Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Columbia (Game 1)
Record Setting Afternoon Lifts Baseball to Sweep at Columbia
April 17, 2004 | Baseball
April 17, 2004
Box Score
New York - It was a record-setting afternoon for Princeton Saturday as the Tigers posted a pair of wins over Columbia at Andy Coakley Field. The Tigers won the games by scores of 10-9 and 23-9, setting a Princeton record for runs in a doubleheader. Additionally, senior Tim Lahey hit three home runs in the second game to set a Tiger record for homers in a game.
Princeton jumped out to a 9-1 lead after three innings in the first game only to have Columbia rally to tie the game at nine with three runs in the fifth and four in the in the bottom of the seventh. That sent the game to extra innings where Princeton strung together two singles, a groundout and a sac fly to plate the go ahead run, and junior Brian Kappel held Columbia at bay in the bottom of the ninth to capture the win and improve to 2-2. The Tigers chased Columbia starter Brian Doveala in the first inning with six runs on four hits and a walk. The big hits in the inning included an RBI single by junior Will Venable and a pair of RBI-doubles by Lahey and freshman Sal Iacono. Princeton added two more runs in the second and one in the third coming on a solo home run by senior Steve Young. It was his first home run of the season.
Young led Princeton in Game 1 with three hits. Junior B.J. Szymanski, Lahey, sophomore Stephen Wendell and Iacono each recorded two hits. Wendell led off the ninth with a single which started the game-winning rally. After his hit, freshman Aaron Prince came in to pinch run, sophomore Matthew Becker singled to put two on and both runners advanced when Young grounded out. That brought up junior Adam Balkan with one out and he hit a sac fly to left field that scored Prince.
Junior Ross Ohlendorf started the first game and pitched five innings. He allowed five runs on six hits while striking out seven. After he left Kappel came on and allowed Columbia to knot the game up, but persevered through nine innings and posted the win.
Game 2 started like the first game with the Tigers jumping out to a big lead early, but unlike the opener, the Tigers held onto the lead as they pounded out 23 runs on 19 hits to improve to 6-6 in Ivy League play. After spotting Columbia a run in the first inning, Princeton put together a three-run second and a five-run third inning to jump to an 8-2 lead that would not be relinquished.
Lahey led the Tigers on the afternoon, going 4-for-6 with three homeruns, a single, a walk and five RBIs. In the doubleheader, he went a combined 6-for-10 with seven RBIs. He also set a Princeton record for home runs in a game. His three set the previous record of two, which was accomplished 22 times in the history of Princeton baseball.
Behind Lahey's performance, it was a career day for Prince as he went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a pair of runs. Sophomore Andrew Salini and Balkan also record multiple hits, each had three. Szymanski, Balkan and senior Eric Fitzgerald each added a pair of RBIs, and every Tiger that started the game posted a hit and each player reached base at least once.
Sophomore Erik Stiller improved to 3-2 with the win. He pitched six and a third innings and allowed eight runs, five of which were earned, on 13 hits. Junior Worth Lumry and freshman Michael Zaret both pitched in relief to close out the win.
Princeton continues its weekend again tomorrow with another doubleheader at Columbia.