It may be a baseball cliche to say that a pitcher's best friend is his catcher. But apparently, this adage remains true even when the catcher isn't playing behind the plate. Princeton (1-2 overall, 0-0 Ivy League) found itself in the middle of an offensive fireworks show against Elon (7-6), but it was saved from a series sweep by senior Sal Iacono.
Iacono, who plays both catcher and infield positions, was at third base for Sunday's matchup, the last of a three-game series.
After dropping the first two games Saturday, 8-7 and 12-2, the Tigers fought back with an 11-6 victory behind Iacono's four hits and two RBIs.
The first matchup against the Phoenix was a classic come-from-behind thriller for Elon supporters and a heartbreaker for Princeton fans. The Tigers' offense staked the team to an early five-run lead, but the Phoenix's late-game rally was too much for the Princeton bullpen to shut down.
Junior righthander Steven Miller started the game in impressive fashion. Both Elon centerfielder Chris Dove, who is currently hitting at a .410 clip from the leadoff spot, and teammate and designated hitter Robert Rodebaugh struck out in the opening inning.
Miller's most impressive moment, though, came in the bottom of the fourth. After sophomore centerfielder Derek Beckman's sacrifice gave him a one-run lead, Miller found himself with the bases loaded and one out.
He struck out Elon catcher Pat Irvine and got centerfielder Ryan Addison to fly out to end the Phoenix threat.
Elon starter Steven Hensley could not match Miller's prowess. Hensley struggled with control and gave up a crucial fifth-inning double to Beckman that drove in two runs.
The 5-0 lead would be the Tigers' high watermark in this game. After senior righthander Eric Walz replaced Miller, the game began to unravel for Princeton. In the bottom of the fifth, Walz ceded three runs — only one earned. Two errors by the Tigers' defense keyed the way for the Elon's resurgence.
Princeton managed two more runs in the game, one on freshman infielder David Hale's sixth-inning single and the other on sophomore rightfielder Andrew Doupe's ninth-inning game-tying home run.
Senior pitcher Gavin Fabian came in for Walz late in the game and allowed five runs in the final three innings. The winning strike for Elon came in the 10th on third baseman Chase Austin's walkoff single.
The second game of the doubleheader took place Saturday night and began in an eerily similar fashion. Junior starter Christian Staehely began the game by striking out Dove and Rodebaugh, just as Miller had done earlier that day.
Staehely's overall pitching line, however, could not match up to Miller's precedent. Staehely's control was erratic throughout the game. He walked three batters and gave up four hits, which translated into six runs — two of those unearned.
The Tigers' staff found itself treated rudely in this game and left its offense the impossible task of overcoming a 12-0 deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning. Beckman, the leading RBI man on the day, singled up the middle to score freshman shortstop Greg Van Horn. Princeton's comeback effort would end after the team scored two runs and Iacono flew out to center for the final out.
Iacono soon found a chance for redemption in the final matchup of the series. The Tigers scored six runs in the first inning, stunning the Phoenix before it even had a chance to bat.
Dove, moonlighting as Elon's starting pitcher, gave up seven earned runs while earning only three outs. Princeton's pitchers posted a solid effort, giving up a mere five hits, especially impressive compared to the 19 that the Phoenix ceded.
Sophomore righthander Brad Gemberling threw three no-hit innings in relief, earning the save with four strikeouts and only allowing one walk.
Gemberling believes that the team's difficulty with pitching can largely be attributed to shaking the rust off early in the season.
"This is the first time we've played outdoors. We practiced inside all winter," Gemberling said.
Iacono tacked on a few more runs for the Tigers with an RBI double in the seventh inning and an RBI single in the ninth.
Perhaps next week Princeton's pitchers can return the favor by throwing a few shutouts and making Iacono's job at the plate just a little bit easier.
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