Big First Inning Keys Stevens Win Over John Jay
HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 30, 2011) – Senior catcher Denis Ackermann belted a three-run homer in the Ducks’ four-run first, as the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team broke back into the win column with a decisive 10-2 victory over John Jay College at Dobbelaar Baseball Field in Hoboken, N.J. With the win, Stevens improved to 3-11 overall on the year, while the Bloodhounds fell to 2-13.
After retiring freshman centerfielder Corry Harper (Brooklyn, N.Y.) on a soft comebacker to the mound, Stevens’ starter Dan Allen (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) issued three-straight walks to load the bases in the top of the first. Hoping to get out of the inning unscathed, Allen regrouped, inducing a line-out to right and a fly-out to left to work his way out of an early jam.
Looking to get Stevens on the board, junior Tom Phillips led off the Ducks’ half of the first with a single back up the middle. Advancing to second on an errant throw over from Bloodhounds’ righthander Ronald Barillas (Ozone Park, N.Y.) the Spring Lake Heights, N.J. native later moved to third on junior Matt Glassman’s ground-out to short.
After fellow junior TJ Alcorn reached on a hit-by-pitch, senior Russ Grimes ripped a base-hit to center, plating Phillips, while putting runners on first and second with one out. Trying to add to the Ducks’ tally, Ackermann quickly lifted a three-run blast – his second of the season – over the rightfield wall to stake Stevens to a 4-0 advantage.
Consecutive Stevens errors in the top of the third put two aboard with no out before senior Wilmer Chavez (Corona, N.Y.) hit a slow roller up the middle, just sneaking into the outfield, to push across John Jay’s first run of the day. Hoping to limit the damage, Allen again stepped up, getting a fly-out to right before inducing a big inning-ending double-play.
Still up three at 4-1 heading into the bottom of the third, Grimes led-off the frame with a double down the left field line. Grimes later advanced to third on a foul-fly to left before scoring on senior Kenneth Meerendonk’s one-out RBI-single to left as the Ducks rebuilt a four-run cushion.
Three-straight singles to lead-off the Stevens fourth, capped off by a well-placed Glassman bunt-single down the third-base line, put the Ducks in good position to extend their margin with nobody out. Alcorn then came through with an RBI base-knock to left to up Stevens’ lead to 6-1. Trying to keep John Jay within striking distance, Barillas got the inning’s first out on a fielder’s choice, cutting another would-be Ducks’ run at home, before getting two line-outs to avoid any further damage.
John Jay would get a run back in the top half of the fifth on a Ducks’ two-out error, but Stevens again responded in the bottom half of the frame, loading the bases before Glassman lifted a sacrifice fly to center to make it 7-2. Still up five in the bottom of the seventh, Stevens put runners on second and third with one out.
Glassman promptly singled through the right side, plating another score before Alcorn found a hole between second and third to up the margin to 9-2. With the bases full of Ducks and one out, Ackermann drove in Glassman with a single to left, capping off a three-run Stevens seventh.
Ackermann finished 2-for-4 with four RBI to pace Stevens offensively, while Glassman, Alcorn, Grimes, and Courter each added a pair of hits. Phillips went 3-for-3 on the afternoon with two runs scored.
Freshman catcher William Moran (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and first-year Yahnny Arias (Bronx, N.Y.) each collected two hits for John Jay in the loss, with Chavez and Harper combining for a pair of base-knocks and an RBI.
Allen lasted five innings, surrendering two runs – neither earned – on four hits en route to his first win of the season, while Barillas allowed eight runs on 10 hits in the loss.