Offense yields 44 runs in four games in Delaware

Though the Tigers (3-1) ultimately came away from Delaware (3-4) thrice victorious, they suffered an agonizing defeat in their season opener Saturday afternoon, losing 12-11 in seven innings despite leading 11-2 at one point.

Princeton led off the game and its season by wasting no time in getting on the scoreboard, sending seven runners across the plate in the first two innings before a single Fightin’ Blue Hen base runner had even reached second base. Sophomore catcher Jack Murphy ignited the Tiger offense early with a three-run homer just four batters into the game, the start of what would be quite a memorable weekend for Murphy.

The Blue Hens, however, slowly chipped away at the lead against senior righthanded starting pitcher Christian Staehely, managing to put up three runs during Staehely’s four innings, but by then the Tigers had a commanding 11-3 lead. The eight-run advantage wouldn’t last long, though, as sophomore reliever Langford Stuber came in for the fifth and was tagged for eight earned runs as Delaware’s hitters suddenly came alive. By the end of six innings the score was tied at 11.

Princeton did not score in the top of the seventh, and the Blue Hens’ Adam Tsakonas led off the bottom of the final inning by reaching first on an error by senior first baseman Micah Kaplan. Alex Buchholz then slapped a walk-off double off freshman reliever Tim Feess to bring Tsakonas around to win the game for Delaware, capping an amazing comeback and a colossal Tiger collapse.

Eager to make up for its meltdown in the day game, Princeton came storming back in the nightcap with a 19-run offensive outburst in which every Tiger hitter had at least one hit. Junior shortstop Dan DeGeorge led the way with two hits, four RBI and three runs scored, while Murphy belted his second homer of the day, and junior leftfielder Derek Beckman went three-for-three with two walks.

Senior righthander Steve Miller went the distance on the mound with six innings of solid pitching, allowing just four runs on seven hits while striking out 11 and walking only two. The game was called on account of darkness at the end of six innings, giving Princeton a 19-4 victory, its first of the young season.

The sun then set and rose, and Sunday’s midday game, the third of the four games between the two teams, featured some strong pitching from both sides. The Tigers’ starter, sophomore righthander David Hale, threw 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on just five hits; meanwhile, the Blue Hens’ Brian Rorick surrendered six runs on six hits in four innings.

Three of those six hits for Princeton were home runs, as DeGeorge knocked in two with a longball in the second, junior first baseman Adrian Turnham hit a solo shot in the fifth, and Murphy connected for his third in as many games in the third inning.

Delaware initially jumped ahead with three runs in the first off Hale, but Princeton came right back with four of its own in the second, adding one in the third and another in the fifth as freshman lefthander David Palms held the Blue Hens to just one run in the final 3 1/3 innings to secure the 6-4 win for the Tigers.

The team finished its busy weekend with an 8-5 victory Sunday afternoon. Continuing with the home run-hitting clinic he’d been putting on all weekend, Murphy socked another, his fourth in four games, this one a three-run shot in the first to give the Tigers an early lead they’d never relinquish. Murphy had six RBI in the game for a total of 12 on the weekend.

Freshman righthander Dan Barnes got the start and gave a good showing, yielding just four hits and three runs in his four innings of work, but freshman righthander Matt Welsh got the win after pitching four solid innings in relief.

Next weekend Princeton travels to Richmond, Va., for a three-game series at the University of Richmond.