Box Score

BALTIMORE – Senior Connor Tom (Reinholds, Pa./Conrad Weiser) belted an early three-run homer, but it wasn't enough as fifth-ranked and top-seeded Johns Hopkins University downed fourth-seeded Gettysburg 13-4 in the opening round of the Centennial Conference playoffs on Thursday.
 
With the loss, the Bullets (22-16-2) will now face third-seeded Ursinus College in an elimination game on Saturday at 9 a.m. back at Johns Hopkins, the tournament host for the remainder of the playoffs. Ursinus lost 5-4 in 10 innings at second-seeded Haverford College in the other first-round game on Thursday.
 
Tom's drive handed the Bullets a 3-1 lead in the top of the third. However, the Blue Jays took the lead for good with a five-run fourth, when they hit all three of their home runs for the game.
 
Junior Logan Sneed (Newtown, Pa./Germantown Academy) led the Bullets at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Classmate Brad DeMartino (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) started on the mound and pitched five innings while suffering just his second loss of the season.
 
Gettysburg was hurt by four errors, which led to six unearned runs.
 
Sneed sparked Gettysburg's big third inning, roping a two-out single to center off starter Alex Ross. Senior Will Anderson (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) followed up with an infield single before Tom drilled a 3-1 pitch over the left-center wall for his third long ball of the season and his second in four games.
 
The Blue Jays opened their half of the fourth with back-to-back solo homers off the bats of Ryan Orgielewicz and Tommy Mee to cut the deficit to 3-2. After a runner reached an error, DeMartino recorded the next two outs before a walk to No. 9 hitter Tim Kutcher set the stage for a three-run homer by Connor Reynolds, giving the hosts a 6-3 lead.
 
Gettysburg made it a two-run game in the fifth, when Sneed doubled before eventually scoring on a double-steal attempt. However, that would prove to be Gettysburg's final run, as a trio of Johns Hopkins relievers combined to shut out the Bullets over the final 4 1/3 innings.
 
The Blue Jays made it an 8-4 game with two unearned runs in the fifth, then broke it open with a five-run seventh.
 
DeMartino (5-2) allowed eight runs for the game, though only three were earned. He struck out five and walked two. Sophomore Will Wortmann (Bedford, N.Y./Fox Lane), senior Eric Brown (Marriottsville, Md./Marriotts Ridge), and senior J.J. Lucido (Woodstock, Md./St. Paul's) all pitched in relief, with Lucido firing a scoreless eighth inning in his first appearance on the mound this season. 
 
Ross allowed all four Gettysburg runs on four hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings. Harrison Folk (2-0) pitched 2 1/3 innings to earn the win for Johns Hopkins.