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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Cornell - Game 2
Baseball Earns Gehrig Division Title; Will Host Ivy Championship Series Next Weekend
May 02, 2003 | Baseball
May 2, 2003
Box Score
Princeton, N.J. - The Princeton baseball team earned the Ivy League's Gehrig Division title with a 19-2 win in Game 2 of a doubleheader against Cornell Friday afternoon at Clarke Field. Cornell won the opener 2-0, but the Princeton bats came alive in the nightcap, posting 19 runs on 15 hits against the Big Red. Adam Balkan and Will Venable led the way for Princeton. Balkan was 3-for-6 with four runs, four RBIs and a home run while Venable went 3-for-5 with the three RBIs and three runs.
By clinching the title, Princeton will advance to the Ivy League championship series, held next weekend at Clarke Field. The Tigers will host as the Gehrig Division had a better head-to-head record with the Red Rolfe Division. Princeton will not know its opponent until either tomorrow or Sunday depending upon how the games in the Dartmouth/Harvard series work out. In Game 1, Cornell starting pitcher Dan Baysinger held the Tigers at bay, tossing seven scoreless innings for his fifth win of the season. Six Tigers registered hits but Princeton was unable to string them together for a run. Ryan Quillian took the loss and is now 5-4.
In the second game, Princeton wasted little time setting the tone, scoring six runs in the second inning. With two outs, Princeton put a rally together, sparked by a solo home run off the bat of Balkan. Venable singled and advanced to second when Mike Chernoff was hit by a pitch. Eric Fitzgerald then singled through the right side to score Venable and move Chernoff to second. Steve Young was then plunked by a pitch, which loaded the bases for B.J. Szymanski. Szymanski continued the inning with a bases-clearing triple to right center. Jon Miller followed it up with a double that scored Szymanski.
The Tigers added five more runs in the fourth. With an out, Miller and Eldridge walked. Tim Lahey doubled to score Miller and advance Eldridge to third. After a Cornell pitching change, Balkan reached on a fielder's choice but Eldridge was called out trying to score. Venable walked to load the bases and Chernoff walked to score Lahey from third. Fitzgerald then walked to score Balkan and keep the bases loaded. Young collected the final two RBIs of the inning with a single up the middle to score Venable and Chernoff.
The Tigers stretched their lead to 15-2 in the fifth. Miller led off with a walk and moved to second when Andrew Salini reached on an error. Lahey walked, then Miller scored when Balkan singled through the left side. Venable then tripled to score two runs as Balkan and Salini crossed home and the final run came when Venable scored on a groundout from Chernoff.
Princeton's final four runs came in the eighth inning. Once again with two outs, Ryan Reich was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a walk by Salini. Zach Wendkos then singled to load the bases up for Balkan. Balkan responded with a double to left center that scored Reich and Salini. Venable then singled to score Wendkos and Balkan came home on a wild pitch to close out the game with a score of 19-2.
David Boehle pitched six innings, in which he allowed eight hits and two runs, to earn his fourth win of the season. Bill Broome, Worth Lumry and Thomas Pauly each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
Princeton returns to action Sunday afternoon for a doubleheader at Cornell to complete the Ivy League regular season.