NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Columbia baseball swept Yale for the second year in a row after winning 5-4 on Sunday from Bush '48 Field.
Columbia (16-11, 7-2) won all three games over the Bulldogs (9-16, 4-5) this weekend by one run. It's the first time the Lions have won three consecutive one-run games since 2016 at Jacksonville. It marks the first time since Columbia baseball joined the Ivy League in 1993 that the Lions have won three-straight one-run conference games.
"We had five different pitchers contribute in a big way along with our defense to help us get us a series sweep," head coach Brett Boretti said. "Three low-scoring, one-run wins in a weekend does not happen too often."
Griffin Palfrey got the start on the mound and tossed two scoreless innings, allowing an unearned run on one hit while striking out two.
Columbia got on the board before Yale came to bat courtesy of Andy Blake's hustle. After a triple to left-center field, Blake sprinted home on a passed ball that didn't get very far from the catcher to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs tied it up in the bottom of the first after Jimmy Chatfield doubled then came around to score on an error to make it 1-1.
In the top of the second, Columbia loaded the bases with no one out but couldn't capitalize. Anton Lazits and Cole Hage each singled and then Skye Selinsky walked to start the inning. Yale starting pitcher Reid Easterly was able to get back-to-back strikeouts and then a fly out to escape the jam and keep the game tied.
The Lions re-took the lead in the fourth inning after benefiting from two Yale errors. Lazits reached on an error to leadoff. Then Hage laid down a perfect bunt that was thrown into right field and Lazits sprinted all the way from first to score and give Columbia a 2-1 lead.
Columbia added a run on a Weston Eberly double that scored Hayden Schott from first base to give the Lions a 3-1 advantage in the fifth inning.
The Bulldogs brought the game within a run again in the home sixth off Sam Miller on an RBI single. Miller was able to strand the tying run on second with a strikeout.
Palfrey provided breathing room when he ripped a two-run triple that one-hopped the fence and scored Selinsky and Hage to make it 5-2.
Yale scored in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3. On the same play, Hage threw the ball into third base to Seth Dardar, who caught the throw, dove, and tagged the runner out coming from second for a crucial second out. The Bulldogs only scored one run in the inning.
In the ninth inning, Yale had traffic on the bases and plated another run on a sacrifice fly that was the second out. Yoo was able to get the third out on a groundout and get his second save of the year.
The Lions are back in action on Wednesday at Fordham. First pitch from Houlihan Park is set for 3:30 p.m. and will air on MSG Networks and ESPN+.
For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on Twitter and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
