Baseball takes home league championship over Dartmouth for second straight year

This was not happening again.

The baseball team was starting to feel a little deja vu as freshman third baseman Steve Young stepped up to the plate yesterday in the third and deciding game of the Ivy League Championship Series. Two outs lit the board in the bottom of the tenth inning as senior centerfielder Mickey Martin stood on third. Junior designated hitter Eric Voelker had just struck out swinging and now the game hinged upon a freshman who was making just his eleventh at bat of the season.

In the first game of the series on Saturday, Voelker entered the batter's box with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. After rallying for three runs already — to bring Princeton to within one run of Dartmouth at 6-5 — the Tigers had the bases loaded with only one out. Then Big Green closer Jeffrey Dutremble struck Martin out swinging, leaving the possible heroics to Voelker.

Dutremble did his job. Voelker struck out swinging. No Tiger heroics. No more runs. And Dartmouth claimed the opening game, 6-5.

Yesterday, when Young stepped up to face Dutremble, the situation looked eerily similar. Princeton had tied the game at five with a late ninth-inning rally. The winning run sat on third. Dutremble was again looking for his second straight strikeout.

Young did his job. He swung and slapped a ground-ball single up the middle to score Martin. Tiger heroics came from the most unlikely source. And Princeton won the game, 6-5.

With last night's win, the Tigers won the series 3-2 and claimed their second consecutive Ivy League title over Dartmouth and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

After the opening loss, Princeton (22-21 overall, 16-7 Ivy League) beat Dartmouth (22-18, 14-10) in the nightcap on Saturday, 16-7, to even the series at one game apiece and to force Sunday's final game.

Though sophomore righthander Ryan Quillian pitched his sixth complete game of the season in Saturday's first game, Dartmouth scored on him early and often in an uncharacteristically weak outing. He did manage to keep the Big Green close, though, but Princeton's five runs in the final two innings were not enough.

The Tigers waited until late again in the second game to mount a significant offensive output. Trailing, 4-3, going into the seventh inning, Princeton exploded for 13 runs in the final three innings.

Senior third baseman Sean McNally blasted three-run homers in both the seventh and eighth innings — the first two home runs of his career — and senior first baseman Andrew Hanson hit a solo shot in the final inning to lead the onslaught.

Junior righthander Bill Broome pitched four innings in relief of sophomore starter David Boehle to earn his third win of the season.

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Because Quillian and Broome pitched pitched the majority of the first two games, Princeton still had junior righthander Tom Rowland in reserve to start the final game. Rowland kept the Tigers close through the first eight innings, allowing five runs and keeping his team within one.

Freshman righthander Thomas Pauly relieved Rowland in the ninth, striking out the side and giving Princeton a chance for the comeback.

McNally led off the inning with a single to center, putting the tying run on base. Young pinch ran for McNally and advanced to second when senior second baseman Tim Phillips grounded out to the pitcher. Then senior left fielder Jon Watterson slapped a game-tying double to left center.

Princeton still had a chance to win the game with only one out, after sophomore shortstop Pat Boran singled to advance Watterson to third. But Dutremble matched his performance from the previous day, striking out both senior right fielder Max Krance and Hanson swinging to send the game into extra innings. But in the tenth, Young made sure that three was not a charm for Dutremble and won the series with one swing of the bat.

The Tigers travel to Temple on Tuesday and play Seton Hall at home on Wednesday before the NCAA Regional Tournament begins this weekend.