Blue Jays Fall To Montclair State, 4-3, For First Loss Of Season

Carl Ippolito collects two hits and an RBI as Hopkins drops to 33-1.

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Carl Ippolito had two hits and knocked in a run in JHU's 4-3 loss to Montclair St.

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April 27, 2004

Box Score

LITTLE FALLS, N.J. - Senior shortstop PJ Baccarella delivered a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the ninth as 30th-ranked Montclair State knocked off No. 1 ranked and unbeaten Johns Hopkins University, 4-3, at Yogi Berra Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Baccarella, Tommy Warth and Ethan Boyd each had two hits for the Red Hawks (19-11) as they posted their second straight victory over a Top 5 opponent in the last week. MSU defeated fourth-ranked Eastern Connecticut on April 20.

Carl Ippolito had two hits and an RBI for Johns Hopkins (33-1), which suffered its first loss after beginning the season with 33 consecutive wins.

Tied at 3-3 heading into the ninth, pinch-hitter Matt Benedetti drew a leadoff walk against reliever Sven Stafford and was replaced for pinch-runner Brett Picaro. Mike Halligan sacrificed Picaro to second before Danny Rodrigurez walked. Stafford would strike out Boyd for the second out bringing Baccarella to the plate. The senior took the first pitch for a ball and then lined a single to center. Picaro raced around third and slid in just ahead of centerfielder Paul Winterling's throw for the winning run as the Montclair State team poured out of the dugout.

Alex Thompson picked up the victory in relief. Thompson entered the game in the ninth with runners at first and second and one out. After the Blue Jays pulled off a double steal, Thompson walked the next batter, but got out of the jam inducing two fly balls to keep the game tied. Stafford took the loss (0-1).

Johns Hopkins took a 1-0 lead in the fifth as Mike Spiciarich led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a ground out before coming home on an error. The Blue Jays extended the lead to two runs in the sixth. Mike Durgala was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Johns Hopkins would then load the bases with one out before Spiciarich lofted a sacrifice fly.

Montclair State answered in their half of the sixth with three runs. Baccarella collected an infield hit and moved to second as the throw to first base went into the MSU dugout. He would move to third on a ground out and scored when Matt Righter uncorked a wild pitch on a bases on balls to Mike Weiss. Warth then lined a double to right to put runners at second and third before Rob Blackburn beat out and infield hit. The throw then got away as Weiss and Warth scored putting MSU up 3-2.

Johns Hopkins tied the game in the eighth as Brian Morley walked to lead off the inning and moved to third on base hit by Craig Cetta. Ippolito then bounced a single through the draw-in infield for the the tying run.

The Red Hawks had chances in the seventh and eight inning, but came up emty each time. Righter had runners at first and third with one out in the seventh but got Baccarella to ground into a double-play to end the inning. In the eighth, Weiss stood at third bases with two outs when Blackburn lofted a ball into shallow centerfield where Ippolito came up with a tremendous over-the-shoulder catch with his back to the infield to keep the game knotted.

Blackburn also had two hits for MSU, which collected 10 in the game.