Brown, Hsieh Prove Clutch In Win

TOWSON, Md. – In the Yale baseball team's most thrilling victory to date, it took a full nine innings for the Bulldogs to finally push ahead and complete their comeback, defeating Towson, 9-5, on Friday afternoon.

A five-run, six-hit ninth inning for the Bulldogs (3-3) catapulted them to an impressive victory in a game where they trailed 4-1 going into the sixth and 4-3 going into the eighth.

The game had many tense moments in the later innings, but the clutch-hitting of sophomore Derek Brown (Houston, Texas), along with the brilliant performances of senior Eric Hsieh (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) and sophomore Richard Slenker (Pound Ridge, N.Y.), helped the Elis overcome a three-run deficit for the win.

Brown's RBI single in the eighth inning tied the game, 4-4, while his RBI single in the ninth gave Yale its first lead of the game. The sophomore was 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Hsieh was a stellar 5-for-5 at the plate, scoring four runs for Yale in the process.

Slenker's two-run home run in the sixth narrowed the Towson lead to one, while a two-run, pinch-hit home run by senior Joe Lubanski (Collegeville, Pa.) in the ninth capped off a five-run inning for the Bulldogs. Slenker was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs on the day.

Junior right-hander Chris Moates (Smithville, Ga.) settled down on the mound after allowing a three-run second inning. Moates went seven innings for the Bulldogs, throwing 110 pitches in his no-decision outing. He allowed four earned runs and five hits, while striking out seven.

Freshman hurler Mason Kukowski (Katy, Texas) continued his dominance on the hill, allowing one run and striking out three in two innings of relief work. Kukowski earned his first collegiate victory in his outing.

With a tied game in the ninth inning and one out, sophomore Harrison White (Laguna Niguel, Calif.), Hsieh, and Slenker all singled in consecutive at-bats, loading the bases for Brown.

Brown would deliver in a big way, shooting a line drive past the glove of the first baseman and into right field, allowing White to score and giving the Bulldogs a 5-4 lead.

"I started off the game 0-for-3 at the plate and I wasn't too happy with that. I kept swinging though and I came up at the right time," said Brown. "That's baseball for you, you go 0-for-3 and then you get two opportunities to drive-in some runs."

Senior captain David Toups (Houston, Texas) would hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Hsieh and pushing the lead to 6-4. A Towson wild pitch in the next at-bat plated Slenker, making it 7-4.

Lubanski would pinch-hit for left fielder Brent Lawson (Newport Beach, Calif.), and in only his fifth at-bat of the season, would connect on a 3-1 pitch and send it over the right-field fence. The two-run homer would give Kukowski a 9-4 lead to work with in the ninth.

Before the Bulldogs took the lead in the ninth, they struggled to find their break-through moment. After an RBI single by Brown in the eighth tied the game, the Elis had the bases loaded with no outs. All three runners would be stranded, however.

The Bulldogs would first get on the scoreboard in the fourth inning with an RBI single from Toups, scoring Hsieh and cutting the Towson lead to 3-1. Hsieh led-off three different innings at the plate for Yale, reaching base and scoring each time.

Moates provided a solid effort for the Bulldogs, after allowing a two-run home run by Towson's Richie Blosser as part of a three-run second inning. The junior righty stranded five Towson runners in his seven innings of work.

In other game highlights, Slenker made the play of the day in the field. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Yale third baseman dove to his left and snagged a screaming grounder by Towson's Colin Gimblet, popped up, and threw him out at first, robbing him of a hit.

"We're building momentum for Ivy League play and we're really excited for what's to come," said Brown.

The Bulldogs will return to the diamond on Sunday when they travel to Rhode Island for a doubleheader with the Rams, starting at noon. The Elis will look to extend their winning streak.

Filed by Steve Lewis, Yale Sports Publicity