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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
William & Mary
William & Mary Defeats Baseball 9-8 With Run in Bottom of Ninth
March 13, 2005 | Baseball
March 13, 2005
Box Score
Williamsburg, Va. - After Princeton battled back to tie the score 8-8 in the top of the ninth, William & Mary scored an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to take a 9-8 win over the Tiger baseball team on Sunday afternoon at Plumeri Park. Junior Andrew Salini had four hits in the game and junior Zach Wendkos had three hits, including a three-run homer in the top of the ninth.
Princeton outhit the Tribe 17-11 in the game, but seven errors in the field did in the Tigers. Salini led all Princeton hitters with four hits. junior Ryan Eldridge and Wendkos each had three, while Becker and Prince added two.
The Tigers jumped on the scoreboard early with a run in the first inning. The two-out rally began when sophomore Sal Iacono turned an 0-2 count into a walk. Salini singled through the right side to move Iacono to second and he scored on Eldridge's RBI-single through the left side of the infield. William & Mary answered back immediately in the bottom half of the inning. Will Rhymes reached on a throwing error and after stealing second, scored on Mike DeCarlo's RBI single to left field and knotted the score at one. The Tigers climbed back on top in the second with three singles to begin the inning. Senior DH Paul Ackerman singled up the middle and went to third when Wendkos lined a single into left field. Ackerman scored when Becker hit an RBI-chopper over the William & Mary third baseman.
The Tribe took the lead in the third inning with three runs. Jon Rhymes reached on an error and went to third on a hit-and-run single by Will Rhymes. The runners scored when the next batter, Chris Rahl homered to left center field. One of the three runs was unearned. William & Mary extended the lead with two runs in the fourth inning to make the score 6-2 with back-to-back RBI singles by DeCarlo and Jeff Lunardi.
The score remained the same at 6-2 for the next two innings until the Tigers chipped a run off the lead in the top of the seventh. Senior Adam Balkan reached on a fielder's choice and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. He scored when the next batter, Salini, ripped a single up the middle. The hit was Salini's fourth of the game.
William & Mary made the score 8-3 with two runs in the seventh inning. With an out, the Tribe loaded the bases, thanks to a fielding error, a walk and a hit batter. A second walk scored an unearned run and a groundout scored the second run.
The Tigers got both runs back in the eighth inning to make the score 8-5. Senior Will Venable hit a lead-off single and moved to second on a groundout. Wendkos and Becker each walked to fill the bases and Venable scored when sophomore Aaron Prince reached on an error. Wendkos scored on the next play when Balkan hit into a fielder's choice.
Princeton battled back to tie the score in the top of the ninth inning. Salini was hit by a pitch to begin the inning to reach base for the fifth time today. After a flyout, a groundout moved him to second, and he went to third when freshman Micah Kaplan singled through the right side for his first collegiate hit. That brought Wendkos, the tying run, to the plate, and he delivered by drilling an 0-2 pitch from closer Joe Mante over the wall in left center for his first homer of the season and the third of his career. The Tigers threatened to take the lead as Becker and Prince followed the homer with back-to-back singles, but the Tribe's third pitcher of the inning was able to get the final out.
Erik Stiller pitched four innings and allowed six runs on nine hits. Two of the runs were unearned and he struck out five. He made way in the fifth for senior Worth Lumry. Lumry pitched a scoreless fifth and sixth, but found trouble in the seventh, allowing two runs, one of which was unearned. Freshman Reid Peyton came on and got the final out of the seventh and allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth, but committed the error to allow the winning run to score in the ninth.
Tribe starter Patrick Kantakevich was chased in the third inning after allowing two runs on seven hits. Sean Sosonko came on in relief and pitched six and two-thirds innings. He allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits. Joe Mante came in for the save, but was unable to convert it as he allowed a run on three hits, including the home run. Peter Vernon came in to get the final out of the ninth and earned the win.
The Tigers will look for the first win of the year when they continue their Spring Break trip tomorrow afternoon at Longwood. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.