BALTIMORE – The Haverford College baseball team lost both games of a Centennial Conference doubleheader to No. 1 Johns Hopkins University Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays took Game 1, 9-4, and the nightcap, 8-6.
Game 1 saw Johns Hopkins (34-3, 18-0 CC) score three runs in the first off starter Jonny Williams (5-3), but Haverford (21-14, 12-6 CC) took the lead with a four-run second.
With two on and two out, Charlie Carluccio hit a three-run home run to left to get the Fords on the board. Jake Kaden made it back-to-back homers as his shot to left tied the score.
Hopkins quickly took the wind out of Haverford's sails with four runs in the bottom of the second. Brian Youchak singled in a run and Matthew Bernardi followed with a double that brought in two runs. Jesse Sikorski came through with the third straight hit for the Blue Jays, scoring the fourth run.
In the third, Hopkins added two more runs and knocked Williams from the game in the process. Williams was charged with seven earned runs in 2.1 innings. Mike Bozzi came on in relief to allow just one run in 3.2.
Andrew Pevsner (3-0) and Blake Platt pitched in relief of starter Marco Simmons. The duo combined to throw five scoreless innings while limiting the Fords to one hit.
The Fords took a 1-0 lead in Game 2 before Hopkins scored six runs in the middle innings to establish a five-run lead.
Haverford's first run came in the third on a RBI single by Jeff Butera. The Blue Jays took the lead in the bottom half on a two-run home run by Chris Huisman.
Hopkins plated three more runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth off starter Bryan Henrick (2-3). Adam Lewis recorded the final two outs of the fifth and tossed a scoreless sixth before giving up a two-run homer to Youchak in the seventh to add to the lead.
Meanwhile, Blue Jays starting pitcher Greg Harbeck (6-0) held the Fords' bats silent. Harbeck scattered six hits in his 7.1 innings of work to earn the win.
In the ninth, the Fords had fight left in them as they scored five runs. Jake Chaplin delivered a bases loaded RBI single to bring home one run. Butera followed with a grand slam homer to right to pull the Fords within two, 8-6.
After Mike Galetta walked, Platt relieved Aaron Schwartz. He hit Bobby Bailey to put the tying run on base, but struck out Jeremy Zoll and got Carluccio to foul out to third to earn his first save of the season.
Haverford received help from Dickinson College Saturday as the Red Devils knocked off Swarthmore College in the first game of their twin-bill. That secured second place for the Fords and right to host the Garnet Friday in the first round of the Centennial Conference tournament.
The Fords will play one non-conference game this week as they travel to Widener University Tuesday for a 3:30 p.m. start.