March 18, 2008
CLINTON, S.C.--The Yale baseball team (5-10) used a four-run sixth to overcome a 3-1 deficit en route to a 7-3 victory over Presbyterian (5-10) at the PC Baseball Complex on Tuesday. Trygg Larsson-Danforth had three RBIs for the Bulldogs, while freshman Vinny Lally earned his first collegiate win on the mound.
Yale put a run on the board in the top of the first when Larsson-Danforth walked with the bases loaded. Chris Finneran retired the first eight Presbyterian batters before walking number-nine hitter Zac Rhinesmith with two down in the third. The Blue Hose followed with four successive singles to take a 2-1 lead. Presbyterian added another run in the fourth when Jared Combs singled, then came around on Rhinesmith's RBI fielder's choice.
Presbyterian held onto the lead until the top of the sixth, when starter Ben Dollar walked the first three batters of the inning. Larsson-Danforth was up next and roped a two-run single to right field. Right fielder Jesse Harmon overran the ball, allowing Jake Doyle to score the go-ahead run. Larsson-Danforth moved all the way to third on the error and scored on Stefan Schropp's single deep into the hole at short.
The Bulldogs added two in the ninth. Gant Elmore belted a leadoff double down the right field line, then moved to third when Josh Cox broke out of a 1-for-15 slump with a single to left. Elmore scored to make it 6-3 when P.J. Gorynski hit into a fielder's choice. Gorynski came across with Yale's final run on Doyle's RBI single.
Yale had nine hits, led by two each from Gorynski and Doyle. Gorynski also scored three runs. Finneran went the first 4.1 innings for the Bulldogs. He gave up six hits and three runs while walking two and striking out one. Lally (1-1) gave up two hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. He also struck out one. John Henry Davis and Chris Walsh each pitched a scoreless inning of relief before giving way to closer Steve Gilman in the ninth.
The Blue Hose belted 11 hits as a team, led by Nate Horton's 4-for-5 effort. Robert Anders went 2-for-4 at the plate for Presbyterian. Dollar (1-1) went the first seven innings for the Blue Hose, yielding five runs (four earned) and six hits while walking six and striking out five.
Due to the threat of inclement weather, Wednesday's game between the two teams has been postponed until Thursday at 2 p.m. Alex Christ and Eric Tatum are the probable starters.
Report filed by Joe Clifford, Yale Sports Publicity