Lions split doubleheader against Tigers

After Saturday’s baseball doubleheader was postponed, Columbia (8-22, 5-5 Ivy) and Princeton (10-14, 3-7) competed in a makeup bill on Sunday, splitting the series.

Columbia’s bats came blazing out of the gate in the first game as eight runs crossed home in the first two innings of play. Freshman leadoff hitter Jon Eisen started things off on the right foot for the Light Blue with an infield single in the top of the first off Princeton pitcher David Hale. Center fielder Nick Cox followed with a screaming double down the left field line to bring home Eisen for the Lions’ first run. Cox advanced to third on a groundout by Dean Forthun and scored on a gaping single to left by Ron Williams. Columbia left two men stranded on base to end the first, but the damage was done.

After a scoreless bottom of the first for Princeton, the Lions’ offense got right back to work as Alex Ferrera led off the second inning with a walk and a steal. Hale walked Billy Rumpke to bring up the top of the order for the second time in two innings. Eisen reached third on a sacrifice bunt towards the mound on which Hale, in his haste, made a costly throwing error that allowed both Rumpke and Ferrera to score. The following two batters walked to load up the bases for the veteran Williams who got the job done with a sacrifice fly ball to right field. Mike Roberts found a hole on the left side and ripped a single through it to plate Cox. Bobby O’Brien then wanted in on the RBI feast as he cranked a double to right field to bring Roberts and Forthun around to score. After an eight-run (six earned) bludgeoning in just an inning and a third of work, Hale grabbed some bench as Chad Ohlendorf was called in for relief. Hale walked five batters and surrendered five hits while only striking out one in his brief outing.

Starter Joe Scarlata was lights out for the Lions, as he allowed only four hits while fanning seven batters in a complete game shutout. Ohlendorf did more than was expected of him, throwing for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Ross Staine took over on the mound for Ohlendorf and pitched two shutout innings. While Princeton’s bullpen threw bullets, its bats couldn’t salvage a single run from Scarlata as the Lions won 8-0.

Nevertheless, the Tigers retaliated in game two with right-hander Brad Gemberling on the mound. The Lions struck first in the top of the second as Alex Aurrichio clobbered a solo home run. However, Princeton put up a four-spot in the third off of Geoff Whitaker on an RBI single by Matt Connor and a three-run blast by Jack Murphy. While the Light Blue put up goose eggs over the next three innings, the Tigers’ bats were merciless. Jon Broscious muscled a two-run shot to center field in the fourth to increase Princeton’s lead to 6-1.

In the fifth, Clay Bartlett was commissioned to relieve Whitaker, but was unable to control his pitches as he walked two batters and threw three consecutive wild pitches while not recording a single out and allowing two more runs to cross the plate. Max Lautmann replaced Bartlett and would pitch the last four innings of the game as the Tigers scored three more times against him. Gemberling pitched seven innings and let just three runners score as he struck out a phenomenal 12 batters.

Though the Lions managed to tack on two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth, Princeton’s offensive onslaught led the Tigers to an 11-4 win. Whitaker was charged with the loss and dropped to 0-5 for the season while Gemberling improved to 4-1 in his outstanding performance. In what is becoming a pattern, Columbia split yet another doubleheader, but the Light Blue remains one game ahead of second-place Cornell in the Gehrig Division.

The teams will have a rematch doubleheader tomorrow with games beginning at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Clarke Field.