Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Columbia (Game 1)
Princeton Baseball Completes Four-Game Sweep of Columbia
April 18, 2004 | Baseball
April 18, 2004
Box Score
New York - A pair of strong pitching performances were what was needed as the Princeton baseball team defeated Columbia 3-1 and 8-4 to complete a four-game sweep of the Lions this weekend at Andy Coakley Field. In Game 1, freshman Gavin Fabian pitched seven solid innings, allowing just one run on five hits in a 3-1 win. In the nightcap, freshman Eric Walz did the trick as held Columbia to three runs on three hits as the Tigers posted an 8-4 victory.
Senior Steve Young was one of two Tigers to post a pair of hits in the first game. Leading off in the first inning, he singled a 2-2 pitch to right field. He stole second and went to third on senior Eric Fitzgerald's flyout and scored when junior B.J. Szymanski hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield. Columbia manufactured a run in the second to knot the game up at one run apiece before Princeton scored twice in the third to go ahead for good. Fitzgerald led off with an infield single and went to second when Szymanski drew a walk. Sophomore Andew Salini then ripped a single up the middle, his second of the game, to score Fitzgerald from second and push Szymanski to third. Szymanski scored later in the inning when junior Will Venable reached on a fielder's choice.
With the two-run cushion, Fabian cruised through the final four innings allowing just three more hits. On the day he threw 81 pitches and 61 were for strikes, as he struck out four and did not walk a batter. The performance helped lower his ERA to 2.52 on the season.
In Game 2, the game went back and forth early before a six-run fifth inning put the Tigers on top for good. Princeton jumped out early scoring runs in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. With Szymanski on first with a fielder's choice, he scored when Salini doubled just inside the line in deep left field. Freshman Sal Iacono kept the rally going when he lined up the middle to score Salini.
Columbia manufactured runs in the second and third innings to tie the game at two before the Tigers jumped out on the fifth. The inning started when Young was hit by a pitch. A single by Balkan and a single by Szymanski scored Young and put runners on the corners for Salini who collected his second hit and RBI of the game with a single to right field as Balkan scored. Iacono then drew a walk to load the bases and Szymanski scored when junior Paul Ackerman hit into a fielder's choice. That left two on base for senior Ryan Reich who ripped a single through the right side, that ended up turning into a three-base error as the left fielder Ray Waters misplaced the ball. The play scored both base-runners and Reich charged around the bases to score on the play and give the Tigers the decisive 8-2 lead.
Columbia managed to chip off a run in the sixth off a homer off Walz and a run in the seventh off of junior reliever Brian Biegen but the deficit was too much to overcome as the Tigers posted the win. Walz improved to 3-2 with the win and Biegen recorded his first save of the season. Walz finished the day pitching six innings and allowing three runs on three hits on 81 pitches. Biegen pitched final three innings and allowed one run on four hits.
Salini led the Tigers on the day, going a combined 4-for-9 with three RBIs, two runs, a stolen base and his team-leading eighth double of the season.
The Tigers resume action with a pair of midweek contests of Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. Tuesday the Tigers host Monmouth at Clarke Field and Wednesday Princeton visits Seton Hall.
Complete box scores are available at goprincetontigers.com.