BALTIMORE, Md. -
Alex Henderson had a two-homer game in the Super Regionals for the second year in a row, breaking the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps record for homers in a season with 22, but Johns Hopkins used a seven-run fifth to overcome a 6-0 deficit and take an 11-7 win over the Stags in the third and decisive game of the Super Regionals on a rainy Saturday evening.
The loss ends the CMS season at 35-15 on the year, as the Stags tied the program record for wins in a season set last year. CMS also won a regional for the second year in a row, and won a game in the Super Regional round for the first time. Johns Hopkins advances to the Division III Championships next week in Eastlake, Ohio.
Henderson broke the career record (39) and tied the single-season record (20) in a 10-9 win in the second game of yesterday's first round in Super Regionals. On Saturday, his two-run shot in the second inning put the Stags ahead 3-0, while
Rider Gordon went back-to-back to make it 4-0, as both homers hit off the video board in left-center field.
Josh Jacobs added an RBI single in the third, and
Blaise Heher had an RBI single in the fifth to stretch the lead to 6-0. Johns Hopkins cut the deficit to 6-1 before the first of two 45-minute rain delays, and when play resumed, the Blue Jays were able to score six more runs, all with two outs, to go ahead 7-6.
A two-run double in the seventh stretched the lead to 9-6, before Henderson hit his second long ball of the game, pushing him up to 22 homers this season and 41 in only two seasons with the Stags. He also now has 15 career home runs in 13 career NCAA Tournament games, after hitting 11 in seven games last year, including two three-homer games in the regionals and a two-homer game in the second game of Super Regionals against Endicott.
Johns Hopkins got some insurance with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, and CMS was able to get the first two runners on in the ninth to put some pressure on the Blue Jays, but Kieren Collins got the final three outs for the save and the ticket to nationals.
Kody Perry started for the Stags after throwing 90 pitches yesterday and threw three no-hit innings in his final collegiate appearance.
Charlie Hynes struck out two in relief in the eighth inning.
Bryce Didrickson was 2-for-5 to finish the season with a program-record 82 hits on the season, while batting .418. He was part of a senior class that won 130 games in four years, while the previous best in program history prior to their arrival was 113. As a team, the Stags also set a new program record with 107 home runs in a season, which leads the nation.
CMS will return a strong nucleus as it will try to get back to the national stage next year, led by Henderson, and All-SCIAC members
Max Pemberton,
Dillon Martin,
Rider Gordon and
Carter Bennett.
