Tigers conclude season with games against Cornell

The Princeton baseball team (7-32 overall, 4-16 Ivy League) closed out the 2015 schedule after completing a four-game series against the Cornell Big Red (12-26, 9-11). The first two games of the series were played at Clarke Field as the Tigers closed out their home schedule before both teams travelled to Ithaca, N.Y. to wrap up the regular season.

The Tigers edged out the first game by a score of 1-0 after a fantastic pitching performance from sophomore starter Chad Powers. Powers went the whole seven innings and notched a complete game shutout, allowing only four hits and one walk, striking out two batters. The Big Red’s starter Kellen Urbon went toe-to-toe with Powers, allowing only five hits while striking out six, but the Tigers scored a solitary run in the bottom of the six as junior third baseman Billy Arendt came through in the clutch to score senior catcher Tyler Servais.

The nightcap offered less success for the Tigers, who lost 13-4. The Big Red jumped onto the Tigers’ pitchers early, scoring ten runs between the second and fourth innings. Cornell’s hitters dominated the Tigers’ pitchers, putting up 13 runs on 14 hits, and the Tigers’ four errors did not help out their pitchers either. The Tigers did manage to put up four runs, including a home run from sophomore right fielder Nick Hernandez in the third inning. Senior DH Mat DeNunzio finished the day with a 3-4 game with one RBI too, while sophomore left fielder Paul Tupper went 2-4 with a run.

The games in Ithaca did not go much better for the Tigers either, as they were blown out 10-0 in the first game and edged out 2-1 in the second game. The Tigers collapsed in the sixth inning in the first game, allowing six runs. Princeton’s offense was also stifled by Cornell’s starter Brian McAfee, who had a complete game shutout and only allowed four hits. Freshman infielder Asher Lee-Tyson had a 2-3 day.

In the nightcap, the Tigers wasted a fantastic pitching performance from junior starter Luke Strieber as they could not muster enough offense and fell 2-1 to finish their season. Despite a home run from junior infielder Danny Hoy in the first inning, the Tigers were held scoreless the rest of the way. Strieber threw a gem, allowing only two runs on five hits and struck out three in eight innings.

With a 1-3 weekend to end the season, the Tigers will look forward to next season with hopes of improving. The team regressed this season from last, when they had a 8-12 Ivy League record and was 14-26 overall.

The Ivy League was dominated by three teams, as Columbia, Dartmouth and Penn all went 16-4 in their 20 games this season. Cornell were one game away from going .500, finishing with a 9-11 record. However, Harvard, Yale, Brown and the Tigers must look to improve next season, with Harvard finishing 7-13, Yale and Brown finishing 6-14, and the Tigers finishing with a measly four wins this season.

However, there are many positives for the Tigers, as they will retain their core group of players next season. With dominant performances from the likes of Powers and Strieber this weekend, the Tigers have a lot to look forward to next season.