I9BALTIMORE - The third-seeded Dickinson baseball team entered Sunday knowing that they faced a tall task to claim the first Centennial Conference title in school history as they needed two wins against the number one team in the land Johns Hopkins University. Things started unbelievably well for the Devils as they picked up an 11-6 win in game one to force an "all or nothing" game two. Unfortunately, for the the Red and White despite a valiant effort they fell just short 13-8 at Babb Field.

Game One - DEVILS 11, #1 Blue Jays 6
Time of Game - 2:52
Pitching Decision
W - Joey Sangiuolo (2-0) | L - Charlie Monterrosa (5-1)

Inside the Game
A scoreless first inning and a half shifted the game to last of the second. That is where with one out Devils starter Grayson Walker issued back-to-back walks bringing Caleb Cyr to the dish. He would give the hosts a 3-0 advantage with a three-run smash to center, before Walker recorded a groundout and strikeout to retire the side. Dickinson would respond immediately in the top of the third against JHU pitcher Charlie Monterrosa as singles from Dylan Posencheg and Kenny Tagliareni cut it down to 3-1 with one gone. Knocks by Andrew Mazzone and Derek Smith surrounded a flyout to center for Kaden Sigmon. Matthew Torres then tied the game with a two-run hit to right leaving things tied through three.

Dickinson took their first lead of the contest two batters into the fourth as Christian Kim smacked a two-bagger to right, before Posencheg cleared the bags with a two-run blast to left. That brought Ryan Anderson into the game from the pen and he retired the next three batters to limit the damage. Hopkins chipped into the deficit during the last of the fifth when Matthew Cooper went yard off of Walker. Joey Sangiuolo then entered the game with one out and got the first man he faced to pop up to first. However, the Jays would load the bases with two singles and a hit batter, but Sangiuolo said "NO" by getting James Stevens to swing through strike three.

The Red and White opened the lead up to 7-4 two batters into the sixth when Posencheg ripped his second homer of the game, before Nathan Bowman touched 'em all with a blast to left. Nicolas Jos replaced Anderson on the hill with one gone and allowed a single to Mazzone, but then retired the next two men to end the threat. The Devils then put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh as an error, walk and hit batter loaded the pillows for Posencheg. He would square-off with another new pitcher as Hyunwoo Roh came in from the pen and recorded a strikeout. However, the next man into the box was Bowman and he delivered in a big way with a Grand Slam over the left-field wall to make it 11-4 through seven.

Pat Metzger would be the man tasked with getting the Devils home in game one as he took over with one gone in the eighth, before getting back-to-back flyouts to end the frame. Then in the ninth, he setdown the first two men, before a walk, a single and a DC error allowed two men to score. Stevens would watch strike three go by to force the "winner take all" game two.

Game Two - #1 Blue Jays 13, DEVILS 8
Time of Game - 2:58
Pitching Decision
W - Matt Savedoff (7-0) | L - Charlie Bien (1-3)

Inside the Game
Devils starter Charlie Bien ran into trouble early as he allowed five of the first six men to single scoring two and leaving the bases loaded for Cyr. A balk would let the third of the frame come in and still have two in scoring position. After Cyr eventually struck out Stevens legged out an infield single to make 4-0 through just the top of the first. Mazzone and Sigmon would record singles in the bottom-half off of Savedoff, but a popout and strikeout ended the frame. Dickinson, however, did find runs in the second as Ryan Thompson opened things up with a walk, before two flyouts were induced by the Jays pitcher. After a Bowman single put two on base, Tagliareni ripped an RBI double to right scoring one, which was followed by a two-run double by Mazzone pulling DC to within 4-3. Sigmon completed the comeback with the third two-bagger of the inning to make it 4-4 through two. Unfortunately, for the Red and White the Blue Jays had a quick response as Shawn Steuerer ledoff the third with a solo home run. Hopkins added one more during the frame as Myers singled with one down, before a stolen base and error allowed a sac fly by Cyr to drive him in for the 6-4 lead entering the fourth.

After both sides went down "one-two-three" in the fourth, each team recorded two baserunners during the fifth but were unable to get any across home plate. With two away and one on in the top of the sixth Peyton Fox replaced Bien on the mound and he got Cooper to look at strike three to retire the side. The home team would use three different pitchers to navigate around the Devils offense in the sixth. The Blue Jays had the first three batters reach during the top of the seventh to score one, before two walks helped to load the bases with one out. Ethan Hamilton then came into the game for Fox and he surrendered an RBI single to left making it 8-4, before inducing an inning-ending double-play. Dickinson pulled one back in the home-half when Derek Smith waved "bye-bye" to a ball over the right-field wall. 

Unfortunately, for the Red and White the Blue Jays put things out of reach during the eighth when with one down two singles and a double let one run score and leave two on base. A walk and fielder's choice allowed by new DC arm Thomas Marshman filled the cushions for Cyr who ripped a grand slam to center pushing it to 13-5. Dickinson used singles by Tagliareni and Mazzone to set the stage for an RBI two-bagger from Sigmon to trim it down to 13-6 after eight. Then during "last call" for the Devils Torres singled to begin the frame, which was followed by a double to right off the stick of Thompson plating the seventh for DC. Kim was next and watched Thompson take third, before producing a sacrifice fly to center scoring Thompson. Posencheg and Bowman were then retired to end the game.

The On-Deck Circle
Dickinson (25-18-1) unfortunately wraps up a historic season that saw the Devils advance not only to the postseason, but to the championship series for the first under Head Coach Craig Hanson. The Red and White will be expected to contend again next year as they will return a solid core and will welcome in some promising new talent.  Read Full Article