Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
William & Mary
Tigers Fall at William & Mary 7-4 in Baseball
March 12, 2005 | Baseball
March 12, 2005
Box Score
Williamsburg, Va. - A four-run sixth inning for William & Mary broke open a 2-1 game and lifted the Tribe to a 7-4 win over the Princeton baseball team Saturday afternoon at Plumeri Park. Senior Will Venable went 4 for 4 in the game with a home run, double and two singles. The Tigers fell to 0-4 with the loss and will look to bounce back when the series concludes tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Both pitchers cruised through the first four innings only allowing a few base runners. Princeton starter, sophomore Gavin Fabian allowed hits in both the first and second innings, but a pair double plays erased those chances. One of them came on a great throw from junior left-fielder Adam Balkan to catch William & Mary's lead-off hitter trying to get back to first after a line out. Princeton's only hit through the first four innings came when Venable legged out an infield hit in the first. In his next at bat, he recorded the Tigers second hit of the game by drilling a solo homer over the wall in right field for his first home run of the season.
William & Mary took the lead in the bottom of the inning. With one away, Jeff Lunardi singled through the right side. Fabian got a fly out from the next batter, but a two-out home run from Kyle Padgett to left field scored Lunardi and put the Tribe up 2-1.
William & Mary tacked on four runs in the sixth inning to make the score 6-1. Mike DeCarlo started the two-out rally with a solo homer to right center. Back-to-back singles put two on and both scored when Greg Maliniak doubled to right center. Maliniak then scored when Padgett doubled in the next at bat.
The Tigers chipped one of the runs off the lead in the seventh. A walk by junior Andrew Salini and singles from Venable, his third hit of the game, and junior Zach Wendkos loaded the bases. Salini then scored on an RBI-groundout off the bat of junior Stephen Wendell.
Princeton closed the Tribe lead to 6-4 in the eighth inning with a pair of runs. Balkan reached second on an error by centerfielder Chris Rahl. He scored on a single through the right side by Salini to make it 6-3. After another single through the right side by junior Ryan Eldridge, Venable recorded his fourth hit of the game, a double to left center, to score Salini. Eldridge was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
William & Mary got a run back in the eighth inning as the Tribe led off the inning with two singles. The third batter was Lunardi and he doubled off the wall in right field to score a run.
Fabian pitched six innings and allowed six runs on 11 hits. He struck out two and fell to 0-1 with the loss. Freshman Steven Miller came on in the seventh in his first collegiate appearance and threw a scoreless inning. Freshman Reid Peyton came in for the eighth, and after allowing three hits and a run to start the inning, got three grounders to get out of the inning. Michael LaFleur pitched eight innings for the Tribe and allowed four runs on eight hits. Joe Mante pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.
The two teams complete the three-game series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.