CAMBRIDGE, Mass. —Columbia baseball swept Saturday's doubleheader against Harvard to move one step closer to claiming at least a share of its second straight Ivy League Championship. The Lions (23-17, 15-5 Ivy) stormed back from a four-run deficit to take game one, 16-13, behind a go-ahead grand slam from
Sam Miller in the top of the ninth. In the nightcap, Columbia rode strong pitching and timely hitting to an 8-3 victory.
With the two wins, Columbia sits atop the Ivy League standings. A win on Sunday would secure at least a share of the regular season title. Yale, idle this weekend, is 13-5 and can only match Columbia's record with a sweep at Dartmouth next weekend.
The Lions and Crimson wrap up the set on Sunday, May 4, with a single game beginning at 12 p.m.
GAME ONE RECAP
In the top of the second, Columbia hung a four-spot on reigning Ivy League Pitcher of the Year Callan Fang. Tate Vogler laced a run-scoring single to left, and Owen Estabrook launched a three-run home run to give Columbia an early 4-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the frame, Harvard answered back with three runs of their own. A Jack Rickheim RBI single, a bases loaded walk, and an RBI fielder's choice helped cut Harvard's deficit to one.
Columbia responded in the top of the third with two more runs. Skye Selinsky picked up an RBI groundout, and Tate Vogler blasted his first collegiate home run to right. However, Harvard responded with a crooked number, scoring six runs on home runs by Tyler Shulman and Ryan Mooney and a bases-clearing double by Gio Colasante.
In the bottom of the fourth, Harvard added on with a two-run double by Jack Rickheim, making it 11-6. Despite giving up nine runs on thirteen hits, Fang pitched into the seventh. In that frame, Miller smacked his first homer of the day and Cole Fellows doubled how two to bring Columbia within two.
The score remained 11-9 until the bottom of the eighth, when Harvard scored a run on an error and a sacrifice fly by Matt Giberti.
In the top of the ninth, Columbia's offense came alive in a big way. Fellows recorded another RBI double, Selinsky picked up a run-scoring single, Hunter Snyder drew a bases loaded walk, and Miller capped off the rally with a go-ahead grand slam to the opposite field.
Miller went 3-for-6 with RBI and the pair of homers. He currently leads the Ivy League with 14 dingers. Fellows was 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored.
Tomas Lopez recorded the save in the bottom of the ninth, firing a scoreless inning while striking out two. Baylor Hicks earned the win in relief, moving to 2-1 on the season.
GAME TWO RECAP
Columbia struck first in the nightcap with a double steal of second and home by Anton Lazits and Griffin Palfrey. After Harvard responded with two runs in the bottom of the first — including a solo homer from Gio Colasante — the Lions tied the game in the second on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Snyder.
Anthony Temesvary gave Columbia the lead for good with a two-run homer in the fourth and added an RBI single in the fifth. He later scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 6-2.
Colasante hit his second home run of the game in the sixth to cut into the deficit, but Columbia answered with runs in the seventh and eighth innings, courtesy of an RBI single by Palfrey and a sacrifice fly from Vogler.
Thomas Santana earned the win for Columbia. The junior right hander tossed 5.2 strong, while striking out six batters. Alex Sotiropoulos earned the save in relief, firing 3.1 no-hit innings and striking out five.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia baseball, follow @CULionsBaseball on X and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
