PHOENIX, AZ. — Johns Hopkins rallied from an early three-run deficit to defeat the Williams College baseball team in its season opener Monday, 9-7.
The Blue Jays evened their record at 5-5-2 while the Ephs fell to 0-1.
Williams jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second when Matt Kastner opened the inning with a triple and first year Phil McGovern — in his first collegiate at-bat — slammed a two-run home run to left.
The Ephs added a run in the third when Darren Hartwell — who went 3 for 4 with a walk and three runs scored in the loss — led-off with a double and scored on an error.
Johns Hopkins rallied with two outs in the bottom of the fourth when Adam Weiner lined a two-out, RBI-single to center field to make it 3-1. Kyle Neverman followed by hitting a three-run home run off the scoreboard in left to make it 4-3 JHU.
The Ephs tied the game in the fifth when Hartwell led off with a triple to right and scored when Cameron's Susk's well hit grounder was misplayed for an error.
The game was tied at five when JHU struck for two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good at 7-5. Jeff Lynch broke the tie with an RBI-double to left and Mike Denlinger followed with an RBI-single off Williams reliever Dan Grossman (0-1).
Trailing 9-5, Williams made it interesting in the top of the seventh when Hartwell flared a single to right center leading off. Susk's fielder's choice grounder led to an error and put runners on first and second with no one out.
Blue Jay reliever Aaron Schwartz came on two strike out the next two batters, but Kastner singled to left with two outs to score both runners and make it 9-7. McGovern then walked, but pinch-hitter Ben Olivia grounded out to second to end the contest.
Harry Marino got the start for the Ephs and went four-plus innings, allowing four hits and five walks while striking out six. Only one of the five runs he was charged with was earned. Gossman went two innings and allowed three runs on four hits while walking one and striking out two.
Williams had eight hits, Kastner was 2 for 5 with two RBI.
