Johns Hopkins overcomes McDaniel rally to win, 10-9

BALTIMORE, Md. – Joe Borrelli went 4-for-7 with seven RBIs, including the game-winning home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, to lead No. 24 Johns Hopkins to a 10-9 victory over McDaniel in Centennial Conference (CC) baseball action on Monday.

Chris Longo (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) led the Green Terror (10-12, 3-7 CC) with a four-hit, four-RBI day.

The Blue Jays (14-10, 7-3 CC) built an 8-3 lead through the first six innings before McDaniel rallied with two runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to take a one-run lead only to comeback with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth for the win.

Trailing 10-9. Sam Wernick reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the eight. Green Terror reliever Gio Fricchione (New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern) got a pair of flyball outs.

Borelli, however, followed, sending a ball over the short porch in right field – his second roundtripper of the game – to give his team a 10-9 lead.

Singles from Tyler Jackow (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) and Patrick Christopher (Union Bridge, N.J./St. John Vianney) around a fielder's choice gave McDaniel first and second with two outs in the top of the ninth but Aaron Schwartz induced a groundball to pick up his second win of the season, pitching 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Mike Musary led off the bottom of the first with a double to the gap before Kyle Neverman drew a walk.

A Borelli RBI single and Jesse Sikorski RBI groundout staked the hosts to a 2-0 lead.

James Chiorello (East Windsor, N.J./Lawrenceville Prep) and Jimmy Najera (Fort Washington, Pa./DeMatha) responded with back-to-back singles to lead off the second.

A sacrifice bunt from Mike Freeman (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) moved the runners to second and third for Longo, who doubled to the right-center gap to knot the game at 2-all.

Ryan Byrnes (New City, N.Y./Clarkstown North) and Brandon Kline (Myersville, Md./Middletown) drew walks to load the bases but Sam Eagleson recorded one of he seven strikeouts to get out of the jam with the game tied.

Ryan Zakszeski singled to load off the bottom of the frame before Steve Bejsiuk doubled to put runners at second and third.

Wernick followed with an RBI single and Neverman rapped a one-out single to load the bases for Borelli, who cleared the bags with a double to the gap and 6-2 advantage.

A Neverman leadoff home run in the fourth stretched the lead to 7-2.

In the top of the sixth, a Kline two-out single plated Byrnes before Borrelli drilled a one-out solo shot over the left-field wall.

A Marshall Betts (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) and back-to-back walks to Najera and Freeman loaded the bases in the top of the seventh for Longo, who doubled to cut the deficit to 8-5.

Danny Snight (Silver Spring, Md./St. John's College Prep) retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame, including his sixth strikeout of the game.

With two outs in the eighth, Christopher reached on an infield single before Betts followed with a two-run dinger to left, trimming the deficit to 8-7.

A Chiorello single put the tying run on base and Najera followed with his third home run of the series, clearing the left-field fence for a 9-8 lead.

Five Green Terror players finished with two hits – part of a 16-hit attack.

McDaniel returns to action at home against Dickinson on Tuesday. Game time is 3:30 p.m.

Score by Inning                           1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    -     R   H   E
McDaniel (10-12, 3-7 CC)             0    2    0    0    0    1    2    4    0    -     9    16  1
Johns Hopkins (14-10, 7-3 CC)     2    4    0    1    0    1    0    2    x    -     10  16  2

Danny Snight, Gio Fricchione (8) and Chris Longo; Sam Eagleson, Aaron Schwartz (8) and Joe Borrelli. WP: Schwartz (2-1). LP: Fricchione (1-3). S: none. SO-BB: Snight 6-1, Fricchione 1-0; Eagleson 7-5, Schwartz 1-0.

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