YORK, PA - For just the second time this season the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays were held to one run. This time, though, it came in an elimination game, as the team fell to Alvernia, 8-1, ending the Jays' season. Hopkins finishes the season with a 30-13-1 mark, while this group of seniors will graduate with a four year record of 114-57-3.
Hopkins got things started in the first as Brian Lin ripped a one out double off the wall in left. Lin would then move to second on a passed ball, before scooting home on a wild throw by the catcher to third, putting the Jays up 1-0.
From there, though, the Jays struggled to get runners on the board, stranding a total of 11 runners on the day. The Jays had a great opportunity to have a big inning in the second, as Conor Reynolds came up with the bases loaded. Unfortunately for the Jays, Reynolds was unable to put the ball in play, striking out to end the inning.
In the third, Alvernia got its first run of the day as Ben Sawyer singled home Richie Ricciardi, who reached on a fielder's choice before stealing second.
The Jays had an opportunity to answer in the bottom-half of the inning. With one out, Colin McCarthy walked before Craig Hoelzer singled through the left side, putting two runners on board. The duo would move up 90 feet on a passed ball, but both Chris Casey and Mike Smith were unable to bring them home, as Casey lined out to second and Smith popped out to third to end the inning.
Thomas Solomon relieved Justin Drechsel in the fourth, and surrendered a two-run homer to Dan George over the wall in left, extending the Crusaders' lead to 3-1. After the homer, Solomon settled down and got three straight outs.
The bottom-half of the inning produced two hits for the Jays, but Mitch Weaver was thrown out at second trying to stretch a hit into a double and Thomas Mee was stranded after bunting his way on base.
With two outs in the fifth, Chris Burns doubled to right center before coming around to score on a single by Zach Nadolny, extending the Jays' deficit to four.
Hopkins would get runners on base in the fifth, and sixth but was unable to bring them around to score, keeping the score at 4-1.
Alvernia would add two more in the seventh, one on a Sawyer RBI triple and another on a wild pitch with the bases loaded, extending its lead to 6-1.
Lin would get on base in the seventh but nothing would come of it. With two outs in the eighth, Orgielewicz would draw a walk and Weaver would knock his second double of the day off the wall in left, putting two runners in scoring position for Mee, who would line out to left to end the inning.
Ross Lazicky would allow two more runs in the top-half of the ninth before the Jays would go down in order in their final at-bat.
This was the first elimination game the Jays lost all season, bringing their mark in such contests to 7-1 on the season.