.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Columbia
Players Mentioned
Princeton Baseball Splits Saturday Doubleheader Against Columbia
April 11, 2015 | Baseball
BOX SCORE 1
BOX SCORE 2
PRINCETON, N.J. – The Princeton University baseball team opened a four-game set with Gehrig Division rival Columbia University by splitting a Saturday doubleheader on Clarke Field.
Earning a 4-3 walk-off win on a Mat DeNunzio single in the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers took the first game of the series before dropping the nightcap, 10-4. Princeton and Columbia will resume action with a twinbill on Sunday, Apr. 12 at 12 p.m.
GAME 1: PRINCETON 4, COLUMBIA 3
Down 1-0 thanks to a Joey Falcone solo shot in the top of the second, Princeton's Asher Lee-Tyson drew a one out walk in the bottom of the third before Billy Arendt singled up the middle to put two aboard. Pitching out of a jam, Lions' starter George Thanopolous got Danny Hoy to ground into a double play to end the inning.
Jumpstarting the Tigers' rally in the fourth, Nick Hernandez hammered a double to the base of the left centerfield wall. Running on a Peter Owens grounder to short, Hernandez would come all the way home thanks to an error on the play. After Paul Tupper flied out to center, Tyler Servais and Blake Thomsen recorded back-to-back singles through the right side, plating Owens to put Princeton ahead.
Leading off the Columbia sixth, Will Savage singled to center. Jordan Serena followed with a base-knock before stealing second. Putting the Lions back on top, Robb Paller doubled to center, driving in a pair of runs.
After a Falcone walk spelled the end of Princeton starter Chad Powers' day, reliever Chris Bodurian got Gus Craig to ground out to second. With runners on second and third, Bodurian walked David Vandercook to load the bases. Coming in for Bodurian, Nick Donatiello limited the damage, getting Randell Kanemaru to hit into a fielder's choice before striking out Nick Maguire to keep the score at 3-2.
Kick-starting the Tigers' rally, Lee-Tyson legged out an infield single to short. After Arendt flied out to left, Hoy doubled down the leftfield line to put runners on second and third. Zack Belski followed with a perfectly executed bunt down the first base line, scoring the tying run. Pinch-hitting for Danny Baer, Mat DeNunzio then singled up the middle to bring in the game winner.
Belski finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Arendt, Hoy, Hernandez, DeNunzio, Servais, Thomsen and Lee-Tyson each had a hit. Powers allowed three runs on six hits in 5.0 innings with five strikeouts. Donatiello improved to 2-1 on the year after tossing 1.2 hitless innings.
GAME 2: COLUMBIA 10, PRINCETON 4
Jumping out to an early lead, Columbia plated three runs on four hits in the top of the first. Will Savage got things started with a leadoff single before moving to second on a Jordan Serena groundout. Robb Paller followed with an RBI single up the middle to plate the Lions' first run. With two outs and runners on the corners, David Vandercook hammered a bases clearing triple to left to make it 3-0.
Leading off the Princeton first, Billy Arendt singled to left field. Driving in the Tigers' first run, Danny Hoy doubled into the left centerfield gap, trimming the Princeton deficit to two.
Coming right back, Columbia pushed its lead back up to 4-1 in the top of the third inning. The following frame, the Lions tacked on two more runs on a Nick Maguire double into the right centerfield gap and a Princeton error.
Battling back in the bottom of the fourth, Nick Hernandez led things off with a double to center. With one out, Paul Tupper singled to right, plating the Tigers' second run of the afternoon. Moving to third thanks to a Columbia error, Tupper later touched home on a Chad Powers double to left to make it 6-3.
Looking to trim the deficit in the fifth, Arendt singled to center. Hoy then doubled down the leftfield line to put runners on second and third. Coming home on a wild pitch, Arendt crossed the plate to pull Princeton back within two, but Columbia quickly upped its margin in the sixth on a Serena RBI single.
Loading the bases in the bottom of the sixth with one out, Princeton threatened to cut into the lead, but Lions' reliever Bryce Barr got Arendt to fly out to right. Coming home with the throw, Gus Craig caught Tyler Servais tagging up to end the inning.
Powers finished 3-for-4, while Tupper, Hoy and Arendt each had a pair of hits. Nick Brady fell to 1-4 on the season after surrendering seven runs (six earned) in 5.2 innings with five strikeouts.