Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg scored an unearned run in the first inning and had a runner at third base in the second, third and fourth innings, but the Bullets were not able to cash in as No. 19 Johns Hopkins came back for an 8-1 win in Centennial Conference (CC) action at Kirchhoff Field on Friday afternoon. The Blue Jays, who entered the game hitting .373 as a team, smacked five doubles in the game.

Gettysburg (16-5, 5-3 CC) got two hits each from three players, including senior designated hitter Joe Bonyai (Torrington, Conn./Hotchkiss School), who had a single and a double. Sophomore second baseman Scott Vladyka (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional) and senior left fielder Mark Campo (Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville) also had two hits apiece.

The Blue Jays (19-4, 8-0 CC) had four players with two hits each, but more notably, senior catcher Rob Sanzillo went 0-for-3 to snap a 17-game hitting streak. He walked twice and reached on an error and scored a run, however. Junior shortstop Jonas Fester was 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Senior second baseman Ian Christie also drove in a pair.

On the mound, Johns Hopkins junior right-hander Ryan Kuhlman improved to 5-1. He scattered nine hits and allowed just one unearned runs in eight innings. His counterpart, Bullet sophomore Will Kleva (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City) suffered his first loss. He is now 4-1.

The Blue Jays quickly got something going in the first when a hit batsman and a single put runners on first and second with no outs. Kleva pitched out of the jam, retiring the next three hitters on an infield fly and two fly balls to right field.

Gettysburg responded in the bottom of the inning. Junior center fielder Sean McGee (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) reached on an error. Two batters later, he went to third on Bonyai's double and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior catcher Michael Donohue (Livingston, N.J./Livingston).

Kleva got the visitors in order in the second inning, and the Bullets threatened again, but could not push a run across.

Johns Hopkins was able to cash in in the top of the third inning. Freshman third baseman Lee Bolyard walked and stole second. He scored on a double to left by Fester. Two passed balls later, he also scored to make it 2-0.

Gettysburg looked to be in business again quickly in the bottom of the third. Senior third baseman Ben Carey (Colchester, Conn./St. Bernard) ripped a triple to the gap in right center. Donohue drew a one-out walk, and junior first baseman Matt Stillitano (Ewing, N.J./The Hun School of Princeton) hit a ground ball up the middle. Fester ranged far to his left and appeared he would have an easy ground ball to turn two. The ball took a funny bounce though, and forced Fester to make a barehanded grab behind him before stepping on second base to start the twin killing.

The Bullets tried to put something together again in the fourth, getting runners on first and third with one out, but nothing came of it.

Johns Hopkins went to work from that point, scoring in each of its next four at bats. The Blue Jays got a single run in the fifth thanks to hit batsman, a wild pitch and two singles that went a total of 121 feet. Junior left fielder Jon Solomon got a one out single back to the mound that Kleva could not handle cleanly. The same thing happened later in the inning when a Christie single plated junior center fielder Rob Pietroforte.

The Blue Jays added two in the sixth, one in the seventh and two more in the eighth to put the game out of reach.

Gettysburg will be back in action on Saturday when the Bullets travel to Allentown, Pa., to take on Muhlenberg in a CC doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.