"Everything we do from the fall through the winter is to prepare us for the season. Everything we do is for that opportunity to play in the championship."
As is clear from sophomore utility man Steve Young's words, the Tigers had plenty of motivation going into this weekend's Ivy League Championship Series with Harvard. But so did the Crimson pitching staff.
Princeton (22-23 overall, 13-7 Ivy League) managed just two runs in 5-1 and 2-1 losses to Harvard (20-24, 13-7) Saturday at O'Donnell Field in Cambridge, dropping the conference title and automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in the process.
"We should have won each of those games," freshman first-baseman Ryan Eldridge said. "Our pitching did an excellent job but offensively we didn't take advantage of our opportunities."
Though the bats were not helping, game one was lost on a few costly mental mistakes in the field.
The Tigers took the early lead in the top of the second inning when sophomore right-fielder Ryan Reich singled to left to score sophomore catcher Tim Lahey for a quick run against Crimson hurler Justin Nyewiede.
Harvard responded quickly. An infield single and two consecutive errors loaded the bases for the Crimson in the third without a hit beyond the dirt. Freshman pitcher Ross Ohlendorf responded for Princeton with a strikeout but then gave up a two-RBI single before getting the final two outs.
Harvard found a creative way to add to their lead in the fourth inning. Left-fielder Javy Lopez doubled to left, advanced to third on a groundout, then waited for Ohlendorf to start his motion and stole home cleanly.
With runners on first and second in the sixth, Ohlendorf balked in his delivery to catcher Mickey Kropf, moving Hendricks to third and Josh San Salvador to second. Kropf walked, and Marc Hordon forced a grounder past senior shortstop Pat Boran for two RBI. Junior David Boehle relieved Ohlendorf and escaped without further damage.
Nyewiede settled down and mowed through the Tiger lineup, striking out 14 and allowing only five hits — all to different batters — in a complete-game 5-1 win.
Ohlendorf pitched five-plus innings for Princeton, giving up five hits and five runs — two earned — while striking out six. Boehle pitched three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five. Neither pitcher got the fielding support he would have liked — the Tigers committed five errors in the game.
"You can't say enough about our pitching staff in this series," Boran said. "They did an outstanding job. We picked a bad time for our bats to go to sleep."
Harvard was kept at bay during game two by a mound duo of junior Ryan Quillian and sophomore Thomas Pauly. But once again the plate support was not enough.
The Crimson got started early when shortstop Mark Mager slapped a two-out single, stole second, and scored on a single by Hendricks.
The Tigers came back in the third when sophomore utility man Steve Young drew a two-out walk, reached third when a pick-off attempt by Harvard pitcher Chaney Sheffield got past San Salvador, and scored on an RBI single from Boran.
The Crimson responded in the top of the fourth when catcher Schuyler Mann led off with a double, advanced to third on a San Salvador fly-out, and scored on a two-out, RBI single by right-fielder Ian Wallace.
After Mann led off the sixth with a double off Quillian, Princeton head coach Scott Bradley decided not to take any chances, bringing in sophomore closer Thomas Pauly — boasting a nasty 1.43 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 37.2 innings entering Saturday's play — to relieve Quillian. Pauly allowed just one hit and no runs the rest of the way.
Harvard coach Joe Walsh responded with his bullpen. Kenon Ronz relieved Sheffield in the sixth and struck out five of the eight men he faced.
With its season on the line and only one run needed to extend the game, Princeton wilted in the ninth. Miller and Eldridge started off with strikeouts and Lahey grounded out to third. As pitcher Barry Wahlberg tossed his glove in the air, the Crimson players mobbed him at the mound to celebrate their fourth Ivy championship in the Walsh era.
Out of 54 total outs recorded by Harvard on the day, 44 percent (24) of those were strikeouts.
Boran, whose career at Princeton came to a close with the loss, sees a positive future for Tiger baseball.
"There are a lot of guys returning next year who are willing to work hard, and a great coaching staff to help them — you can look forward to a lot of good baseball at Clarke Field over the next couple of years."
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