Tuesday's extra-inning loss meant a lot of things for the baseball team. It meant the second straight non-league loss to a weaker team. It meant the second squandering of a four-run lead in a week. It meant the team needed a slight refocusing. It did not, however, mean much to the overall season.
In a game the Tigers thought they had wrapped up, Rider proved to be more than they could handle, prevailing 8-7 in 10 innings after a four-run comeback. There was no single thing Princeton did wrong, as both its defensive performance and late-game pitching were far from spectacular.
"We didn't play smart at all," freshman right fielder Andrew Hanson said. "We need to start putting teams away when we have the chance."
This week's lackluster performance prompted some concern from the team; four-run leads should be enough to guarantee a win.
More games please
"Tuesday's loss was pretty tough to take," said senior center fielder Michael Hazen. "We're just looking to get back onto the field."
So that's the bad news. The good news is that non-league games practically insignificant. All season, head coach Scott Bradley has stressed the tuneup nature of midweek games. These games do not carry the importance of the weekend Ivy League games and serve to keep players from falling behind due to lack of playing time.
The two doubleheaders that await the Tigers this weekend – one at Brown today and one at Yale tomorrow – will give them a chance to redeem themselves. Princeton will be exactly where it wants to be if it can repeat last weekend's almost perfect record, regardless of the recent loss.
"We're going to stress winning this weekend," Hazen said. "We have to go 3-1."
Behind the wheel
Three wins would up the Tiger record to 6-2 and put them in the driver's seat in the Gehrig Division of the Ivy League. But standing in the team's way is a perennially good Yale team and the hot Brown Bears. The two teams are tied atop the Rolfe Division.
Traditionally one of the poorer teams in the league, Brown opened its Ivy League season last weekend with three wins, giving it the same record as the Tigers. These wins included a sweep of Penn, which finished tied with Princeton for the Gehrig Division title last year.
Kiddie pool
Brown is marked by a pretty shallow pitching staff, but opponents must be wary of the Bears' top two starters, who can keep any game close. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they will most likely be facing both of these pitchers since Princeton plays Brown at the beginning of the weekend.
Yale, too, has started the season 3-1, also beating Penn twice last weekend. The Tigers will have to watch out for the Elis' Eric Gutshall, who was named Ivy League Pitcher of the Week last week. He pitched on consecutive days, recording both a win and a save, so it is likely Princeton will have to face him.
With their recent strong hitting, the Tigers should be able to overcome the powerful opposing pitching in these games, all of which are "winnable" according to Bradley. With a successful weekend, Princeton will be able to leave Tuesday's disappointment in the past.
"I think the team was just upset (about the game at Rider)," Bradley said. "But often a loss like that proves to be a thorn in your side that serves to motivate more than anything else."
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