Box Score
by Connor Moore '18
(Carlisle, Pa.) - The Dickinson baseball team played to an 8-8 tie with the Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins University, in an intense game at MacPhail Field on April 1. The game went 12 innings with the Blue Jays scoring twice in the top of the 12th, only to have the Devil pull even in the bottom before the game was called on account of darkness.
Hopkins started off the game with hot bats in the top of the first, filling the bases on two separate occasions and managing to bring in three runs. The Red Devils tried to bounce back in the bottom of the inning, but couldn't manage to get much offense going, as sophomore Ryan Dolan (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Germantown Academy) was caught stealing second, and the Blue Jays' infielders made a double play to close out the inning.
Dickinson started the second inning strong, thanks to excellent pitching by junior Matt Cowell (Devon, Pa./Conestoga) and good fundamental play by the infield, not allowing any batters to get on base. In the bottom of the inning, the Red Devils came up scoreless again despite a clutch base-hit by Rick Hopkins (Egg Harbor, Twp./Holy Spirit) and an error by the Blue Jays' catcher at home plate, putting runners on second and third.
The Blue Jays were able to extend their lead to 4-0 in the top of the third but Dickinson countered by getting on the board, thanks to a two-out double by Matt Primavera (Erdenheim, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy), bringing Robbie Thompson (Camp Hill, Pa./Camp Hill) in to score.
Phil Werner (Potomac, Md./St. Andrew's) followed Primavera's double with an RBI single to cut the deficit to a pair of runs to round out the scoring in the third inning.
Hopkins managed to bring their lead back up to 5-2 in the top of the fourth, but good pitching and fielding by the Red Devils prevented any further scoring. Hopkins led off the inning for Dickinson with a base-hit before the Blue Jays switched pitchers to put Jacob Enterlin on the mound. Enterlin walked three batters before he was changed out for Cameron Mineo, who closed out the top of the inning.
The Red Devils shut Hopkins down in the top of the fifth and cut the Blue Jays' lead to one off an RBI double by Hopkins. Austin Sumners (W. Trenton, N.J./Pennington School) showed his speed on a single to load the bases after a walk, but the Blue Jay infield made a double play to send the game into the sixth inning.
Hopkins scored in the top of the sixth thanks to an overthrown ball to third base as a Blue Jay runner attempted to steal home plate. They shut out the Red Devils in the bottom of the inning, but Dickinson came right back in the top of the seventh, though, with three quick outs to end the Blue Jays' at-bat.
Hopkins led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run to bring the score to 6-5 before the Blue Jays made another pitching change, putting Nick Burns on the mound. Primavera hit an RBI single, scoring Sumners and tying the game, 6-6.
First-year Reid Collins (West Hartford, Conn./Kingswood Oxford) came in to pitch for Dickinson to start out the eighth inning. Primavera tracked down a pop fly and slung the ball to Hopkins at home plate to complete a double play for the first two outs of the inning and the next Blue Jay batter grounded out to complete the eighth.
Johns Hopkins held Dickinson scoreless in the bottom of the eighth but the Red Devils countered, getting three quick outs to prevent the Blue Jays from scoring in the top of the ninth. The Red Devils also went scoreless in the ninth, sending the game into extra innings.
The tenth inning passed with no scoring and Dickinson allowed no scoring in the top of the eleventh. In the bottom of the eleventh, Hopkins hit a long single to drive a runner to third but Sumners grounded out at first to end another scoreless inning.
The Blue Jays managed to get two runners home in the top of the twelfth and the Red Devils countered yet again, with a clutch two-RBI double by Steven Haynes (Mt. Kisco, N.Y./Horace Greeley). The umpire elected to end the game before a thirteenth, calling the game an 8-8 tie.
Hopkins had a great day at the plate, going 5-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs scored behind a homerun and a double. Werner added three hits on the day while Primavera drove in three runs and scored twice. Primavera reached on a single, double, two walks and was hit by a pitch.
Craig Hoelze went 5-for-7 with three RBIs behind two doubles and three singles. The Blue Jays move to 9-6-1 overall and 1-1-1 in the Centennial Conference.
The Red Devils stand at 8-9-1 and 2-0-1 in the CC. The two teams will meet again tomorrow in Baltimore as the Red Devils travel to Johns Hopkins for a 3:30 pm start.
