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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Rider
Baseball Defeats Rider 15-1
May 05, 2004 | Baseball
May 5, 2004
Box Score
Lawrenceville, N.J. - The Princeton baseball team scored 13 runs in the first three innings and never looked back as the Tigers posted a 15-2 win at Rider Wednesday afternoon in the team's regular season finale. Four Princeton pitchers combined to limit Rider to just one run on six hits, while offensively, four Tigers had multiple hits and four had multiple RBIs.
Princeton got the ball rolling in the first with four runs to set the tone in the game. Senior Steve Young was hit by a pitch and reached base to begin the game. Junior Adam Balkan then ripped his first of two doubles in the game to right field to score Young. After a walk to sophomore Andrew Salini, senior Tim Lahey walked to load the bases. With the bases full, junior Will Venable reached a fielder's choice to score Balkan. Venable then stole second to put runners on second and third when senior Ryan Reich ripped a linedrive single into right field. Both Salini and Venable scored on the hit. The Tigers expanded on the lead in the second with five more runs. Sophomore Matthew Becker led off with a single to center and advanced to second when Young was plunked for the second time in as many trips to the plate. Rider chanegd pitchers, then Balkan singled to score Becker. Junior B.J. Szymanski then hit a ground ball and reached on the fielder's choice. Balkan was also safe on the play and Young scored. After retiring Salini and catching Balkan attempting to steal third, Rider found trouble when Lahey tripled to the wall in left center. Venable then singled home Lahey and Venable scored when the next batter, Reich, doubled down the left field line.
Princeton added four more runs in the third inning. With one out, Young doubled to left center and scored on Balkan second double of the game. Salini walked and Lahey walked the drew back-to-back walks for the second time in the game to load the bases. Again Venable responded with a two-run single to center field, his third RBI-hit of the game. Another single by Reich scored Lahey scored and Princeton had a 13-1 lead.
The Tigers posted additional runs in the fourth and sixth innings. In the fourth, Becker hammered his fourth homerun of the season over the wall in left field and in the sixth, Szymanski's eighth triple of the season scored Balkan. Eight triples in a season sets a new Princeton record for Szymanski.
Rider's lone run came on the second pitch of the day on a solo homerun to right field. From then on the Tigers pitching was locked in as the Tigers held Rider to just six hits. Junior Matt Sullivan started the game and pitched the first three innings. He allowed one run on three hits and struck out two to improve to 2-2 on the season. Freshman Eric Walz then came on for two innings, allowing just two hits. Freshman Michael Zaret threw the sixth and seventh and did not allow a hit. Junior Aaron Herr closed the game out, pitching the final two innings and allowing just one hit.
Princeton returns to action this weekend when it visits Dartmouth for the best-of-three Ivy League Championship Series.