Baseball escapes Long Island with win

After digging itself an early hole, the baseball team rallied late to top Long Island in a difficult midweek matchup.

The Tigers trailed 5-2 in the middle innings but rallied with seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pull out a 9-5 win. Junior shortstop Pat Boran scored four runs, including the game winner, on two hits, a walk and a hit by pitch. Sophomore second baseman Mike Chernoff finished the day 4-for-5 with an RBI.

Junior righthander Bill Broome got the win, as the Tigers used four pitchers in short stints to rest the staff for the weekend's league games.

Princeton opened the scoring in the first inning when Boran singled, stole second, and scored on senior rightfielder Max Krance's single. After a Long Island run in the second, the Tigers regained the lead in the third by using a familiar sequence, as Boran singled, stole second and scored, this time on senior first baseman Andrew Hanson's double.

Senior Casey Hildreth, a catcher who moonlights on the mound, then took the hill to start the fourth inning and struggled from the outset. Hildreth allowed three hits and three walks in the fourth, giving up three runs. Matters could have been worse for the Tigers, but Hildreth got Blackbird rightfielder Mike Wilson to fly out to center for the third out, leaving the bases loaded.

Freshman righthander Bruce Self took over for Hildreth to start the fifth inning and settled the Tigers' pitching affairs. He allowed one run in two innings before being replaced by junior righthander Bill Broome at the start of the seventh. Broome held the Long Island attack silent over the last three innings, giving the Tiger offense its chance to rally.

Following three scoreless innings, the Tigers scored three runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to tie the game and then put it out of reach.

Just as Boran sparked the scoring in the first and third innings, he began the seventh inning rally with by being hit by a pitch. Taking second on a wild pitch and third on a single by Hanson, Boran then stood in his place as both Krance and sophomore centerfielder Mickey Martin failed to bring him home.

Walks to junior third baseman Eric Voelker and freshman catcher Tim Lahey finally started a two-out rally that culminated in a single from freshman designated hitter Ryan Reich that brought in two runs and tied the game.

Then, in the eighth, the Tigers took advantage of Boran's leadoff walk and two Blackbird errors to pile on four more runs and establish the final margin of victory. Boran rounded the bases from first when Blackbird third baseman Tim Shoffler muffed an easy chance on a Hanson grounder, scoring the winning run.