Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Oklahoma State (NCAA Regionals)
Tigers Fall 4-1 in NCAA Opener to No. 20 Oklahoma State
June 02, 2006 | Baseball
June 2, 2006
Box Score | Quotes
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Princeton baseball team outhit No. 20 Oklahoma State on Friday afternoon, but could not come up with the timely hit it needed as the Cowboys picked up a 4-1 win in the opening game of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional at Arkansas' Baum Stadium. Princeton senior starter Erik Stiller struck out 10 batters in the game and junior Sal Iacono hit his fourth home run of the season in the loss.
Oklahoma State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. After Cowboy starter Matt Gardner pitched around a single in the top of the first, Oklahoma State came to bat and pushed home an unearned run. Keanon Simon reached second base on a dropped fly ball in the outfield and scored on a fielder's choice.
Princeton seemed ready to jump right back into the game in the top of the second as Iacono and sophomore Micah Kaplan led off with consecutive singles through the left side. The runners were bunted over to second and third, but Gardner was able to get back-to-back strikeouts to end the Princeton threat.
Oklahoma State quickly took advantage of getting out of the half inning unscathed as the Cowboys added two runs in the bottom of the second to make the score 3-0. Jordy Mercer singled with two outs and the next batter, Matt Clarkson, hit a line drive home run down the right field line.
The Tigers looked to come right back in the top of the third as freshman Dan Degeorge hit the first pitch of the inning deep to left field, but Oklahoma State left fielder made a leap against the wall to save a sure double. Princeton was able to get on the scoreboard an inning later thank to a longball as Iacono delivered his fourth of the season. Iacono swung at the first pitch of the bat and hit it high to right center as the wind helped push it out just in front of the Baum Stadium scoreboard. Stiller had settled in from that point on his way to an eight-inning complete game performance. He struck out 10 and walked one, while allowing four runs on six hits. One of the runs was unearned.
In the fifth inning, Princeton used a two-out single by DeGeorge and a four-pitch walk to junior Aaron Prince to put two aboard. That brought up senior Andrew Salini who battled through a 10 pitch at bat, before Gardner was able to get him to pop up and end the inning.
Oklahoma State added a run in the seventh to make the score 4-1. Shelby Ford was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and he came around to score on Corey Brown's single.
The Tigers were able to put runners on in the eighth and the ninth innings but could not move the runners over as Oklahoma State held on for the win. In the eighth, DeGeorge hit a leadoff single but Corey Brown took care of two hard-hit line drives in right field.
Gardner pitched all nine innings for Oklahoma State. He allowed a run on seven hits and struck out six. The Cowboys improved to 40-18 while Princeton is now 19-25-1.
The Tigers will play the loser of tonight's game between No. 21 Arkansas and Oral Roberts tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. CT.
Notes: Andrew Salini's first-inning single was the 201st hit of his college career and tied him for first in Princeton record books with Pat Boran and Dan Arendas ... Erik Stiller's 10 strikeouts was one shy of his career high. Stiller has struck out 11 twice, last season at Brown and this year at Cornell ... Dan Degeorge's fifth inning single extended his hit streak to 12 games and tied Aaron Prince for the longest streak this season ... Sal Iacono had his third two-hit game in four NCAA tournament games.