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Hopkins Defeats Muhlenberg, 6-4, for Third Straight Centennial Title
May 4, 2003
BALTIMORE, MD - The Johns Hopkins baseball team built a 5-1 lead and held on to defeat Muhlenberg College, 6-4, for the Centennial Conference Championship Sunday afternoon in Baltimore. The Blue Jays (31-5) won their third straight conference title, sixth overall, and receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament.
Hopkins, which has won 14 of its last 15 games, secured a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in school history and the 11th time under head coach Bob Babb. The NCAA will announce seeding for the tournament on the evening of Sunday, May 11.
Sophomore Ryan McConnell (Lancaster, PA/Penn Manor) pitched 7.1 strong innings before giving way to junior Matt Righter (Clarion, PA/Lawrenceville Prep), who threw the final 1.2 innings. McConnell earned his third win of the season as he struck out a season-high nine batters and allowed just three earned runs. Righter gave up two hits and recorded two strikeouts to pick up his third save of the season.
The Blue Jays grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning as sophomore Mike Spiciarich (Syosset, NY/Chaminade) doubled down the left field line, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored when sophomore Paul Winterling (Glenelg, MD/McDonogh School) reached on an error.
Muhlenberg (21-14-1) tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third as Aaron Regensburg (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) walked and eventually scored on a double steal attempt. Regensburg raced in from third before JHU could tag out Justin Rubenstein (Holland, PA/Council Rock) in a run down between first and second.
The Blue Jays regained the lead with a run in the top of the fourth and tallied a single run in the sixth for a 3-1 advantage. In the fourth, senior Joe Urban (Nanticoke, PA/Bishop Hoban) doubled to left center and scored two batters later on a single up the middle by junior Bryan Eberle (Frederick, MD/Urbana). Spiciarich drove in pinch runner Rob Morrison (Malibu, CA/Loyola) in the sixth with a single through the left side. JHU scored two runs in the seventh with help from two Muhlenberg errors to increase its lead to 5-1, but the Mules continued to battle back.
Muhlenberg scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth on three hits, one walk and an error to cut the margin to 5-4. Matt Long (Jim Thorpe, PA/Jim Thorpe) led off the inning with a single to left and Brian LaRochelle (South Windsor, CT/South Windsor) followed with a base hit through the right side. C.J. Kessler (Roebling, NJ/Florence) then doubled to left field to drive in Long and put runners at second and third.
Pinch runner Curtis Richardson (Mt. Vernon, NY/Rye Country Day) then scored on a wild pitch and Kessler scored on an error to bring the Mules within one at 5-4. With two outs and a runner on third Righter struck out Regensburg to end the inning.
Sophomore Paul Long (Oklahoma City, OK/Heritage Hall) drilled a solo home run, his fifth of the season, in the top of ninth to give Hopkins a 6-4 advantage. Righter allowed two hits in the bottom of the ninth, but forced a groundout to end the game.
Long finished the game 3-for-4, while Urban was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Spiciarich went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a run batted in. Rubenstein, Long, LaRochelle and Kessler each collected two hits for the Mules. Matt Cooper (Wethersfield, CT/Wethersfield) took the loss for Muhlenberg as he allowed six runs, three earned, and 10 hits while striking out seven in 8.1 innings.
The Blue Jays, who were also Centennial Champions during the 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2002 seasons, return to action Tuesday, May 6 as Hopkins plays host to York College in a non-conference contest at 3:30 p.m. JHU will then conclude the regular season Friday, May 9 at Salisbury beginning at 3:00 p.m.
Centennial Championship Game 2 (Best of Three)
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