After missing a chance to play for an Ivy League championship by a single game, the baseball team's season came to an end Wednesday with a solid 5-1 win over Rider.
Princeton (17-24 overall, 10-10 Ivy League) used a strong outing by sophomore pitcher Wills Sweney and a three-hit effort from sophomore third baseman Sal Iacono to overcome the Broncos (12-26). Though the Tigers had hoped to use the game as a warmup for the Ivy League Championship series, a weekend split against Cornell relegated Princeton to second place in the Gehrig Division, leaving the team without a post-season.
Sweney allowed only four hits and one unearned run over five innings to improve to 2-5 on the year.
Rider's lone run came in the top of the second, when centerfielder Mike Poalise reached on a throwing error by junior shortstop Matthew Becker. Poalise then scored on a double by first baseman Gene Crimoli, putting the Broncos up 1-0.
That score would stand until the bottom of the fourth, when Iacono and the Tigers finally took control of the game. After senior leftfielder Adam Balkan singled to left-center with one out, Iacono blasted a two-run homer to left on the first pitch he saw, scoring what would prove to be the winning run. It was Iacono's third home run of the season.
In the bottom of the fifth, Princeton added two more insurance runs. Senior designated hitter Paul Ackerman led off the inning with a walk, and then Becker beat out the throw on his sacrifice bunt attempt for an infield single. A Rider passed ball allowed both runners to advance. Ackerman later scored on a single by sophomore second baseman Aaron Prince, and Becker crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by senior centerfielder Will Venable.
The Tigers turned the game over to the bullpen in the top of the sixth. Senior Worth Lumry pitched a scoreless sixth, and his effort was followed by a scoreless seventh from freshman Steven Miller.
Senior closer Brian Kappel pitched two innings to earn the save, his sixth of the season.
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