Princeton University
Dartmouth (Ivy League Championship Series-Game 1)
Baseball Wins Ivy League Championship
May 08, 2004 | Baseball
May 8, 2004
Box Score
Hanover, N.H. - Freshman Aaron Prince's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning scored a run and lifted the Princeton baseball team to a 5-4 win over Dartmouth in 10 innings. That, coupled with a 14-3 win in the first game, gave Princeton its second consecutive Ivy title and fourth in five years.
Princeton scored one run in the first inning to jump to an early 1-0 lead in Game 1. Senior Steve Young led off with a walk. He stole second then went to third on junior B.J. Szymanski's groundout. Young then scored when sophomore Andrew Salini drove a double to left-center that one-hopped the wall. The Tigers extended the lead with a pair of runs in the third inning. With two outs, Szymanski walked and then stole second for Salini's second RBI-double off the wall in left center. That scored Szymanski and the Salini scored when junior Will Venable ripped a linedrive single in between Dartmouth's third baseman and the bag. Venable was thrown out at second going for a double. Senior Tim Lahey made the score 4-0 in favor of the Tigers on a monster solo home run to left center to lead off the fourth inning. It was his seventh homer of the season.
Dartmouth chipped a run off the Tiger lead in the fifth on a walk and a single but the Tigers got back the run and more in the sixth. Venable led off with a single to right field and after stealing both second and third, he scored on senior Ryan Reich's sixth homer of the season. The homer was shot down the left field line that went into the evergreens that tower over the left field wall.
The Big Green got both runs right back in the bottom of the sixth. Both runs scored on a bases loaded single by Tom Myette through the right side. That however, was as close as Dartmouth would get as Princeton added eight more runs in the top of the ninth to take an 14-3 lead.
Young reached base to lead off when he was hit on the arm by a pitch. Balkan then reached on a fielding error two put two on with no outs. Szymanski then singled through the right side to score Young. Salini then singled to center to score Balkan for his third RBI-hit of the game. Venable then singled to the same spot in center and plated Szymanski. After a strikeout and an intentional walk to Reich, the bases were loaded for freshman Sal Iacono, who singled into left field to score two runs. Young was then hit for the second time in the inning to reload the bases. Reich then scored on a wild pitch and Iacono and Young scored on Balkan's single.
Junior Ross Ohlendorf pitched seven strong innings for the Tigers allowing three runs on eight hits. He walked six and tied a career high with nine strikeouts. He improved to 6-3 with the win. Junior Brian Kappel came on relief and pitched two scoreless innings to earn his eighth save of the season and seal the Tiger win.
Game 2 started quickly as each pitcher mowed through the first two innings. Dartmouth broke through first in the top of the third inning when with two outs the Big Green strung together three singles to make it 1-0. Dartmouth could have added more but Princeton starter Gavin Fabian picked off the lead runner to end the inning. The Big Green however continued in the fourth inning with two additional runs, taking advantage of a Tiger error and a well-placed single, to make it 3-0 Dartmouth.
Princeton rallied back to make it a 3-2 game in the bottom-half of the third inning. With one away, Szymanski walked and advanced to second and third on back-to-back single by Salini and Venable, which loaded the bases. Lahey then hit into a groundout to score Szymanski and put the Tigers on the scoreboard. Senior Eric Fitzgerald then hit a grounder towards first, but a fielding error left him safe at first and scored Salini to make it a one-run game.
Dartmouth regained a two-run lead in the fifth inning when the Big Green took advantage of a Princeton error to score its third unearned run of the game on Myette's second RBI-single of the game. The Tigers had a strong opportunity to knot the game up in the sixth inning when a leadoff single by Balkan, followed by a double by Szymanski put runners on second and third with no outs, but Dartmouth pitcher Josh Faiola was able to strike out the side to stop the Princeton threat. Princeton also got the two lead batters on base in the seventh inning but a failed sac bunt with the runners going resulted in a double play and pretty much ended that Princeton threat.
Dartmouth threatened in the eighth inning getting runners to second and third with only one out, but Fabian managed to get a strikeout for the second out of the inning and his right fielder Salini saved him for the third out with a diving catch on Will Bashelor's dropping liner in right center.
Princeton threatened again in the eighth and broke through with a run to make it 4-3. Balkan led off the inning with a double to left field. The ball bounced off the wall and into the glove of Dartmouth left fielder Scott Shirrell but Balkan was safe at second. Dartmouth got the next two batters out, but a single to center by Venable scored Balkan to make it 4-3. Lahey was then hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second but a diving snag by third baseman Myette on a liner by Fitzgerald ended the inning with Dartmouth ahead by a run.
Princeton took out all stops in the ninth and came through to tie the game at 4-4 and second it to extra innings. Iacono led off with a double down the left field line. He was pinch runs for by freshman Aaron Prince who went to second when Reich, a pinch-hitter, singled throught the left side. Young then legged out an infield single to score Prince and knot the game at 4-4. That left two on with no outs but Dartmouth was able to get a fielder's choice and then an inning-ending double play to end the inning.
Dartmouth loaded the bases in the 10th but couldn't score as Kappel came on to get the third and final, a strikeout looking on four pitchers. Princeton loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th and did not let it slip away. Salini led off by legging out an infield single. A monster single by Venable off the wall in right field put two on and the bases were loaded when Lahey walked on four straight pitched. That set the stage for Prince, who hit a line single to left to score Salini and lift Princeton to the win.
Three years ago when Young was a senior, his pinch-hit single lifted Princeton to an Ivy title at Dartmouth, and three years later, Prince, a freshman second baseman who had enetered as a pinch runner had the game-winning hit to lift Princeton to victory.
Fabian pitched eight innings allowing four runs, only one of which was earned, on 11 hits. Freshman Eric Walz pitched a scoreless ninth inning and got two outs in the 10th, but left with the bases loaded in favor of Kappel, who got a called third strike for the final out of the inning. Kappel improved to 3-2 with the win.
Remember, the only way to get your Ivy League championship gear is through www.IvySport.com.