The Blue Jays rode two dynamic pitching performances from sophomore Carter Burns and junior Jacob Enterlin and the thumping bat of sophomore Raul Shah to two victories (8-4, 5-3) against Swarthmore the afternoon of Saturday April 12. Shah was 5-6 on the day with two home runs and three RBI, while Burns and Enterlin combined to hurl 18 strikeouts over 17.0 innings pitched.
Burns had his best start of the season, throwing a complete game with a career high 13 strikeouts. He was backed by the Jays’ offense, lead by senior Mike Denlinger and Shah, who combined for six hits and four runs. Burns’ 13 strikeouts tie for fifth most in a nine inning game in Hopkins history.
The Jays’ bats woke up in the bottom of the second. Denlinger started things off with a single before sophomore Kyle Gillen smoked a double to left to put two on with none out. A balk scored Denlinger from third, and a sacrifice fly from senior Richie Carbone scored Gillen to put Hopkins up by two early.
An RBI single from junior Craig Hoelzer scored another run in the bottom of the third, but the Garnet answered back in the fourth. Burns surrendered the first home run of the season by a Hopkins pitcher, a two run job to bring the score to within one. He slammed the door, however, forcing two ground outs and a fly out to end the inning.
Hopkins widened the gap in the bottom of the fourth, tallying three doubles, and a single to knock in four runs and go up 7-2. Sophomore Mitch Weaver, senior Jonathan Hettleman and Shah all drove in runs in the inning.
Swarthore closed the score gap to three, scoring in the fifth and seventh, but a solo bomb by Shah put the Jays back up four. Burns cruised down the stretch, ending the game on a line drive double play to freshman shortstop Conor Reynolds.
Burns ended the day throwing a complete game, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits, striking out 13 while walking just 2.
In game two of the doubleheader, the Jays rode the right arm of junior starter Enterlin, who allowed no earned runs in 8.0 innings.
Hopkins struck early again, with junior Colin McCarthy and Denlinger bringing in runs to put the Jays up 2-0 in the first. Swarthmore tied it up in the fourth, scoring two runs on three hits and an error by the second baseman Gillen.
Shah broke the deadlock in the seventh, launching his second solo bomb of the day to left field with two outs to put the good guys up 3-2. The Jays added some insurance in the bottom of the eigth as Denlinger and Carbone knocked in a run apiece.
In the top of the ninth, Enterlin allowed a leadoff single, prompting Coach Babb to call on junior righthander Thomas Harper to close out the game. Harper walked his first batter, before striking out the next two, putting Hopkins one out away from the sweep. A fielding error by the third baseman Shah loaded the bases, and a walk cut the lead to 5-3. Harper was unfazed however, and struck out the next batter to end the game.
In their third game in three days, Hopkins looked to build off of the sweep of Swarthmore as they faced off against Widener. However, the Jays fell behind the Pride early and were never able to recover. Widener struck first in the bottom of the second, after a hit by pitch and an error put two on. A sac bunt moved the runners over, before sophomore starter Colin Friedman gave up a two RBI single.
In the third, Widener snatched another run when Friedman hit another batter. A stolen base and another single put the Jays down three.
Hopkins didn’t get its first baserunner of the game until the top of the sixth with two outs, already down 4-0. Sophomore Peter Siciliano walked, advancing to third on a double down the right field line by sophomore David Rauber. Hoelzer slapped a single to right field, scoring both, but a flyout ended the rally for the Jays.
A two run homer in the bottom of the seventh widened the lead for the Pride, putting the Jays back down four going into the eighth. With the bases loaded and two out, sophomore Mitch Weaver had a chance to make something happen, but a nice play by the third baseman robbed him of his chance, getting the Pride out of the jam.
The Jays wouldn’t score again in the contest, as the team suffered their first loss to Widener since 1997.
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