The Basics
• Score: Hopkins – 11, Haverford - 1
• Records: Hopkins (30-11) • Haverford (20-20)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Babb Field
• Pitching Decision: W - Josh Hejka (5-2) • L – Andrew Johnson (7-1)
• The Short Story: Senior Josh Hejka got his first start of the season and the senior threw a complete game to help lead the Johns Hopkins baseball team to its 15th Centennial Conference title as the top-seeded Blue Jays defeated third-seeded Haverford, 11-1 to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on Monday afternoon. Junior Mike Eberle was named the tournament MVP as he went 7-15 with four RBIs in the tournament.
How it Happened
• Nate Davis gave the Blue Jays an early 1-0 lead on a ground-rule double to left-center to plate Tim Kutcher, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.
• Hejka, making just his second collegiate start, dazzled on the mound for Hopkins. He retired the Fords in order in the second and after a two-out error in the third, James Ingram threw out his second runner of the day to end the inning.
• A seven-run third inning all but sealed the victory for JHU. Eberle led off the inning with a single and after Davis was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Chris DeGiacomo laced a single down the left field line to plate Eberle and Chris Festa to put the Blue Jays up 3-0. AJ King followed with a ground-rule double to make it a 4-0 game and Matthew Ritchie plated DeGiacomo with a sacrifice fly to center to put the Blue Jays up 5-0. Kutcher then followed with an RBI single and a double from Eberle plated the last two Blue Jay runs of the inning as Hopkins took an 8-0 lead.
• Hejka continued to control the game on the mound for Hopkins as he worked around an error in the fifth, a lead-off double in the sixth, and a walk in the seventh and did not allow a run to score.
• JHU added three more runs in the eighth as Davis walked with the bases loaded and DeGiacomo knocked in his third run of the game with a single to left. Pete Manny then entered as a pinch hitter and his sacrifice fly to center plated the 11th Hopkins run of the game.
• Haverford finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the ninth as Ethan Lee-Tyson singled home Nick Perez with one out to make it a 10-run contest. Hejka then got a fielder's choice and a fly out to Kutcher in left ender the game and clinched the Centennial Conference Tournament for the Blue Jays.
Team Leaders
Johns Hopkins:
Hits: Eberle, Festa - 3
RBI: DeGiacomo - 3
Strikeouts: Hejka - 2
Haverford:
Hits: Lee-Tyson - 2
RBI: Lee-Tyson - 1
Strikeouts: Johnson - 3
What it Means
• This is the Blue Jays 11th Centennial Conference Tournament Title and 15th overall conference crown.
• JHU is now 9-6 all-time against the Fords in the conference tournament.
• This is the fifth time JHU has gone a perfect 3-0 in the tournament.
• The Blue Jays are now 16-5 in the championship series, 33-7 at home and 41-15 overall in the Centennial Conference Tournament.
• Johns Hopkins will be making its 23rd NCAA Appearance.
Inside the Box Score
• Eberle and Festa led Hopkins with three hits each in the game while DeGiacomo knocked in a team-high three runs.
• Hejka pitched his first collegiate complete game as he scattered just six hits allowing just the one run. He walked one and struck out two on the day.
Up Next
• The Blue Jays will await the NCAA Selection Show which will be held on Monday, May 13 at 12 pm on ncaa.com to find out their next opponent.
Johns Hopkins Secures 15th Centennial Baseball Title
Posted: May 06, 2019