Tupper's Career Day Highlights Princeton's Doubleheader Sweep Over Cornell

Friday, April 28

Princeton, N.J.

12:00 p.m.

Princeton University

11-26-1, 6-11

Cornell

19-16, 7-10

Cornell

Princeton

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

Tupper's Career Day Highlights Princeton's Doubleheader Sweep Over Cornell

April 28, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

PRINCETON, N.J. – The Class of 2017 made one last impact during its final two home games with a doubleheader sweep of the Cornell Big Red on Friday afternoon at Clarke Field. The Tigers took game one 1, 9-7, and game two, 9-5.

Princeton 9, Cornell 7
Jesper Horsted was outstanding at the top of the order, registering three hits, two runs and a career-best four RBI. Cody Phillips was 2-for-2 with three runs scored. David Harding and Nick Hernandez had multi-RBI games while Alex Dickinson scored twice in the win. In his final collegiate outing, Chris Gilgio went 5 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs, earning the victory.

Cornell's Will Simoneit laced a long fly ball to left-center field that looked to be an extra-base hit, but Horsted had another plan…

M2 | This might shock you, but Jesper Horsted made another great grab in the outfield. No score for the Big Red thru 2. pic.twitter.com/2M6f7cYpWZ
— Princeton Baseball (@PUTigerBaseball) April 28, 2017

After Horsted made a fabulous play in the field, the center fielder got Princeton on the scoreboard (1-0) with a RBI double in the bottom of the third. After a throwing error tied the game in the top of the fifth, the Tigers amassed a crooked number in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Horsted, again, put the home team in front with a run-scoring single up the middle. Harding followed with a sacrifice fly before this Nick Hernandez home run…

E5 | Hernandez's HR stretches the Tigers' lead to four, 5-1! pic.twitter.com/gXaD0h3r8Y
— Princeton Baseball (@PUTigerBaseball) April 28, 2017

Cornell didn't go away as consecutive RBI hits in the top of the sixth cut its deficit in half, 5-3, but the Tigers quickly responded with another crooked number in their last at-bat.

With two out, Phillips tacked on an another tally with a RBI single before Horsted lined a triple to center that scored two more runs. Harding completed the scoring for Princeton with a hit that allowed Horsted to touch home (9-3).

The road squad put together one more threat in the seventh. A sacrifice fly make the Ivy matchup, 9-4. Down to their final out, The Big Red got a RBI double and a two-run single to get within two (9-7). After an error to begin the inning, David Harding made up for it with this fantastic catch to end the game.

FINAL: What a way to end it! Harding with a great grab to finish the game. Princeton 9, Cornell 7 pic.twitter.com/dVSCKsts84
— Princeton Baseball (@PUTigerBaseball) April 28, 2017

Princeton 9, Cornell 5
In the final home game of his career, Paul Tupper saved his best for last as he went 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI. His six RBI are two shy of the single-game record set by Zack Belski last season. Horsted, Phillips and Ramzi Haddad all snagged at least two hits in the contest.

A wild pitch gave the game its first run as Pierre Le Dorze scampered home to put Cornell ahead in the third. Later in the frame, Trey Baur lined a base hit to right field, plating another tally. A sacrifice fly made it 3-0 Cornell.

Zack Belski's sacrifice fly in the fourth gave Princeton its first run in game two. Tupper led off the fifth inning with a towering shot over the bushes and past the scoreboard in left field. Cornell recorded its fourth run on a run-scoring single from Ellis Bitar in the sixth.

Trailing by two, Princeton had two runners on base for Tupper in the bottom of the sixth. Tupper erased the Tigers' deficit with this blast….

B6 | Tupper launches another long home run to left! What a Senior Day for the outfielder! Tigers now lead 5-4. pic.twitter.com/xRKHXTLkhd
— Princeton Baseball (@PUTigerBaseball) April 28, 2017

Haddad gave the Tigers insurance as his single scored Phillips. Two batters later, with another run across the plate, Tupper's fantastic game continued….

B7 | RBI No. 5 and No. 6 for Tupper. Have a Senior Day! Tigers 9, Big Red 4. pic.twitter.com/N9mGUzZEgo
— Princeton Baseball (@PUTigerBaseball) April 28, 2017

Keelan Smithers, pitching in his final home game, finished off the sweep with a strikeout in the top of the ninth. Chad Powers started for Princeton, striking out six hitters in 5 2/3 innings of work. Eli Kimbell earned the win in relief with 2 2/3 scoreless frames.

These two teams get right back at it on Sunday up in Ithaca, N.Y. at Hoy Field. The first pitch for the doubleheader has been moved up to 10 a.m.