On Saturday afternoon, the Blue Jay baseball team faced Swarthmore College in a doubleheader. The first game required a late-inning rally, and the second was an offensive explosion. Both contests ultimately yielded victory.
In game one, the Jays trailed 4-1 as they entered the seventh inning. The Garnet pitching had been largely effective in limiting the Hopkins offense, but an opening walk issued to sophomore catcher Ryan Orgielewicz catalyzed the Blue Jays’ rally.
Fellow sophomore outfielder Thomas Mee next sent a line drive screaming into the left field gap and slid into second with a double that positioned runners on second and third with no outs. Another walk would load the bases, and a passed ball scored Orgielewicz to close the gap to 4-2.
Another Jay sophomore, outfielder Brian Lin, smashed a double into left field, scoring Mee and sending infielder Zach Robbins to third. A fielder’s choice would score Robbins and level the game at four. The third double of the inning, this time by senior Craig Hoelzer, would score standout senior first baseman Colin McCarthy and make it a 5-4 contest.
In the eighth inning, Mee belted his first home run of the season as part of a five run outburst that extended the Jays’ lead to five. Senior Thomas Harper pitched the final two frames for the Jays, striking out two batters and surrendering no runs to preserve the unlikely victory for Hopkins. Pitching only minutes from his hometown of Philadelphia, the standout pitcher reflected on the significance of playing close to home.
“I struggled a little bit to start the year, so I was really happy to go out and pitch well in a conference game, especially in front of a couple of family members who haven’t been able to watch since high school,” Harper said. “It’s always great to play in Philadelphia because so many of our guys live there. It’s almost a home game. I definitely think we had more fans there than Swarthmore.”
Harper also thought the late-inning rally spoke to the determination and perseverance of this young but talented squad.
“It was awesome to watch our guys rally in the end of the game. I think it really speaks to our resiliency,” Harper said.
No late-inning rallies were needed in the second portion of the doubleheader, as Hopkins exploded for 17 runs in a dominant offensive performance. The offensive showcase saw Hopkins tally more runs than hits, although they tallied up 15 base knocks in the victory. It was a collective team effort in this dominant performance, marked by one particular personal accolade.
Freshman infielder Mike Smith hit his first career home run in the third inning to push Hopkins to a 6-0 lead. Reflecting on this milestone, Smith downplayed the achievement, instead emphasizing that what was most important was contributing to the success of the team and helping them win ball games.
“Hitting my first home run doesn’t mean much to me,” Smith said. “I’m just focused on doing my job to help the team win. Saturday, everyone was confident at the plate and taking quality swings. We stayed in our approaches and executed when we needed to.”
Other standout performers in the second contest included sophomore shortstop Conor Reynolds who finished with five runs scored and five hits and Hoelzer with three hits and three runs driven in. Senior flamethrower Jacob Enterlin pitched seven scoreless innings.
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