Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Cornell (Game 1)
Baseball Splits Doubleheader at Cornell; Clinch Gehrig Division Title
April 30, 2004 | Baseball
April 30, 2004
Box Score
Ithaca, N.Y. - With the Gehrig Division title and a shot for the Ivy League Championship in sight, the Princeton baseball team removed all doubt by winning the first game Friday of a doubleheader against Cornell. In the first game, each Princeton starter had a hit, led by junior B.J. Szymanski's five, as the Tigers posted a 14-2 win. In the second game, a Princeton comeback fell short as the Big Red posted a 7-5 win.
The win in the first game clinched Princeton's ninth straight Gehrig Division crown and its ensuing trip to the Ivy League Championship Series, which will be contested next weekend at the home of the winner of the Red Rolfe Division, either Dartmouth or Harvard.
Game 1 started well for the Tigers as Princeton scored three runs in the first inning and six in the second to jump ahead 9-2 after Cornell plated a pair in the opening inning. In the first inning, senior Steve Young and junior Adam Balkan led off with back-to-back walks, and then Young scored when Szymanski placed a double just over the third baseman and along the left field line. After Cornell recorded the first out of the inning, junior Will Venable singled through the right side to score both Balkan and Szymanski. In the second inning the Tigers built on their lead with six runs on seven hits and two walks. Cornell's Dan Baysinger was able to retire the first Tiger of the inning but six straight singles followed as Princeton distanced itself from Cornell and chased Baysinger from the game. Sophomore Matthew Becker started it off with single to right field. Young singled to put two on and an infield single by Balkan loaded the bases for Szymanski who this time sent a chopper throught the right side to score two runs. Sophomore Andrew Salini followed that with an RBI-single that scored Balkan. Venable then hit his second single of the game to score Szymanski. A walk to senior Tim Lahey loaded the bases and Salini scored when senior Ryan Reich hit into a fielder's choice. The final run of the inning came when freshman Sal Iacono dropped a single into shallow left field.
Princeton added two more runs in the fourth to lengthen its lead to 11-2. With one out, Becker reached on a fielding error at third base. Young reached on a fielder's choice, then Balkan and Szymanski hit back-to-back singles with Szymanski's scoring Young for his fourth RBI of the game. It was Szymanski's fifth hit of the game. Balkan then came home when Salini reached on a fielding error. The Tigers made it 12-2 when Young's sac fly in the fifth scored Lahey, who had walked to reach base. Princeton added two more runs in the sixth inning to make it a 14-2 final.
Szymanski finished the contest going 5-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Salini and Balkan each posted three hits in the game while Venable and senior Ryan Reich each had two. Venable had three RBIs, while Lahey added a pair. Of Princeton's 20 hits, 18 were singles, while the other two were doubles.
Freshman Gavin Fabian cruised from there allowing just two Cornell runs on six hits as he lowered his ERA to 3.36 and is now 4-2 on the season through six innings. Junior Worth Lumry pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
In Game 2, Cornell jumped to an early 1-0 lead in the opening inning when William Pauly's sac fly scored Seth Gordon. The Big Red tacked on two more runs on David Bredhoff's two-run double in the fourth and a run on Kaleb Hutchinson's sac fly in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead.
Princeton chipped a pair of runs off the Cornell lead in the sixth to make it 4-2. After a leadoff walk, Young reached on a fielder's choice and advanced on senior Eric Fitzgerald's sharp single to right field. After Cornell recorded the second out of the inning, Lahey dropped a bloop single into left center to score Young and move Fitzgerald to second. Another single, this time off the bat of Balkan then plated Fitzgerald for the second run of the inning. Iacono drew a walk in the following at bat but the Tigers could not push across another run in the inning. Princeton also loaded the bases again in the seventh inning but the Cornell pitchers were able to work out of the jam and maintain the two-run lead.
Cornell extended its lead by a run to 5-2 in the seventh inning when a single, a stolen base, a Princeton error and a Tiger balk plated Matt Miller. Cornell used three singles in the eighth inning to make it a 7-2 score entering the final inning.
Princeton made things interesting in the ninth. After retiring the first batter, Cornell found trouble as Young drew a walk. A double by Fitzgerald moved him to third and both runners scored on Szymanski's triple to right field. Lahey then doubled to plate Szymanski and make the score 7-5 where it would finish.
Sophomore Erik Stiller pitched six innings and allowed four runs, three of which were earned, on six hits. He walked one and struck out three. Junior Brian Kappel came on for the seventh and pitched the final two innings. He allowed three runs on four hits.
Princeton returns to action on Sunday afternoon when they host Cornell for a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.