PRINCETON, N.J. – Senior Chandler Bengtson broke Columbia's all-time home run record with his 26th career longball in game one of a doubleheader, helping the Lions defeat Princeton, 8-2. Columbia was in position to earn a sweep, but the Tigers scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth to erase a 6-2 deficit and salvage a split with an 8-6 decision in the nightcap.
The Lions (9-13, 5-3) and Tigers (6-17, 3-5) will meet up one last time Sunday, April 7 at Clarke Field. Game time is set for 12 p.m. on ESPN+.
GAME ONE
Josh Simpson (4-1) won for the fourth time in as many starts, tossing 6.1 innings and allowing two unearned runs on six hits with six strikeouts. Leo Pollack worked 2.2 scoreless frames to pick up the save after entering the ballgame with the tying run on deck in the seventh.
Josh Niocoloff was 4-for-5 and Jack Chernow notched a hit and scored all three times he reached base.
Columbia opened the scoring in the second, putting runners on the corners for Matt Cerfolio, who lifted sacrifice fly to bring in Bengtson. McGill doubled the lead in the third, launching an opposite field solo homer over the wall in right to make it 2-0.
In the fourth, McGill posted a sacrifice fly for his second RBI, which proved to be important when the Tigers scored a pair in the bottom of the sixth.
An error led to an RBI triple from Nadir Lewis and another sacrifice fly to David Harding, cutting the deficit to 3-2. However, Bengtson's record-setting blast gave all the momentum back to the Lions.
Jack Chernow led off the seventh with a walk and moved to second on a sac bunt. With first base open, Princeton opted to walk McGill intentionally to get the lefty-on-lefty matchup on Bengtson, but the senior made the Tigers pay. Bengtson smashed an 0-1 pitch to right to take the top spot on the career list.
Princeton tried to rally in the bottom of the frame, putting two one with one out, but Pollack retired the next two batters to keep the score, 6-2, in favor of the Lions.
Columbia tacked on insurance runs on an RBI single from Joe Engel in the eighth and a sac fly from Ben Porter in the ninth.
Eric Marasheski was 2-for-3 for the Tigers. Ryan Smith (2-3) was charged with six earned runs over 7.0 innings with four strikeouts.
GAME TWO
First-year Saajan May pitched five innings of no-hit ball and the Lions led 4-0 before Princeton made its move. Columbia had opportunities to tack on runs in nearly every inning, but stranded 14 baserunners.
Nicoloff notched a two-run single with the bases loaded in the top of the first. An error in the second gave Columbia a 3-0 lead and Bengtson posted a sacrifice fly for the Lions' fourth run.
When May exited, Princeton's Max Machiorlette and Jake Boone posted doubles to break up the no-hit and shutout bids in the sixth.
Joshua Solomon gave the Lions a little extra breathing room with a two-run homer, the first of his career, to stretch the lead to 6-1.
In the seventh, Harding came through with a leadoff homer to pull the Tigers within four, setting the stage for a six-run eighth. After a walk to start the inning, Chris Davis tripled to center and Jake Boone singled to make it 6-4. A single, followed by three consecutive free passes brought in another run and Max West gave Princeton its first lead of the day with a two-run single. An error on a pickoff try moved Taylor Beckett to third, helping him score when Eric Marasheski recorded the Tigers fourth hit of the inning.
Columbia was retired in order for the first time in the ballgame in the ninth as Princeton closed out the come-from-behind win.
Lucas Hall (0-1) was charged with the loss, allowing the go-ahead run to score in the eighth. Joe Engel was 3-for-5 with a pair of runs. Ben Porter extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a single in both contests.
Reece Pierce (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits in 3.0 innings of relief. Boone was the only Princeton player with multiple hits.
