Tigers sweep visiting Crimson

“We showed toughness in being able to regroup and win two games [Sunday],” head coach Scott Bradley said. “But we’re not satisfied with being 2-2.”

In Sunday’s opener, sophomore starter David Hale outpitched his Harvard counterpart Shawn Haviland as Princeton defeated the Crimson 3-2. After relinquishing a run on a walk, stolen base and double in the first inning, Hale settled down. The righthander allowed only two earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out nine Harvard batters.

“[Hale] is developing into one of the top pitching prospects in the country,” Bradley said.

Princeton responded in the bottom of the first with three two-out runs. Sophomore catcher Jack Murphy drove in the Tigers’ first run, doubling home junior shortstop Dan DeGeorge, who had been hit by a pitch earlier in the inning.

Senior third baseman Spencer Lucian followed with a single, and junior rightfielder Micah Kaplan knocked in two more runs with a bases-clearing triple.

After the trying first inning, both pitchers settled down, as the Tigers managed just three hits the rest of the way, though Kaplan hit two more shots to deep centerfield that Harvard outfielder Matt Vance tracked down.

Harvard’s best chances to make up ground came in the third and fourth innings. After the first three Crimson batters reached to load the bases in the top of the third, Hale battled back with two groundouts and a strikeout to get out of the jam.

The Crimson put two more runners on in the fourth, but Hale again battled out of the jam, striking out two Harvard batters.

“He’s capable of striking people out and he’s able to pitch out of jams,” Bradley said. “For him to get out of those innings without giving up a run was big for us.”

In the seventh inning, Harvard finally tagged Hale for another run. Down to his last strike, Vance singled up the middle and was doubled home by the next batter. With the tying run aboard, Hale induced a groundout to end Harvard’s chances.

In the second half of the doubleheader, each team’s offense continued its struggles through the first three frames of the game. Once again, Harvard drew first blood, scoring one run against Princeton senior Steven Miller in the fourth inning when second baseman Taylor Meehan led off with a home run.

The Tigers answered back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning thanks to RBI singles from junior designated hitter Eric Zaziski and sophomore second baseman Noel Gonzales-Luna.

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In the top of the fifth, however, the Crimson exploded for four runs, sparked by four hits and two Princeton errors. Miller was able to avoid further damage by stranding two runners on base to keep the Tigers within three.

Princeton began to claw its way back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring two runs on a double from junior first baseman Adrian Turnham.

Turnham added another RBI in the seventh, driving in DeGeorge with a sacrifice fly to knot the game at five. In the eighth, Kaplan singled through the left side to drive in Lucian, giving the Tigers a 6-5 lead.

Miller closed the door in the top of the ninth, stranding two runners on his way to a complete-game victory. The righthander finished with seven strikeouts, allowing seven hits and three earned runs while also hitting four Harvard batters.

Princeton’s pair of one-run victories marked a turnaround from a day prior, when the Tigers dropped a pair of close games to Dartmouth. The Orange and Black was plagued by missed opportunities, leaving 21 runners on base to doom its chances.

In the home opener, Dartmouth’s Russell Young outdueled junior righthander Brad Gemberling, who gave up 10 hits and struck out 10 in the 5-4 loss.

With the game tied after seven innings, the Big Green manufactured a run off freshman reliever David Palms before the Tigers went down in order in the bottom of the eighth.

Princeton fared no better in the nightcap, losing 8-5 as senior starter Christian Staehely allowed seven runs over five and a third innings, striking out nine.

All of Staehely’s seven earned runs came in the sixth inning when Dartmouth recorded seven hits. More encouraging, however, was the performance of freshman Dan Barnes, who allowed just one run in three and two-thirds innings, striking out four.

“We know our pitching is going to keep us in games,” Bradley said. “What just have to do what it takes to not strike out and drive in runs.”

The Tigers will look to continue their two-game win streak when they travel to face Monmouth on Tuesday before returning to league action next weekend against Yale and Brown.