Baseball Falls to Richmond, Jackson Emus Named Ivy Pitcher of the Week

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Richmond, Va. — Despite a six-run rally in the top of the ninth, including a go-ahead grand slam by Nadir Lewis, Princeton was defeated, 9-8, following a walk-off single by Richmond in the bottom of the ninth.

The late rally is the fourth time the Tigers have scored multiple runs in the ninth inning. Four of their seven losses have come by just one run.

Lewis continued to roll in the batter's box. After going 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs scored, and a grand slam, he now leads the Tigers in all hitting categories, including batting average (.500), slugging percentage (.958), hits (12), RBI (10), home runs (3), and extra-base hits (5).

During the game, the Ivy League announced its weekly awards, with Jackson Emus earning the Pitcher of the Week distinction after a lights-out performance against VCU on Saturday, March 5. Emus commanded the mound for 7.0 innings and tallied 13 strikeouts—the most by a Princeton pitcher in nearly 10 years—with two walks, two hits, and one run allowed. This is the first time Emus has earned an Ivy League weekly honor.

Coming off a big victory against Lafayette on Sunday, Richmond wasted no time to get on the board with an opposite-field home run in the bottom of the first. The hosts doubled their advantage two innings later on an RBI single up the gut for a 2-0 lead.

The Tigers manufactured a response as Kyle Vinci mashed a solo home run to make it a 2-1 ballgame in the top of the fifth. Princeton tied the game in the next inning, as a hard-hit ball from Alejandro Espinel forced an error from the Spiders' first baseman, allowing Lewis to score.

Richmond—which averaged 8.5 runs per game heading into today's contest—came alive on offense once again, scoring four unanswered runs to take a 6-2 advantage heading into the ninth inning.

However, these Tigers have developed a knack for scoring late runs. A six-pitch walk drawn by Nick DiPietrantonio and a single to right from Carlos Abello put Princeton runners on the corners with two outs. Jordan Kelly drove in the first run of the inning, forcing an error from the Richmond third baseman before Brendan Cumming loaded the bases on a four-pitch walk.

With a piece of Ivy League weekly hardware to his name, Emus came in clutch with a pinch-hit RBI single to cut the deficit to 6-4 and force a Richmond pitching change.

Following the pitching change, Lewis did what he does best, crushing a grand slam well over the left-field wall to give Princeton a late, 8-6 lead.

Stay hot, @nadirlewis ?? pic.twitter.com/V2wAbxxhoE
— Princeton Baseball (@PUTigerBaseball) March 7, 2022

Unfortunately, the Spiders would have the last laugh with a two-run home run to tie the game and a walk-off RBI single up the middle gave the hosts a 9-8 win at the death.

Princeton now looks ahead to its final game of this road stretch in Virginia with a visit to Old Dominion on Tuesday, March 8 at 3 p.m. The Monarchs enter the game with loads of momentum, having won each of their last six to improve to 9-1 on the season. The game can be streamed with an ESPN+ membership.

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