Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Clemson (NCAA Regionals)
Baseball Falls To Clemson In 10 Innings
May 31, 2003 | Baseball
May 31, 2003
Final Stats?|? Quotes
Auburn, Ala. - The Princeton baseball team dropped a heartbreaking 7-6 ten-inning game to Clemson in the Auburn Regional of the 2003 NCAA Baseball Tournament. Princeton rallied three times to tie the game but was unable to draw even after Clemson went ahead in the tenth inning.
The loss eliminates Princeton from the tournament. The Tigers completed the season at 27-23. The 27 wins ranked second in the program's history for wins in a season.
Princeton threatened in the first inning, getting two runners on base as Steve Young led off with a single and Ryan Eldridge was hit by a pitch. However Clemson pitcher Tyler Lumsden was able to work out of the inning with a strikeout. Clemson was able to break through and take an early 2-0 lead with a two-out rally in the third inning. Garrick Evans doubled to right center and scored when Zane Green singled up the middle. Green stole second and scored when Michael Johnson doubled to the wall in right center.
Princeton chipped a run off the Clemson lead in the bottom-half of the third inning when B.J. Szymanski connected on a two-out pitch and placed it over the scoreboard in left-center. It was Szymanski's third home run of the season.
Clemson regained its two-run lead in its next at-bat. Clemson loaded the bases with back-to-back singles and a fielding error by third baseman Jon Miller. Pitcher Ross Ohlendorf was then able to strikeout a batter, get a fielder's choice and another strikeout to escape the inning with only one Clemson runner crossing the plate.
Princeton answered right back in the bottom of the fourth by putting its first three batters on base. Ryan Eldridge led off with a single to right center and advanced to second when Tim Lahey singled through the right side. A bloop single over the third baseman by Ryan Reich loaded the bases with no outs. Andy Salini then grounded out to second to score Eldridge and make the score 3-2. After another groundout, Eric Fitzgerald singled up the middle to score Lahey, but the inning ended when Reich was thrown out at home by the center fielder.
Clemson regained the lead in the sixth inning. Russell Triplett had a one-single and then stole second. An out later, he scored when Steve Pyzik singled to left field.
Princeton continued its trend of coming back by evening the score at 4-4 in the seventh inning. Eric Fitzgerald led off with a triple to the wall in right center and scored when Steve Young hit a sacrifice fly to left field.
Clemson went ahead 6-4 in the top of the ninth by stringing together a walk, two bunts for base-hits and a passed ball. That set the stage for a dramatic bottom-half of the inning where Princeton would strike twice to send the game to extra innings.
With one out, pinch hitter Adam Balkan reached an error by the second baseman. Young then doubled down the left field line to score Balkan. Szymanski then grounded out, advancing Young to third. He scored on the next play as Miller doubled to the gap in left center.
Clemson went ahead for good in the tenth. Triplett was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a single and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Princeton came up in the tenth and put its first two batters on base, looking to even the score up. Lahey was hit by the first pitch of the inning and advanced to second when pinch hitter Mark Grayson worked a walk. That brought up Salini, who swung at the first pitch and smoked a line drive right at the third baseman, who then fired to the second baseman to double-up Lahey.
Ohlendorf pitched six innings, allowing four runs, three of which were earned, while striking out eight, one below his career high set earlier this season against Oklahoma State. Thomas Pauly pitched the final four innings and absorbed the loss.