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Baseball Edged Out in 2015 Season Opener by No. 4 Louisiana State, 3-2
February 28, 2015 | Baseball
BOX SCORE
BATON ROUGE, La. – Despite giving nationally-ranked Louisiana State University all it could handle, the Princeton baseball team dropped its 2015 season opener at Alex Box Stadium, 3-2.
Pitching five strong innings, Chad Powers allowed three runs (one earned), while surrendering just two hits. Striking out three, Powers issued a pair of walks. Nick Donatiello and Chris Bodurian combined for three shutout innings in relief, giving up just two hits.
Unable to get to Powers in the first two innings, LSU broke through in the bottom of the third thanks to a pair of Tiger miscues. Leading off the frame, Jared Foster reached on a fielding error before later advancing to second on a balk.
Hoping to get out of the inning unscathed, Powers induced consecutive fly-outs, but Jake Fraley came up with a two-out RBI single to center, plating Foster. After stealing second, Fraley made a play for third, ultimately scoring LSU's second run on a throwing error.
Cutting the deficit in half, Princeton got a run back in the top of the fourth. With one out, Danny Hoy doubled to left field before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Driving in the Tigers' first run of year, Zack Belski singled to center to bring in Hoy.
In the bottom half of the frame, LSU's Conner Hale once again put the home team up two runs with a two-out RBI single to left. After a scoreless fifth, Billy Arendt picked the right time to belt his fourth career home run, leading off the sixth inning with a solo shot.
Still down 3-2 in the top of the seventh, Princeton threatened to pull even. With one out, Peter Owens singled through the left side. Cody Phillips promptly doubled to left, putting runners on second and third. After LSU starter Jared Poche' struck out Danny Baer, righthander Alden Cartwright came into the game to face Arendt, getting the junior to fly out to center.
In the top of the eighth, the Tigers put the lead runner on thanks to an LSU error, but Zac Person, who relieved Cartwright, got three straight outs to keep Princeton off the board. In the ninth, LSU turned to Jesse Stallings, who struck out the side to close the door on the Orange and Black's upset bid.
Owens was 2-for-4 on the day, while Belski, Arendt, Hoy and Phillips accounted for the rest of Princeton's six hits. Fraley was 2-for-4 for LSU while Hale and Zardon had a hit apiece.
Poche' improved to 3-0 on the season, allowing two runs on six hits in 6.2 innings. Cartwright, Person and Stallings combined for 2.1 hitless innings for LSU in relief.
Princeton and LSU will close out their three-game set with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 28.