Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Pennsylvania (Game 1)
Last Inning Comeback Gives Baseball 6-5 Win In Game 1 at Penn
April 17, 2005 | Baseball
April 17, 2005
Box Score
Philadelphia, Pa. - A two-out, two-run rally in the top of the seventh inning helped the Princeton baseball team to a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over Penn in the first game of an Ivy League doubleheader at Penn's Murphy Field. Junior Andrew Salini and sophomores Aaron Prince and Sal Iacono each had a pair of RBIs in the win, including two from Salini in the top of the seventh to win the game.
Princeton (12-17, 6-5 Ivy) opened the scoring with a run in the third inning. Junior Zach Wendkos hit a leadoff infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error on the play. Following a walk to junior Matthew Becker, Wendkos scored when Prince singled through the right side.
Penn (10-20, 7-8 Ivy) took the lead with three runs in the fourth inning to make the score 3-1. With one away, Bryan Graves singled to left center. He scored when Sean Abate, the next batter, homered over the wall in center field. Spencer Witte then singled through the left side. He reached second on a passed ball and scored an unearned run on Evan Sobel's single through the right side.
Princeton answered Penn's three-run fourth with a run in the fifth to make it a one-run game. With an out, Wendkos, junior Stephen Wendell and Becker hit consecutive singles to load the bases. That brought up Prince, who hit a sac fly to right field to score the run. Penn extended the lead in the bottom-half of the inning on the Quakers' second two-run home run of the game. Kyle Armeny hit a one-out double to right field and after he was pinch-run for by Alex Nwaka, Nate Moffie hit a home run just inside the left-field foul pole.
Princeton bounced back in the sixth to make the score 5-4. Back-to-back walks to start the inning put senior Will Venable and Salini on base. The pair advanced to second and third on senior Adam Balkan's groundout and both scored when Iacono doubled off the left field wall.
The Tigers jumped ahead with a dramatic top of the seventh. With two outs, Prince walked on a full count and went to third on Venable's single to right field. Both Prince and Venable scored when Salini singled to left center to put Princeton up 6-5.
Penn threatened in the bottom of the seventh with a walk and a hit but could not push across a run.
Erik Stiller pitched six innings in the . He allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on seven hits. He walked no batters and struck out three. Stiller improved to 5-1 and senior Brian Kappel pitched a scoreless seventh to earn his fourth save of the year.
Bill Kirk pitched five and two-thirds innings for Penn and allowed four runs on six hits and five walks. Dan Finkelstein came on in the sixth to get the final out and keep the score 5-4. Andy Console, in for the save, got two outs, and had two strikes on Prince, but surrendered two runs on two hits to take the loss.