Tom Hanks said it: There's no crying in baseball. The baseball team is taking a lesson from this A League of Their Own-issued decree after splitting doubleheaders this weekend with both Yale and Brown. Would they have liked to have won more than one game against each team? Yes. Is there a single team member who is showing disappointment? Not a chance.
The Tigers (6-15 overall, 2-2 Ivy League) battled for the win in the first games of both doubleheaders, producing late game runs to break a 1-1 tie in the Yale game before winning, 4-2, and fending off a late run by the Bears to win 3-2.
"We got through it with a split," head coach Scott Bradley said. "We have to take every opportunity to try and hang in there. We have to wait until we get hot and can win three or four games in the weekend. But we deserved to split — we won the games we played well in."
"We've been hitting solid," senior leftfielder Jon Watterson added. "Our five-through-nine guys have started hitting as well as the one-through-four. We've started to balance our attack."
In the first game against Yale (5-8, 1-1) Saturday, junior third baseman Eric Voelker got things started in the second inning when he tripled to left field. Senior centerfielder Mickey Martin came through with a sacrifice to right field to send Voelker home and put the Tigers on the scoreboard. Yale responded in the fourth inning to tie the game at one run.
The fifth inning was the crucial one for the Tigers. Senior second baseman Tim Phillips and Watterson made it around the bases to give Princeton the advantage that would give it the game. The Tigers and the Elis each came up with a run apiece in the sixth inning. On the mound, junior Bill Broome got the save and sophomore David Boehle got his first win.
The first game against Brown (5-10, 1-1) Sunday was the same low-scoring story, with Princeton holding on against pressure from the Bear batting squad to keep a 3-2 advantage.
Martin, the first batter in the second inning, got things started with a single, advanced to third on a Phillips double and came home on a Watterson sacrifice.
Both teams were then silent until the sixth inning when Martin scored again, joined by senior designated hitter Max Krance, who hit a double before adding one to the scoreboard.
Despite a 3-0 Tiger lead, the seventh inning would prove nerve-wracking. Brown senior Dan Kantrovitz singled to right field and advanced to third on a single from junior Shaun Gallagher. Freshman Matt Kutler grounded out to give Yale their second out, but Gallagher and Kantrovitz used the opportunity to advance a base — Gallagher to second and Kantrovitz to the plate for the Bear's first run. Junior Greg Metzger singled to right field, sending Gallagher in to put Brown down by just one run with one man on base.
The Bears then sent junior John Cappello to pinch hit for sophomore Dan Spring — a decision that was ultimately ill-fated. Tiger sophomore pitcher Ryan Quillian (3-1) responded by striking Spring out and clinching the win, 3-2.
"I had good stuff," Quillian said. "I had good velocity and even in that last inning, it was good pitches that they hit. I felt good about the first game."
It wasn't until the second round of both games that things started to go awry.
Yale jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning Saturday afternoon. Princeton responded with two runs in the second inning, but the Elis were consistent, scoring in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to amass a 9-2 lead, closing the Tigers out of the game.
The second game against Brown Sunday echoed the high score of the second game against the Elis. The Bears came out strong, scoring three runs in the first inning, only to have the Tigers answer with four runs of their own. However,13 hits for Brown and seven runs later, the Bears would seal the deal on a 10-7 win.
"We had our guys struggle with the bats," Bradley said. "We have to be able to win the high scoring games."
Princeton will have a chance to improve on its weak spots next weekend when it travels to Dartmouth and Harvard.
Read More
What’s an offseason? Jackson Green and Jay Mentink on being multi-sport athletes at Princeton
Doug SchwartzPrinceton sophomores Jackson Green and Jay Mentink embrace the challenge of playing two Division I sports while tackling Ivy League academics head-on.
Princeton sophomores Jackson Green and Jay Mentink embrace the challenge of playing two Division I sports while tackling Ivy League academics head-on.
No. 3 men’s lacrosse routs No. 14 Towson 22–12, Mackesy breaks career goals record
Hayk YengibaryanWith the win, the Tigers advance to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time in 2022. Princeton will take on No. 5 Syracuse in Hempstead, N.Y., next weekend for a spot in the final four.
With the win, the Tigers advance to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time in 2022. Princeton will take on No. 5 Syracuse in Hempstead, N.Y., next weekend for a spot in the final four.
Senior Coulter Mackesy, Pace Billings ’24, and Sam English ’23 drafted to Premier Lacrosse League
Hayk YengibaryanThe PLL, founded in 2018 by brothers Mike and Paul Rabil, is North America’s professional lacrosse league. The league currently features eight teams that compete in a tour-based format, traveling to different cities each weekend throughout the summer season.
The PLL, founded in 2018 by brothers Mike and Paul Rabil, is North America’s professional lacrosse league. The league currently features eight teams that compete in a tour-based format, traveling to different cities each weekend throughout the summer season.