Box Score The Misericordia University baseball team dropped a tough 10-5 decision to top-ranked Johns Hopkins in the opening game of the D-III World Series, Friday in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Post-game press conference

The Cougars led throughout the contest, but the Blue Jays rallied for six unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Joe Comins had two hits to lead the Cougars and Brendan Gray, Jason Sanfilippo and Jack Regenye all had RBI.

The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second when Comins singled with one out and was replaced when Maryniak reached on a fielder's choice.  Gray reached on the first of eight JHU errors and  Sanfilippo singled to left center to plate MU's first run.  Sanfilippo stole second and Gray came home on a throwing error to make it 2-0.

Garrett McIlhenney singled through the right side to start the third inning and extend his on-base streak to 53 straight games.  Bollinger reached on a soft liner to left, but both runners were stranded.

Johns Hopkins got back-to-back doubles to cut MU's lead in half in the bottom of the third, but the Cougars got the run back in the fourth.

Maryniak reached on an error to start the inning and moved up Gray's sacrifice bunt.  Sanfilippo grounded to second to advance Maryniak and Regenye beat out a bunt single to make it 3-1.

Madden was hit by a pitch to start the fifth and moved to second when Comins reached on an error.  Both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt and Gray made it 4-1 with an RBI-ground out.

Hopkins got a run back in the bottom of the frame, but the Cougars turned an inning-ending double play to avoid further damage.

Misericordia stole three bases in the top of the sixth but again left two runners on base.

Comins opened the seventh with an infield single and Maryniak was safe when his sacrifice bunt was misplayed.  Gray's bunt single loaded the bases and Comins later scored on a throwing error to give MU a 5-2 lead.

Hopkins loaded the bases on three singles in the bottom of the seventh and used a hit by pitch and sacrifice fly to cut MU's lead to 5-4.

The Blue Jays took advantage of a pair of two-out errors and had a call over-turned on video review to plate six runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 10-5 lead.

Maryniak one-hopped a single off the wall in left with one out in the ninth and Gray drew a four-pitch walk, both runners were stranded.

Misericordia will play an elimination game against the Endicott Saturday at 11:00 a.m.