Aldrich Tosses Complete Game Victory As WC Wins Second Straight In Series

BALTIMORE, MD – Visiting Washington College got a complete game victory from senior pitcher Kyle Aldrich (Warren, NJ/Watchung Hills Regional), and the team never trailed, as the Shoremen shocked #3 Johns Hopkins, 7-3, at JHU Baseball Diamond in Centennial Conference baseball action on Tuesday afternoon.  The Shoremen improve to 14-21 overall and 5-10 in the conference, while the Blue Jays drop to 30-5 and 12-3 respectively.

For the Shoremen, it is their second straight victory over the Blue Jays, something they had not done in 29 years.  In the 1984 season, Washington topped Johns Hopkins in consecutive meetings, 3-1 and 6-3.  The victory is also the team's second consecutive win in Baltimore versus Johns Hopkins after losing the prior 18 to the Blue Jays on their home field.  The two teams last met on May 5, 2012, in the Centennial Conference Tournament where Washington turned a 6-1 deficit into a 10-6 victory and knocked out host Johns Hopkins from the tournament.

Washington got onto the scoreboard first when with two outs in the top of the first inning, sophomore Dennis Thomas (Baltimore, MD/Archbishop Curley) singled to center field to plate freshman Bryan Baquer (Woodbridge, VA/Osbourn Park) to grab a 1-0 lead.  Johns Hopkins tied it in the last of the first at 1-1 when Kyle Neverman led off the frame with a solo home run to left.

The Shoremen took a 4-1 lead in the top of the third inning when with nobody out Baquer singled to right field to score Connole to make it 2-1.  On Baquer's single, the ball was misplayed by the Blue Jays allowing junior Nick Marinelli (Ellicott City, MD/Marriotts Ridge) and Baquer to score to give the Shoremen a three-run lead.  The Blue Jays responded with two in the last of the third to cut the lead to 4-3.  Neverman scored on a double to right-center by Jeff Lynch and two batters latter Colin McCarthy scored on a base hit to shortstop by Mike Denlinger.

WC made it 5-3 in the top half of the fourth when freshman Brian Quadrino (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown East) scored on an RBI groundout to shortstop by senior Joe Willis (Mullica Hill, NJ/Kingsway Regional).  In the top of the sixth with two away, Marinelli singled through the left side to drive in freshman Garrett Richardello (Coventry, CT/East Catholic).  With two outs in the top of the seventh, sophomore Scott Matthews (Goshen, NY/Don Bosco Prep (NJ) singled home Thomas on a base hit through the right side to put the guests up 7-3.  In the last three innings, the Blue Jays never sent the tying run to the plate as Washington completed the victory.

Johns Hopkins committed six errors in the game, which led to three unearned runs for Washington, while the Shoremen committed one error, which led to two unearned runs for the Blue Jays.

For the Shoremen, Aldrich got the complete game victory and improves to 4-4 on the season.  He scattered nine hits, allowed just one earned run, walking one and striking out five.  This is his second straight complete game on the hill of the JHU Baseball Diamond.  On May 5, 2012, he tossed a complete game shutout in a 6-0 win over McDaniel in the conference tournament.

At the plate, Marinelli went 3-for-5 to pace the Washington hitting attack as the guests had 12 hits in the win.  Connole, Richardello and Thomas each had two hits, while Baquer scored twice in the victory. 

For the Blue Jays, Denlinger was a perfect 4-for-4 with an RBI as his four hits was a game-high as Hopkins had nine hits in the contest.  McCarthy had two hits and Neverman scored twice.  On the mound, Colin Friedman took the loss and drops to 3-2.  He lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up five runs, two earned, on seven hits.

Washington will play its second top-five ranked team in as many days as it hosts #5 Salisbury tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 at Athey Baseball Park.