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Princeton University Athletics
Tigers Shut Down Navy 4-0
March 25, 2006 | Baseball
March 25, 2006
Box Score
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Freshman Derek Beckman led off Saturday's game at Navy with a walk, worked his way to third on a pair of groundouts, and scored the only run the Tigers would need on a single from senior Zach Wendkos as the Princeton baseball team snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 4-0 win against Navy. Junior Eric Walz cruised through seven innings to pick up the win.
Beckman looked at five pitches to start the game and reached first with the walk. A hit and run with freshman Dan Degeorge kept Princeton out of the double play as Beckman moved to second and DeGeorge was out at first. Another groundout to the right side of the infield pushed Beckman to third and he scored when Wendkos singled through the right side to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
That was the only run Princeton would need as Walz pitched seven scoreless innings. He allowed five hits and struck out seven to pick up his first win of 2006 and improve to 1-1 on the season.
Princeton threatened in the fifth inning as an infield single by DeGeorge loaded the bases with two outs, but Navy got senior Andrew Salini to ground out to end the threat.
An inning later, Salini found himself in the same situation. Sophomore Micah Kaplan hit a one-out single to center and ran to second when senior Matthew Becker placed a single along the left field line. Kaplan hobbled rounding second and sophomore Spencer Lucian came on to pinch run. Beckman then legged out an infield single to fill up the bases for Salini for the second time in as many innings. This time, Salini hit a high fly ball to left center that fell in the middle of the triangle between the two outfielders coming in and the shortstop running out. All three runs scored on the hit, including Beckman, who scored from first and slid around a tag at the plate.
Junior Gavin Fabian came on in the eighth inning and allowed two hits and a walk over the final two innings. He also struck out three batters. Navy starter Mitch Harris allowed all four runs and took the loss to fall to 7-1 on the season.
Princeton is now 4-10 on the season and will look to win its second in as many days when sophomore Christian Staehely takes the mound for the rubber game with Navy at 12 noon tomorrow.