BOX SCORE
Boyertown, Pa. (May 18, 2007) – Junior Brian Duddie (San Diego, CA) pitched nine solid innings allowing just one first inning run and striking out 10 to lead third seeded Johns Hopkins University past #4 Gwynedd-Mercy College, 3-1, in 10 innings and into the 2007 NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Baseball Tournament championship game at Bear Stadium.
The Blue Jays (38-10) will take on top seeded Kean University in the championship game on Saturday afternoon beginning at Noon and will need to defeat the Cougars twice to earn a trip to the NCAA Division III College World Series.
The Griffins (32-12) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when junior Mark Mattes (Doylestown, PA) walked and came around to score on an RBI groundout from senior Anthony Cappela (Philadelphia, PA). The run held up all the way to the top of the eighth inning when Hopkins tied the game when junior Nate Adelman (Redwood City, CA) singled and later scored on errant throw by the Griffin second baseman.
Both teams went harmlessly in the ninth and JHU broke thru in the 10th inning. Junior Matt Benchener (Newton, PA) singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. He came around to score on an RBI single from junior Jon Solomon (Fairfax, VA) and after a single from junior Jonas Fester (Dallas, TX) and a walk by senior Rob Sanzillo (Katonah, NY) loaded the bases, junior Rob Pietroforte (Brooklyn, NY) added some insurance with a sacrifice fly plating Solomon.
Junior Joe Zaccaria (Manhasset, NY) entered in the ninth inning after a lead off walk and struck out two Griffins to record his first save of the season. Duddie improved to 3-0 with the win, while Capella took the loss in relief for Gwynedd-Mercy after pitching 2.2 innings allowing three hits and two runs. Sophomore Ryan McNamara (Haddonfield, NJ) pitched well for GMC lasting 7.1 innings allowing just three hits and one unearned run, while striking out five.
Benchener had two of the six Blue Jay hits and sophomore Tim McMenamin (Maple Shade, NJ) and sophomore Tom Hoban (Philadelphia, PA) accounted for four of the five Griffin base knocks in the loss.
#3 Johns Hopkins 3, #4 Gwynedd-Mercy 1 (10 innings)