Baseball goes out with a 13-run bang

With Penn baseball's final game of the season tied at 9 with two outs, Derek Vigoa stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning.

On the mound for Columbia was Brian Valero, a teammate of Vigoa's last season at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, Fla. On a full count, Vigoa smacked a double down the left field line, clearing the bases and giving Penn a 12-9 lead.

"It's everything you dream of: 3-2 count, two outs, last inning, tie game," Vigoa said. "I really wanted to get that hit against my friend and get bragging rights."

Vigoa's go-ahead hit was only a small piece of a spectacular eighth inning for the Quakers, who trailed Columbia, 9-2, at the beginning of the inning and ended it up 15-9.

Sophomore Will Davis led off the inning with a home run, sparking the Quakers' 13-run inning in which they recorded six hits and eight walks.

"Being down 9-2 and to get 13 runs, they put together good at-bats, and they play as a team," coach John Cole said. "They were a team all year; they never broke away from being a team, and I'm proud of the way we played down the stretch."

The comeback victory yesterday was the Quakers' third win over Columbia of the four-game weekend series against the Lions. After falling 13-5 in game one Saturday in New York, Penn responded with three straight victories - the Quakers took Saturday's nightcap, 11-7, and the first game yesterday at Meiklejohn Stadium, 11-5, prior to the final game.

Penn was hit hard in the first inning of Saturday's loss, allowing seven earned runs to the Lions (11-32, 7-13 Ivy) after scoring four of their own in the top of the inning.

In game two Saturday, junior captain Todd Roth pitched eight innings for the Quakers (17-24, 5-15) to earn the win. Junior Will Gordon hit a grand slam in the sixth inning and recorded five total runs batted in.

In game one of yesterday's doubleheader, Penn only needed six innings to score 11 runs and win the game. Junior Tom Grandieri was a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Despite the strong finish by the Quakers, the three wins this weekend improved their conference record to only 5-15 - not good enough to qualify for the Ivy League Championship Series next weekend.

After the game, Cole reflected on Penn's season.

"You don't feel good about a season when you have a losing record and you don't play well in conference," Cole said. "But I'm proud of the way we didn't give up; we fought to the end."

"I'm looking forward to next season and changing things around at the beginning of next season," Vigoa said. "Just look out for us next year."

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