Princeton drops baseball in make-up doubleheader

Columbia and Princeton met up Monday afternoon for a makeup of Saturday’s doubleheader that was postponed due to rain. After a pair of low-scoring affairs, the Tigers (12-14, 5-7 Ivy) emerged with a two-game sweep and a share of first place in the Ivy League’s Gehrig Division.

Coming off a doubleheader split on Sunday, the Lions (8-24, 5-7 Ivy) came out of the gates Monday afternoon eager to show Princeton why they are the reigning Ivy League champions. After Columbia’s offense was stymied by Princeton pitcher David Palms his first time through the order, the top of the lineup struck quickly in the top of the third to put the Light Blue on top. In an abbreviated one-out rally, center fielder Nick Cox doubled down the right-field line and was knocked in by second baseman Jon Eisen.

Unfortunately, the lead didn’t last long. In the bottom half of the frame, outfielder Jon Broscious launched a solo shot to left off Columbia starter Dan Bracey, knotting the game at one. The Tigers scrapped together another run in the fourth off a walk and a double.

By the time the Lions came up in the top of the sixth, they already had their backs to the wall, knowing the game slated to run only seven innings. It wasn’t pretty, but the offense delivered the tying run—without the benefit of so much as a single hit.

Catcher Dean Forthun got things going with a slow roller to first that was booted by Princeton first baseman Adrian Turnham. Columbia first baseman Ron Williams then pushed Palms to a full count before walking, advancing Forthun to second. Third baseman Mike Roberts swung at the first pitch and grounded into a fielder’s choice, moving Forthun to third and forcing Williams out at second. Forthun was then brought home on yet another fielder’s choice, this time off the bat of right fielder Bobby O’Brien. When the dust cleared in the top of the sixth, the Light Blue had put up one run on zero hits, a walk, and an error to tie the game at two.

Bracey got two quick outs in the bottom half of the inning before things started to unravel. First he plunked Princeton catcher Jack Murphy and walked right fielder David Hale. Then Murphy advanced to third on a throwing error by Forthun. Designated hitter Brian Berkowitz provided the late-game heroics for the Tigers as he found a hole in the right side to bring Murphy home with the go-ahead run.

Palms had little trouble closing it out in the bottom half of the inning, cementing Princeton’s game-one victory and positioning his team for a chance at a series win.

In game two, the Tigers got the better of the Lions for the third game in a row, pouncing on suspect starting pitching and holding their lead through the late innings.

Columbia once again got on the board first. With two out in the top of the first, Forthun deposited a home run over the left-field wall to put the Lions ahead 1-0. That’s when Harrison Slutsky took the mound and things went south pretty quickly for the visiting Columbia squad.

Slutsky had control problems from the outset, walking the first man he faced and then committing an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. After shortstop Greg Van Horn grounded into a fielder’s choice, Murphy brought home a run on an infield single. Slutsky proceeded to bean Broscious, loading the bases for Berkowitz, who delivered with a two-run double to right. A sacrifice fly and an RBI single rounded out the damage, and Slutsky finally escaped after yielding five runs (three earned) in just one inning of work.

He was replaced in the second by Roger Aquino, who was stellar over seven innings, allowing no runs and just four hits in long relief and giving the Light Blue a chance to get back into the ball game.

The Lions chipped away at the early four-run deficit but ultimately came up short, managing only two more runs on the afternoon. One came in the fifth when the inning started with three straight Columbia base hits, including designated hitter Alex Aurrichio’s run-scoring single. The Lions got an additional run in the top of the ninth, piecing together a pair of singles to put runners on the corners. Aurrichio’s double-play grounder brought home Columbia’s third run but also helped snuff out a promising late-game rally.

Princeton starter Langford Stuber was responsible for shutting down Columbia’s bats for eight-plus innings in game two, striking out six and allowing seven hits on the day. Matt Grabowski came out with one man on in the ninth to finish off the Lions by a final margin of 5-3.

Columbia won’t have much of a chance to think about Monday afternoon’s events. The baseball team is back in action with a doubleheader tomorrow at Fordham.