Little Falls, NJ – Senior outfielder Brett Izzo (Northport, NY/Northport) collected a three-run triple to highlight a five-run first inning for 16 th-ranked Johns Hopkins as the Blue Jays made the lead hold up in a 10-5 victory over Montclair State in NCAA Division III baseball action at Yogi Berra Stadium on Tuesday evening. The game featured 15 pitchers and lasted 3 hours and 39 minutes.
Tony Margve ( Randolph , NJ /Randolph) and Matt Benchener ( Newton , PA /Holy Ghost) each had two RBI as the Blue Jays upped their record to 28-6 in winning for the 14 th time in their last 16 games. Johns Hopkins also defeated MSU for the third straight year and trimmed the deficit in the series meeting between the teams to 12-6.
JEFF MILLER ( Wyckoff , NJ /Ramapo) had three hits for Montclair State , which had its four-game winning streak snapped.
ROB BOWNESS ( Sparta , NJ /Seton Hall Prep) and
LOU POLITAN ( Livingston , NJ /Livingston) collected two hits apiece for the Red Hawks, who fell to 17-15.
Johns Hopkins jumped out to its five-run cushion in the first as Jon Solomon (Fairfax, VA/Riverdale Baptist), Rob Sanzillo (Katonah, NY/Somers) and Rob Pietroforte (Brooklyn, NY/Berkeley Carroll) all drew one out walks to load the bases before Izzo stepped up and laced a triple down the right field line to clear the bases and give Hopkins a 3-0 lead. Margve would bring home Izzo with a ground out and Benchener added an RBI double to cap off the inning.
Benchener would add a sacrifice fly in the third to make the score 6-0 before Montclair State finally got on the board in the fifth as
SCOTT EVANGELIST (Northfield, NJ/Holy Spirit) lifted a sacrifice fly to score Bowness. JHU would answer with a run in the fifth as Jonas Fester ( Dallas , TX /Syosset) completed the back end of a double steal, one of eight in the game by the Blue Jays.
Montclair State climbed back into the game with a run in the seventh on an RBI single by pinch-hitter
ED KLOEPPING ( Pennsville , NJ /Pennsville) and the Red Hawks would get within two the following inning as it loaded the bases with one out. Rob Clark (Livingston, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) walked with the bases loaded to force home the first run and Bowness scored on a wild pitch to make the score 7-4. Joe Zembryski ( Rutherford , NJ /St. Peter's Prep) delivered a third run with an RBI ground out, but that would be as close as the Red Hawks would get.
The Blue Jays would create breathing room in the ninth with three runs. Margve was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Pietroforte scored on a balk for a 9-5 lead. Dan Merzel ( Hopkinton , MA /Hopkinton) crossed the plate on a passed ball to finish off the scoring for Johns Hopkins.
Joe Zaccaria ( Manhasset , NY /Manhasset) - the first of seven pitchers in the game for the Blue Jays, picked up the win. Zacarria allowed a hit in his two-inning predetermined start. Brian DeLeo ( Pittsburgh , PA / Upper St. Clair ) , who came on and got out of the jam in the eighth inning, recorded the final five outs for his fourth saves of the year.
RAY ANDERSON ( North Caldwell , NJ / West Essex ) took the loss for MSU.
Sanzillo finished 1for-3 with three stolen bases for the Blue Jays, who were out-hit in the game, 11-9.
Montclair State returns to action on Thursday, April 26 as the Red Hawks host New Jersey City University at Yogi Berra Stadium in a 3:30 NJAC matchup. It will be the second meeting between the teams this season as MSU scored a 6-4 victory in Jersey City on April 6.Johns Hopkins is back in action on Friday, April 27 with a makeup contest at York College (PA) at 3:30 pm.
