Yesterday the baseball team saw its pitching mimic the weekend?s weather: It was sloppy from the beginning, but good when it really mattered.
After two full days of doubleheaders against Penn were washed out - a Friday-Saturday pairing quickly turned into Sunday-Monday - Princeton took two average performances from the mound and turned them into wins. Behind strong hitting, Princeton topped the Quakers, 5-4 and 12-5.
When the skies finally cleared enough yesterday to allow Princeton (17-14 overall, 10-4 Ivy League) and the Quakers (18-17, 7-7) to take the field, the Tiger pitching endured a stormy start. Freshman right-hander Ryan Quillian started the first game yesterday, but quickly gave up three runs in the first two innings. After the fitful beginning, however, he settled down and by the time freshman closer David Boehle took the mound it was all sunny skies for the Tigers.
?Quillian did a great job of giving us a chance to come back,? head coach Scott Bradley said. ?He?s a real competitor.?
By limiting Penn to only one run in his final four innings on the mound, Quillian kept his team close enough to let the Tiger bats take over. Princeton continued its recent torrent of hitting by raining 22 hits - including four triples in yesterday?s nightcap - down on the Quaker pitching staff over the two games.
Old Faithful
Consistency marked the Tiger offensive efforts as Princeton runners crossed the plate in 10 of 14 innings this weekend. After spotting Penn three runs after two innings in yesterday?s opener, the Tigers scored at least one run in each of the next four innings to take the 5-4 lead.
The Quakers chased Quillian after six innings and eight strikeouts in the top of the final inning after a leadoff hit from third baseman Oliver Hahl. Boehle stepped in to finish the game and Hahl reached third, but would go no farther as the closer got Quaker first baseman Ronald Rolph to fly out to left field to end the game and the comeback. Boehle recorded his seventh save of the season, tying a Tiger record.
The Tiger bats really came alive during the second game, in which Princeton took the early lead and senior right-hander Jason Quintana limited Penn to three earned runs over eight innings for his fourth win.
Junior right fielder Max Krance led the charge for Princeton, going 2 for 4 with three RBI. Princeton?s biggest inning clinched the win, when the Tigers exploded for five runs in the fifth.
Down 4-3 going into the bottom of the inning, Krance knocked in junior first baseman Andrew Hanson with a triple to right-center. Junior designated hitter Casey Hildreth followed with a triple of his own, scoring Krance. Senior catcher Buster Small singled in Hildreth and junior center fielder Mickey Martin plated the catcher with a double. After moving to third on the throw, Martin finished the scoring on a wild pitch.
?[If] we keep swinging the bats, we?re going to have a chance to win,? Bradley said.
The two teams meet again today to close out what has turned into an extended weekend. Princeton enjoys a three-game lead over the Quakers in the Ivy League?s Gehrig Division and can clinch the division title with two wins today.
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