Little Falls, NJ – Sophomore shortstop Jonas Fester had three hits and drove in a run an RBI as 12 th-ranked Johns Hopkins University allowed just five hits and snapped a two-game losing streak with an 8-2 victory over Montclair State in NCAA Division III Baseball action at Yogi Berra Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Jim Flannery earned a victory as six Blue Jay pitchers struck out 11 batters as Johns Hopkins improved to 24-6-2 on the season.
BRIAN BUTLER had two hits and an RBI for Montclair State ( 17-11-2 ), which had its three-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the second time in its last nine games.
Hopkins would get a run in the second as Todd Emr doubled to lead off the inning and went to third on a fly ball to right field. Rob Sanzillo then bounced a single through the left side scoring Emr with the first run of the game. The Red Hawks would answer in the bottom half of the inning without the benefit of a base hit.
LOU POLITAN reached on a fielder's choice with two out and back-to-back walks to
KEVIN CUOZZI and
MARC DECASTRO loaded the bases. Politan would score on a passed ball to tie the game at 1-1.
The Blue Jays regained the lead for good with three run in the top of the third. Bryce Bauman and Fester led off the frame with base hits and Bauman went to third on a deep line drive to right. Gary Rosenberg singled up the middle to drive home Bauman and Fester scored when the throw attempt at third base went into the Hopkins dugout. Rosenberg would eventually score on a wild pitch as the Blue Jays took a 4-1 advantage.
Montclair got a run back in the bottom of the third as Rodriguez and Butler hit consecutive doubles to make the score, 4-2. The Red Hawks would threaten in the fifth putting the first two runners on against reliever Ryan Kuhlman and putting both in scoring position after a sacrifice bunt. But Kuhlman got out of the jam by striking out the next two hitters.
The Blue Jays put the game away in the sixth scoring three times. Gleason doubled and scored on an error and Fester delivered a run with a single to center. Matt Scally, who reached on an infield single, scored the final run of the inning on a balk. Benchener drove in the final Blue Jay run in the seventh with an RBI single through the left side.
Flannery improved to 6-1 as he went the first two innings in his predetermined start. Flannery fanned two and issued three walks. MSU senior righthander
JAY COOK took the loss allowing five hits and four runs in four innings. Cook struck out three and walked three.
Benchener had two hits for the Blue Jays while Rodriguez collected two hits for Montclair State .
Montclair State returns to action on Wednesday, April 26 as they travel to Wayne, NJ to face backyard rival William Paterson in a single game at 3:30 pm. The game is a makeup of last Saturday's washout with the second half of that doubleheader tentatively scheduled for April 30.
