From Washington University Athletics
The No. 1 Washington University in St. Louis baseball team recorded a 9-3 win over Johns Hopkins University in the NCAA Division III World Series opener on Friday.
WashU improves to 33-4 as the Blue Jays dip to 15-5.
Senior ace Ryan Loutos made the start, earning his 12th win of the season, which leads Division III in victories.
JHU's lead-off batter flew out to first-year Clayton Miller in right field, with the second hitting a single down the left field line. The third batter grounded into a double play to end the top of the first inning.
Senior Henry Singer, baseball's Elite 90 award winner, was the first to get on base after getting hit by a pitch and then stole second during junior Caleb Durbin's at bat. Durbin's single advanced Singer to third, with Durbin stealing second during junior Andrew Huang's at bat. Despite the speed on the bases, the Bears were unable to advance any runners home.
The second and third innings were quick, with each team tallying singles and the Bears making their second double play of the game. The Blue Jays' offense was moving in the fourth, with a single and walk, but senior Collin Kahal grabbed the unassisted out at third.
Loutos recorded a groundout and two strikeouts to start off the fifth. Kahal singled to center to get on base and advanced to third from Goldberg's single through the left side. Van Kirk was hit by a pitch to load up the bases with one out.
Singer's groundout allowed Kahal to score, with Durbin following with a single to center to take the lead at 2-0.
The Blue Jays hit three singles to load up the bases with one out in the sixth. But Loutos kept them from scoring by striking out the final two batters.
Huang got on first after being hit by a pitch with first-year Magnus Dunn entering the game to pinch run. Miller was out at second with Dunn advancing to third on the hit.
JHU had a big inning in the seventh, scoring two runs after a single, triple and double to make it a 2-2 ball game.
WashU countered in the bottom of the inning, with Goldberg getting hit by a pitch, and advancing to second off of Van Kirk's single. Singer was hit by a pitch for the second time of the day, and the fifth time for the Bears, to load up the bases. Durbin had the fielder's choice RBI to take back the lead at 3-2.
The Blue Jays tied it up once again after loading the bases and a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth.
Despite two outs right away in the inning, the Bears blew open the lead with six runs. Anderson singled through left followed by a walk from Kahal and single from Goldberg to load up the bases. Van Kirk hit the clutch three-run triple, advancing the three runners home.
Singer singled up the middle for Van Kirk to cross the plate, and Durbin hit a bomb out to left center for a two-run homer, for the 9-3 lead entering the ninth, and to end the game.