NEW YORK — The Columbia baseball team wrapped up its regular season in emphatic fashion Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader from Holy Cross with dominant offensive performances in both games, winning 8-4 and 13-10 at Robertson Field at Satow Stadium.
Sam Miller tied the Lions' all-time home run record with the 31st of his career in the nightcap. Griffin Palfrey recorded double No. 49 of his illustrious career to tie Columbia's all-time mark and Anton Lazits drew three walks in game two to give him 96 for his career, which is a new program benchmark.
Columbia (29-17) will learn its postseason destination during the NCAA Baseball Selection Show on May 26 at noon ET on ESPNU.
GAME ONE RECAP
Down by two runs entering the bottom of the seventh, the Lions unleashed a power surge with three home runs over the final three innings to erase the deficit and take control. Palfrey sparked the rally with a solo shot to center field before Jack Kail and Tate Vogler added back-to-back blasts, with Vogler's two-run homer pushing Columbia ahead 6–4.
Lazits led the way at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a home run, double, and stolen base. Hunter Snyder added three hits and a walk, while Vogler drove in a game-high two runs on his two hits.
Columbia trailed 2–0 after Holy Cross (31-25) plated two runs in the fourth on RBI hits from Jimmy King and Sean Scanlon. The Crusaders extended their lead to 4–2 in the top of the seventh on Chris Baillargeon's two-run single before the Lions answered in the bottom of the frame.
Columbia added two more insurance runs in the eighth, aided by a fielding error and an RBI single from Cole Fellows.
Will Harrigan (2-0) earned the win in relief, working around trouble in the seventh despite giving up two runs. Alex Sotiropoulos recorded a six-out save — his third of the season — by retiring all six batters he faced over the final two innings, including one strikeout.
Pedro Leon (2-3) suffered the loss for Holy Cross, allowing four earned runs in two innings of relief. Baillargeon led the Crusaders with a 3-for-5 effort and two RBIs, while Colin Brown added two hits, including a double.
The win marked Columbia's 12th comeback victory of the season.
GAME TWO RECAP
Columbia built an early cushion with a six-run third inning and held on through a chaotic ninth to outlast Holy Cross in the finale.
The Lions racked up 15 hits and saw 11 different players reach base, capitalizing on wildness from the Holy Cross pitching staff, which issued nine walks and allowed multiple extra-base hits.
Trailing 1–0 entering the bottom of the third, Columbia sent 11 men to the plate and blew the game open with a six-run frame. Palfrey tied the game with an RBI double before the Lions drew three consecutive bases-loaded walks. Ben Fishel added a sacrifice fly, and Tate Vogler capped the inning with a run-scoring single. Columbia added two unearned runs in the fourth following a throwing error and an RBI single from Jack Kail.
Holy Cross responded with a two-run homer by Simon Landry in the sixth and tacked on two more in the seventh behind an RBI double by Brendan Jones and a run-scoring double by John LaFleur. However, Columbia padded its lead in the seventh after recording all three milestones in three consecutive at-bats.
Miller took the first pitch he saw to the opposite field for his record-tying home run, which was his Ivy League-leading 16th of the year. He joins Chandler Bengtson '18CC as the Lions' all-time leader. Palfrey followed that up with double number 49 for his career to match the mark of 49 held by Matt Buckmiller '02CC and Billy Hess '03CC. Lazits took four straight pitches to pass Buckmiller's mark of 95.
Columbia tacked on three more in the eighth, highlighted by Anthony Temesvary's two-run triple.
Leading by eight entering the ninth, Columbia nearly saw its lead evaporate. The Crusaders scored five runs on three hits and a walk, taking advantage of two wild pitches and a throwing error. Alex Sandell's two-run double and Peek's two-run single brought the tying run to the plate, but Andrew Argenziano struck out Connor Cooney to end the game and earn his first save.
Tomas Lopez (2-0) picked up the win with a scoreless third inning in relief. Holy Cross starter Jaden Wywoda gave up just one run over two innings, but reliever Thomas Skrobe (1-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs while recording only one out.
Temesvary finished with three RBI, while Palfrey and Kail each drove in two for Columbia. Landry drove in four for Holy Cross.
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