Baseball Takes on Stony Brook in Final Weekend

After a successful Ivy campaign, the Columbia baseball team will wrap up its season with a little momentum on its side. Columbia (16-24-1, 10-10 Ivy) will travel upstate to take on Stony Brook for a doubleheader on Saturday and will then return to Andy Coakley Field to finish the season at home on Sunday. The Lions are fresh off of an exciting day of baseball as the team split a doubleheader against Manhattan College on Wednesday.

Columbia dropped game one against the Jaspers, despite an effective outing from starter Chris Hunter. Hunter pitched five and a third innings, giving up only two earned runs on five hits, three walks, and one strikeout. Joey Mizzoni came in to pitch the remainder of the game and Columbia managed to keep it close, trailing 2-1 heading into the seventh. However, with two outs and a runner on third, the Lions chose to intentionally walk Manhattan first baseman Matt Rizzotti, who had been hitless in his first three at bats. Mizzoni proceeded to give up consecutive doubles as the Jaspers managed to score three runs in the inning. Columbia was unable to send any runners across in the bottom of the frame, and the Lions lost game one 5-1.

Game two was a completely different story for the Lions as some late-inning heroics earned Columbia the victory, snapping Manhattan's 16-game winning streak. Lion starter Matt Berninger pitched five strong innings, giving up only one earned run in the second inning. The top of the fourth was a sloppy inning for Columbia as Berninger threw two wild pitches and the Lion defense committed three errors, allowing Manhattan to pick up three unearned runs.

Shortstop Craig Rodwogin, who had committed one of the errors in the fourth, redeemed himself by scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the frame and by driving in two in the sixth. After John Baumann pitched a scoreless seventh inning, the Lions headed into the bottom of the frame down 4-3. With co-captain Andrew Ward on deck, Williams singled to right field and represented the tying run. Ward fouled out to the catcher, setting up designated hitter Jake Summerhays with a runner on and one out. Summerhays came through, smashing a two-run, walk-off home run to left field, and the Lions won game two 5-4.

Columbia will now travel to Stony Brook on Saturday for a doubleheader before returning to New York for their final two games of the 2007 season on Sunday. Freshman Michael Stephan leads the Seawolves (17-17) with a .333 batting average, three homeruns, and a .486 slugging percentage. Stony Brook also has considerable speed on the bases, as junior Brian Witkowski holds the team lead in doubles with 10 and stolen bases with 13.

The Seawolves' strength, however, is in their pitching. The staff has a low ERA of 4.48. Kurt Jung leads the team with eight games started and five wins. Jung boasts a 3.38 ERA and 28 strikeouts on the year. Jonathan Kalkau leads all relievers with four wins, posting a 2.77 ERA with 28 strikeouts in only 26 innings pitched.

The Lions will try to end their season on a high note after vastly improving in Ivy League play, currently sitting in second in the Lou Gehrig division with a .500 record. It will be an especially emotional series for the seven seniors who will no longer wear the Light Blue after Sunday.

First pitch is at noon on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Andy Coakley Field.