Senior co-captain infielder Billy Arendt explained that every week, Princeton baseball aims to win at least three of the weekend’s four games. After hosting Penn on Clarke Field in perfect weather, the Tigers (17-14 overall, 9-3 Ivy League) can claim to have reached their goal, stealing the first three of four games from the Quakers (14-18, 6-6).
The wins extend Princeton’s lead in Ivy League baseball standings. Leading the league with nine Ivy wins, the Tigers are just one of two teams — the other being Yale — with a winning league record.
To be sure, Penn posed a significant threat to the Tigers heading into the weekend. The Quakers currently lead the Ivy League in both hits and home runs. Additionally, Princeton faced the loss of senior starting pitcher Luke Strieber in the game, due to sudden illness. Arendt described the weekend as “a fight from the beginning.”
In the first game, Princeton’s offense jumped to a quick start with junior infielder Zack Belski and Arendt both batting in runs. The offense then lay dormant for two innings before the Tigers capitalized on a five-run fourth inning. With bases loaded, freshman outfielder Jesper Horsted batted in two runs and Arendt followed with a three-run home run. Thereafter, neither team scored for the remaining of the game, allowing the Tigers to earn a 7-2 victory.
Saturday’s second game proved to be a battle of defense, with both teams scoring only four runs combined. At the end of the day, Princeton emerged victorious with a narrow 3-1 win. Though the Quakers are known for hitting home runs, the Tigers pounced with two quick solo homers of their own from Arendt and fellow co-captain infielder Danny Hoy in the first inning. With Princeton’s impeccable pitching, these two quick runs proved sufficient. Junior pitcher Chad Powers commanded the mound for eight innings, receiving just six hits in the process.
Given Penn’s established offensive power, the two defensive victories gave Princeton some relief by Saturday night. Arendt explained that “winning two games was tremendous for our confidence.” The co-captain cited the coordination of the Tiger’s catchers and pitchers as a prime reason for Princeton’s success.
A quick 5-1 victory Sunday afternoon handed the Tigers their third win of the weekend. For much of the game both teams struggled to earn hits against talented pitchers. Then in the fifth inning, Princeton sent three batters home, sufficient to close out the Quakers.
By the fourth game, Princeton had exhausted its usual lineup of starting pitchers, so the Tigers played senior Chris Bodurian, freshman Joseph Flynn and junior Chris Giglio on the mound. Through the first three innings, the two teams matched each other, with each earning two runs in the period. Then, from the fourth to seventh inning neither team could record a single run. During that time, the Tigers relied on Flynn as pitcher, who allowed just one hit over four innings.
The Quakers eventually stole the game with a home run in the eighth inning, earning a 5-2 victory over the Tigers. Arendt explained the loss as a matter of endurance. After grinding out three victories over Penn, Arendt said that the Quakers “just had a little more in the tank.”
The highly successful weekend and season overall for the Tiger have prompted many to wonder what has made the difference for the Orange and Black this season. To shed light on the issue, Arendt credited both the team’s tremendous senior leadership and health thus far.
Looking ahead, Princeton will carry its top Ivy League standing into a game with Rider University on Wednesday afternoon and then a matchup with Columbia this weekend.
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