After numerous postponed games early this season, the Hopkins baseball team took the field in Haverford, Pa. to face a double-header against the Haverford Fords.
The Blue Jays split the games, dropping the first 5-3 but rallying to defeat the Fords 5-4 in the second.
In game one, the Jays got off to a slow offensive start, scoring their first runs in the ninth inning. Batting in three runners in the ninth proved to be to little, too late as Haverford got the third out holding a 5-3 lead and taking the game.
Senior Craig Hoelzer led off the ninth inning rally with a solid at bat, taking first base off of four balls. Senior Chris Casey followed Hoelzer’s walk with a single, pushing Hoelzer all the way to third. While freshman Mike Smith was at the plate, a wild pitch sent Casey to second, eliminating the potential force out. Smith struck out, sending sophomore Ryan Orgielewicz to the plate where he drilled a three-run homer down the right field line.
“We are going to have frustrating days at the plate and on the mound, but we have to move through the season one game at a time,” Casey said. “We know how good of a team we are when all parts of our game are on, and we have to figure out how to win when they aren’t.”
With the Jays now down in a 5-3 game, senior Jake Rogers struck out at the plate, giving the Fords two outs and a firm hold on the lead. Junior Raul Shah took four balls and walked, bringing sophomore Brian Lin and the tying run to the plate. Lin pulled through late on the pitch, sending the ball down the first base line, and creating an easy third out on first base.
Hopkins junior Carter Burns pitched six innings, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out nine. Burns now totals 25 strike outs in three starts. This was also Burns’ first loss of the season.
In game two, the Jays got off to a quick start as Lin came out strong with a leadoff solo homer to right. It was Lin’s first home run of the season, and it was the spark the Jays needed coming into the second game. The Fords scored their first run in the fifth, tying the game at one run apiece.
Hopkins would not allow any comfort for the Fords as the Jays saw Hoelzer, Smith and senior Colin McCarthy come across home plate in the sixth. The Fords went on to collect one run in the bottom of the sixth, bringing the inning to a close. Haverford sent two more runs across home plate in the seventh, bringing the score to 4-4.
Neither team would score in the ninth, sending the game into extra innings. The teams fought hard in the 10th; yet no runners advanced to home, sending the game into the 11th inning.
Smith started off the inning grounding out, followed by a walk from junior Mitch Weaver. Junior Pete Siciliano followed Weaver, but popped out to second, giving the Fords two outs against the Jays with one runner on base. Lin came up to bat, singling to left and sending Weaver to second.
Sophomore Thomas Gordon came in to pinch-run for Weaver and scored the winning run off of a wild pitch.
The Blue Jays return to action this weekend against Franklin and Marshall College.
