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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
North Carolina
Walks, Errors Doom Baseball in 14-8 loss at North Carolina
March 16, 2004 | Baseball
March 16, 2004
Box Score
Chapel Hill, N.C. - After three days of having the bounces go its way, the Princeton baseball team had one where the opposite happened as the Tigers fell to North Carolina 14-8 Tuesday afternoon at Boshamer Field. Princeton is now 6-2 on the season and 3-2 on the Spring Break trip.
The two teams played a sloppy game after the game's start was delayed an hour to help the field dry up after rain storms swept thrrough the area earlier in the day. The two teams combined for 17 walks, seven errors and 12 unearned runs.
Princeton threatened in the first and second, having a pair of base runners in both innings. But the Tigers could not cash in with any runs. Senior Steve Young and sophomore Stephen Wendell posted hits in the first two innings. Miscues in the field and timely hitting from the Tar Heels allowed North Carolina to take an 8-0 lead through the first two innings. Only two of the eight runs were earned as the Tigers made three errors in the field. Princeton also put two runners aboard in the fifth inning but the Tigers were unable to push any runs across the plate after sophomore Matthew Becker singled and senior Eric Fitzgerald was hit by a pitch.
The Tar Heels added a run in the fifth when Marshall Hubbard hit a solo homer to center field.
In the following inning, Princeton returned the favor. Junior Adam Balkan hit a leadoff single to center field and sophomore Zach Wendkos followed it up when he crushed a ball over the left field fence for the first home run of his career to make the score 9-2 in favor of North Carolina.
UNC added five runs on two hits in the bottom of the sixth to make the lead 14-2. The Tigers got three runs back in the top of the seventh. Junior Paul Ackerman and Fitzgerald led off with back-to-back walks. Junior B.J. Szymanski singled through the right side and Ackerman was able to score when North Carolina's right fielder through away the ball. Balkan then hit a slow dribbler and with Fitzgerald running home, North Carolina's pitcher went home with the ball but the catcher couldn't handle it and Fitzgerald and Szymanski were able to score. Wendkos and freshman Aaron Prince both hit singles to reload the bases, but UNC got an inning ending double play.
Princeton added another three runs in the eighth inning to make the score 14-8. Becker led off the inning reaching on an error by the second baseman. Ackerman and Szymanski then walked to load the bases. Freshman Kevin Liao came to the plate and hit a ground ball through the right side that scored both Becker and Ackerman and moved Szymanski to third. Balkan completed the scoring when he hit an RBI groundout that scored Szymanski.
Junior Matt Sullivan started the game for Princeton and went three innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits. Three Princeton errors led to six unearned during Sullivan's innings. Sullivan took the loss and is now 0-1 on the season. Junior Chad Tongue came in the fourth and pitched three innings allowing six runs on five hits, three of the runs were unearned after an error in the field. Junior Worth Lumry entered the game to pitch the final two innings and allowed no runs on one hit.
Princeton continues its road trip tomorrow afternoon at North Carolina at 3 p.m.