The top two teams in the conference battle it out for Ivy League supremacy — Quaker vs. Bulldog style.
Coming into the weekend, Penn baseball (17-14, 11-4 Ivy) and Yale (22-12, 10-5 Ivy) sat at the top of the Ivy League standings hoping to take sole control of the conference. In a three-game series that would have implications for playoff seeding for the annual Ivy League tournament, the games were a litmus test for the Quakers’ on their strengths and areas for improvement. Despite an impressive pitching performance by senior right-handed pitcher Noah Millikan, the Bulldogs were able to overcome the Red and Blue and win the overall series 2-1.
“I thought we were kind of up and down the last two games. We didn’t play very well. I thought [Yale] did,” coach John Yurkow said. “You got to give some credit to Yale. I thought they out executed us a little bit.”
Millikan’s Mound Magic
During the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, it turned out to be the Millikan show. Getting the starting nod on the mound, Millikan would take full advantage of his opportunity over the course of 7 1/3 innings. He would only give up one earned run on three hits and striking out six. The strong pitching performance held the Bulldogs at bay the entire game, cushioning the Quaker lead at 3-1 throughout. The outing would earn Millikan Ivy League Pitcher of the Week, making him the second Quaker to be pitcher of the week this season.
Up two runs heading into the ninth and final inning, Penn would bring on junior right-handed relief pitcher Thomas Shurtleff hoping to close out the game. Although Shurtleff has been a steady hand for the Quakers throughout the season, having also won an Ivy League Pitcher of the Week honor, the Bulldogs quickly got to Shurtleff and loaded the bases. After a hit by pitch and walk, the Quakers suddenly found themselves tied at 3-3 without an RBI hit registered.
The Red and Blue were fortunate enough to escape the inning and were set up with an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the 10th inning. Junior designated hitter Jarett Pokrovsky stepped to the plate and fired a single into center field, securing the walk-off victory for the Quakers 4-3.
The Bulldogs Find their Footing
In what was a promising start for the Quakers took a turn later that Saturday. The Bulldogs chased sophomore right-handed pitcher Josh Katz early, scoring five runs after four innings. However, the Quakers would fight back in the fourth inning scoring three runs, two of which were on wild pitches.
Yale would light up the scoreboard not only with seven runs to finish the game but also double that with 14 hits. The Bulldogs would finish the game beating the Quakers 7-4 heading into the rubber match on Sunday.
An Easter Sunday Rubber Match
In the penultimate rubber match on Easter Sunday, Penn’s hidden issue was finally exposed — and no, it wasn’t Easter eggs.
The real problem? An inability to capitalize with runners in scoring position. Time and time again, Quaker bats came up empty with ducks on the pond, stranding a significant number of runners on base. The missed opportunities loomed large, as the game slipped away despite multiple chances to turn the tide.
“I thought we did a really poor job in game two and game three hitting with runners in scoring position. We left game two and game three with 13 guys on base,” Yurkow said. “So, we just got to get some hits with guys on base, which has been really inconsistent. Some guys gave us a good day today, but just not consistently up and down the order.”
In the third inning, Yale went up big 5-0 thanks to a grand slam by infielder/outfielder Tommy Martin. The Quakers would slowly creep back in the game, cutting the lead to 5-2. Hoping to find their own version of a resurrection on Easter, a critical moment came in the fifth inning, when the Quakers had bases loaded with two outs. A groundout by sophomore catcher Qwynn Ahearn would end the inning and strand three runners, halting the Quaker momentum.
“With the runners in scoring position thing, I feel like that can become like a mental thing. I mean, you see it at all levels, even in the big leagues,” Yurkow said. “A couple guys don’t get it done, and then the guys just start trying harder and harder. And baseball is a sport. When you start overthinking and trying too hard, you usually go the wrong direction.”
The Red and Blue would have one last crack at it down 8-2 in the ninth inning, when Penn had bases loaded with no outs two different times. Despite scoring two runs, the Quakers couldn’t muster the game tying hit and ended up losing 8-4.
“I think just really improve our focus … this weekend … we got out of our usual approaches, whether it's defensive or offensive,” junior shortstop Davis Baker said. “I think we just need to lock in our bats, like we know they have a pretty good starting pitching and we just need to be ready to go. Be ready to hit from the first pitch.”
Despite dropping the series, Penn remains at the top of the Ivy League standings holding the tiebreaker over Columbia. This week, the Quakers face a pivotal matchup against Columbia on their home field, hoping to cement their standing as the top Ivy League team.
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