight game after getting two RBIs apiece from sophomores Brian Youchak (Pittsburgh, PA/Vincentian Academy) and Tim Rappazzo (Glen Arm, MD/Gilman).

Trailing 4-3 heading to the bottom of the fifth, Hopkins saw its first two runners of the inning reach base and a fly out advanced the pair to second and third. Junior first baseman Dave Garber (Mount Joy, PA/Donegal) had an RBI single to tie the game and sophomore catcher Joe Borrelli (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) had an RBI double to put the Blue Jays on top. Rappazzo then lifted a sac fly to right field to plate Garber and Borrelli came home on a passed ball. Two batters later, Youchak crushed a home run to right field to put Hopkins on top 9-4.

The Hopkins' bullpen held Villa Julie to just one hit the rest of the way to secure the victory.

The scoring in this contest had started in the bottom of the second as Rappazzo singled home the first run of the game and junior second baseman Dan Merzel (Hopkinton, MA/Hopkinton) had a sac fly.

The Blue Jays added to their lead in the bottom of the third as senior center fielder Rob Pietroforte (Brooklyn, NY/Berkeley Carroll) led off with a home run to right field. The four-bagger was Pietroforte's third in the last three games, tying a Centennial Conference record for consecutive games with a home run.

Villa Julie tied the game up with three runs in the top of the fourth as the Mustangs strung together three hits and a hit batter for the runs.

The Mustangs went on top, 4-3 with a single run in the fifth but that lead was short lived as Hopkins started its comeback in the bottom half of that inning.

The Blue Jays used a pitcher by committee approach in the ball game with senior Paul Martone (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) picking up the win. Martone threw one inning and surrendered just one run with one strikeout. The loss went to Ryan Baione who surrendered nine runs in five innings of work.

Merzel finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI while Pietroforte was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Youchak went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs while senior Todd Emr (Westwood, NJ/Saddle River Day) went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Rappazzo finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

Hopkins is right back at it as Gettysburg visits JHU Baseball Field for a 3:30 p.m. Centennial Conference contest, tomorrow.

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