Thursday, March 18, 2004 THE PENDULUM • Page 24 4-2 in SoCon after ending five-game skid Team looks to settle pitching in SoCon play

Andrew High games, it can be ‘Oh no, here we hits, the Phoenix clawed back. Sports Editor go again.’ If you look at our num­ Matt McSwain (1-2) held the bers the whole year, we’re in a lot Princeton offense in check, giving The Phoenix baseball team (7- of ballgames in the sixth, seventh, up only two hits in the next four 12, 4-2) recovered from a five- eighth innings, and we’re giving innings after giving up four hits in game losing streak to beat The up a lot of runs.” ^ the first. Elon’s Tyler Stevens Citadel 6-4 Sunday, before losing Kennedy was not present at the then sent a 1-1 pitch over the right to Princeton University 9-3 in a team’s game against Princeton. field fence in the bottom of the Monday afternoon game. He was serving a one game sus­ second to give the Phoenix its Three games in the team’s los­ pension after being ejected during first of the game. It was the ing streak came against national the team’s last game against team’s first hit. powerhouse No. 6 Miami. The Miami. Kennedy was suspended When Phoenix players did get Phoenix had two close losses at 6- for the team’s match-up against on base, Alexander had them run­ 3 and 6-5, and lost one game 24- Princeton and not The Citadel ning. The team stole six bases on 0. Head coach Mike Kennedy because the Southern Conference seven attempts. Leadoff hitter found bright spots in the team’s mandates suspensions for offens- Evan Tartaglia and catcher Drew three losses. es during non-confer­ Davis stole two bases each, “(The series) will be valuable ence games be served Tartaglia stealing second and just because of the level of com­ in the team’s next third in the bottom of the third. petition,” he said. “They’ve gone non-conference Alexander said the team’s aggres­ to the (College) World Series game. sive base running was a calculat­ eight out of the last nine years, if Pitching coach ed risk. I’m not mistaken. They’re the Austin Alexander “All three of their pitchers had premiere team in college .. manned the bench for slow deliveries to the plate,” baseball. We compet- the team during its Alexander said. “After we ran a ed for two games. game against couple of times, their catcher We had a / ' J Princeton. The showed he couldn’t get the ball to chance to win / Phoenix fell second base in the air. The combi­ and blew behind early. nation of the two, the pitchers not leads late. Princeton’s really paying attention to our base , Brian Viebranz / Photographer You just ■ lead-off runners and the catcher not being Sen ior Brian Henson pitch& from the mound for the Phoenix during their hope that hitter, able to get the ball in the flat, we series against the Citadel. Henson pitched the first ftve in n in g o f the team's you can Steve figured it was something we’d be &4 win over the Citadel. learn from Young, able to take advantage of. it.” tripled to “Most catchers at this level are into right field to score Rembert brought me to it and I dived and Kennedy start the going to be two flat to 2.1 (sec­ and even the score. took a digger on the old gravel.” said he was hope­ inning for onds) to second base,” he said. But the Tigers scored three Tartaglia’s hit-by-pitch in the ful his team would the Tigers. “Most pitchers are going to be 1.3 runs in the next two innings, man­ seventh was his second of the still be confident in ^ or better. Anytime you see a pitch­ ufacturing runs and benefiting game. He scored one of the team’s late game situations. Eric Fitzgerald sin­ er or a catcher that’s not in that from an error by Elon shortstop runs after being hit earlier in the “The scary part is gled up the middle to ballpark, you can probably steal Paul Bennett. The Phoenix rallied game. that when we’re strug­ bring Young home some bases with most of your in the seventh, loading the bases “I don’t mind taking a hit,” he gling and losing some and put the Tigers up guys, depending on the speed of without getting a hit. Princeton said. “It’s not something where I tight games, you have 1-0. Fitzgerald then your players. Their pitchers today pitcher Will Sweeny hit Tartaglia go up there saying ‘Man let me to hope your kids can scored on a single by were 1.5 or 1.6.” and Chris Price and walked Gary take this one.’ If it’s in, it’s in and overcome that,” shortstop Adam Elon evened the score at two Morris. With the bases loaded and it hits me. I know they don’t want Kennedy said. “When Balkan. all in the bottom of the fifth. two out, Davis came to the plate me on base and I enjoyed being you get in close After the flurry of Junior right fielder Grant Rembert for the Phoenix and belted a line on base, so that only benefits us.” Mike Kennedy drew a walk from Princeton’s drive into left-centerfield. The Tigers tacked on four Princeton’s B.J. Szymanski laid more runs in the ninth as Matthew Photo by Brian Viebranz Brian Biegen. Chris Price doubled out to make a diving catch on the Becker connected with a Mike gravel warning track, which left Fratoe pitch for a grand slam. V. Princeton 3-15-04 him with a few souvenir cuts on The Phoenix travels to take on his arms, to save the inning for the Southern Conference foe 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Tigers. Davidson University this week­ “(Davis) hit a pretty good line end. The team returns home P- 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 4 9 12 2 drive that hung up a little bit and I March 26 to play East Tennessee really didn’t get a good jump on State University. it,” Szymanski said. “Toward the E- 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 3 6 1 last second the ball just kept Contact Andrew High at pendu- hanging and hanging and my legs [email protected] or 278-7247.