Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Brown (Game 2)
Baseball Sweeps Brown with 4-0 and 12-6 Wins
April 05, 2005 | Baseball
April 5, 2005
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Providence, R.I. - For the second time in as many days, the Princeton baseball team was forced to play its scheduled home games away form Clarke Field, and for the second day in a row, the Tigers overcame it with Monday's sweep of Brown in Providence. Junior Erik Stiller allowed three hits in a 4-0 shutout in the first game and junior Stephen Wendell had six RBIs on the day, including three in the second game.
Princeton (9-11, 4-0 Ivy) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning of the opener and gave Stiller all the cushion he would need as he improved to 3-1 on the season. He allowed just three hits over six innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters. He did not allow a run for the second consecutive game and has a 21-inning scoreless streak dating back three games. His ERA fell to 2.10 to lead all Princeton pitchers.
Princeton's offense in the first game got it going with a two-run second. With one out, senior Adam Balkan and sophomore Sal Iacono hit consecutive singles to left field. A third single by junior Zach Wendkos through the left side loaded the bases for Wendell who singled through the right side to score two runs. The Tigers tacked on an additional run in the fourth. Iacono hit a one-out double and scored on Wendell's second hit of the game, a single up the middle. Princeotn also added a run in the fifth to reach the 4-0 final. Senior Will Venable hit a one-out double to right center and scored when sophomore Andrew Salini singled up the middle.
In Game 2, Princeton broke a 6-6 tie with a six-run eighth inning en route to a 12-6 win. The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Venable hit a one-out single up the middle and went to third on Salini's infield single. Junior Ryan Eldridge followed that up with a single to left field that scored Venable. A Balkan single then scored Salini and Eldridge came around to score when Wendell drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Tigers an early 3-0 lead.
The lead quickly disappeared however, as Brown (5-11, 0-2 Ivy) posted three runs in the top of the second to knot the score up and then pulled ahead 4-3 with a run in the third inning. The Tigers regained the lead with two runs in the fifth to make the score 5-4. Eldridge led off with a home run to right field, his seventh of the season and second in as many days, and then a double by Wendell scored junior Zach Wendkos who had reached on a walk.
The see-saw game continued with Brown scoring twice in the seventh to make the score 6-5 in their favor, but a Balkan single and Wendell's second double of the game put another Tiger run on the board in the bottom of the seventh and evened the score at 6-6.
Princeton finally put the game out of reach with a six-run outburst in the eighth. Sophomore Aaron Prince drew a leadoff walk and a Venable double then put runners at second and third. Salini then came up and singled through the left side, scoring Prince and putting the Tigers up. The next batter was Eldridge and he grounded into a double play, but Balkan followed that with a triple to center that scored Venable. He then scored when Iacono doubled to right center. Wendkos continued the rally with a single that scored Iacono and after Wendell reached on an error, freshman Spencer Lucian hit an-RBI single through the right side to cap the rally.
Sophomore Eric Walz started the game and pitched six and two-thirds innings. All six runs were charged to him, but one was unearned. He allowed seven hits and struck out two. Freshman Steven Miller pitched an inning and a third to pick up his second win of the week and senior Brian Kappel closed out the win with a scoreless ninth.
Princeton returns to action on Thursday afternoon with a 3:30 game at Monmouth.