Box Score
A 12th inning Carlos Garmendia walk-off RBI single handed
the Princeton baseball a 7-6 loss Friday to open its four-game series at
Stetson.
The Tigers' struck first, breaking the scoreless draw in the
fifth inning. Freshman Billy Arendt came to the plate with the bases loaded and
was dealt a walk to send Princeton's first run home. Mike Ford and Steve
Harrington extended the scoring with sacrifice flies to make it a 3-0 game.
Starting Tiger pitcher Zak Hermans' tossed 6.1 innings and
did not concede a hit until the sixth inning. He threw six strikeouts and held
Stetson scoreless until the bottom of the seventh when the Hatters evened
things up with a three-run inning of their own.
In another bases loaded situation, this time with one out,
Bobby Geren hit a sacrifice fly to right field to reestablish the Tigers' lead,
4-3.
The Hatters capitalized on their lone hit in the ninth with
a leadoff Patrick Mazeika home run to force extra frames. It was Princeton's
first extra inning game of the year.
Things nearly unraveled for the Tigers in the 10th, as a
failed pickoff attempt, passed ball and an intentional walk loaded the bases
with two outs. Reliever Nick Donatiello was able to get out of the jam and
strikeout outfielder James Rasmussed to keep Princeton's chances alive.
The offense provided Donatiello with run support, as Ford
hit a two-run bomb to right field to lift Princeton to the lead for the third
time in the game, 6-4.
Ford's first long ball of the year was not enough and
Stetson added two runs in the bottom of the 11th and a bases loaded RBI single
to end things the next inning.
The series continues Saturday in twinbill action with games
at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
