.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Tigers Drop Both Ends of Doubleheader at Western Carolina
March 18, 2006 | Baseball
March 18, 2006
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Princeton baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon to Western Carolina at Hennon Stadium. Princeton senior Zach Wendkos led off the top of the second inning of the first game with a solo home run, but that would be Princeton's only lead of the day as the Catamounts used a five-run fourth to pull away in Game 1, and a seven-run eighth to break open a one-run game in the nightcap.
In Game 1, Wendkos' third home run of the season game Princeton the early lead but Western Carolina used Jonathan's Greene's solo homer in the third to even the score. An inning later, WCU broke the game open with five runs. The Catamounts took advantage of three Princeton errors, a wild pitch and four singles, two of which never left the infield, in that half-inning. Ahead 6-1, the Catamounts added to their lead with four more runs in the sixth inning.
Princeton got two runs back in the seventh to reach the 10-3 final score. With two outs, senior Stephen Wendell reached on an error and went to third on an infield single by senior Matthew Becker. Freshman Derek Beckman then singled down the line to score Wendell. An infield single by junior Aaron Prince followed and it scored Becker for the final run of the game. Senior Erik Stiller took the loss as he allowed 10 runs on 11 hits in six innings. Only three of the runs were earned. Sophomore Reid Peyton pitched two hitless innings to finish the game. WCU's Tyler Sexton got the win and improved to 4-1.
The nightcap was a much closer game as only one run separated the teams at the middle of the eighth, but a seven-run outburst lifted the Catamounts to the win.
WCU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. With one out, Steven Strausbaugh hit a solo home run to left center to put the Catamounts on the scoreboard. Trey McDanield then doubled and he scored on a triple from Blake Murphy.
Princeton jumped ahead 3-2 in the third inning. Sophomore Spencer Lucian led off the inning with a single to center and went to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Freshman Dan Degeorge then singled him over to third base and Lucian scored on a single to right by Prince. A balk put runners on second and third for senior Andrew Salini and he delivered a single to left field to score both runs.
WCU regained the lead in its next at bat though as the Catamounts pushed home a pair of runs in both the third and fourth innings to go ahead 6-3. Strausbaugh had an RBI-double in the third and Barrett Shaft's double in the fourth scored two runs.
Princeton chipped off a single run in both the fifth and sixth innings to make the score 6-5. In the fifth, Salini hit his team-leading sixth home run of the season to right center, while in the sixth, Lucian scored on an RBI-groundout.
Princeton was within a run but could not get closer as WCU scored seven in the eighth to pull away. Princeton got three of the runs back in the top of the ninth as Wendkos hit a sac fly and sophomore Micah Kaplan hit an RBI-single, but Princeton could get no closer and WCU picked up the 13-8 win.
Junior Gavin Fabian took the loss for Princeton. He allowed six runs on 10 hits in 3 and two-thirds innings. Junior Michael Zaret tossed three and a third innings of scoreless relief, while the seven-run inning came against freshman Brad Gemberling. Brian McCullen earned the win for Western Carolina.
The losses drop Princeton to 3-6 on the season. So far the Tiger season has gone in streaks of three as Princeton dropped its first three games, won the middle three, and have now lost its last three. The teams conclude their series with a single game tomorrow at 1 p.m.