Late Walk-Off Drops Baseball to Johns Hopkins 3-2

FORT MYERS, Fla. (3/17/15) – Johns Hopkins senior right fielder Chris Casey (Wellesley, Mass.) scored the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning via a sacrifice bunt from junior Raul Shah (Ellicott City, Md.) that gave the Blue Jays a 3-2 victory over the Lasell College baseball team on Tuesday afternoon at Terry Park. Lasell fell to 2-3 on the year, while John Hopkins improved to 5-1 this season. 

Lasell freshman pitcher Josh Bahnick's (Clinton, Mass.) first career start resulted in a no decision as he allowed two earned runs, four hits, and struck out five batters in seven innings on the mound. Sophomore Brandon Valentin (Meriden, Conn.) went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while senior AJ McKenzie (Pasadena, Md.) had a 1-for-4 day at the plate and produced the Lasers second run.  

Johns Hopkins sophomore shortstop Conor Reynolds (Baltimore, Md.) had three hits, including a deep triple to left field, and scored two of the three runs for the Blue Jays, while senior left fielder Craig Hoelzer (Roanoke, Va.) also drove in a pair of runs. Sophomore pitcher Cameron Mineo (San Antonio, Texas) threw the first six innings allowing two runs, seven hits and struck out three batters as well. Classmate Jonathan Oliveros (Miami, Fla.) pitched three shutout innings out of the pen and closed the game for his second win of the season (2-0). 

Both teams were held hitless through the first three 1/3 innings, before junior catcher Wes Hurty (Windsor, Conn.) registered a single in the top of the fourth that put runners on first and third for Lasell with just one out. The Lasers hit into a double play (6-4-3) and the game remained scoreless for the time being.

Johns Hopkins got on the scoreboard with a single run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Reynolds lined a single to left field and stole second base, which put a man in scoring position. Hoelzer followed with an RBI single to left field that drove in Reynolds to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 advantage. 

The Blue Jays added their second run on a sacrifice fly from Hoelzer, which again plated Reynolds in the bottom of the sixth inning. Lasell responded in the next inning with a pair of runs that knotted the game at 2-2. Junior Skylar Beckerman (Pensacola, Fla.) began the inning with a double and Valentin brought home Beckerman on an RBI double in the next at bat. 

The game would remain scoreless until the bottom half of the ninth inning, when once again the sacrifice bunt came into play. Casey hit a double to centerfield to lead off the inning for the Blue Jays. In an attempt to move the runner to third, Shah put down a sacrifice bunt that went to the mound. A throwing error from the Lasers allowed Casey to come all the way around from second base, and gave Johns Hopkins a 3-2 walk-off victory.

The Lasers resume play after a day off tomorrow on Thursday, March 19 to face McDaniel and Bethel in a 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. doubleheader.