March 9, 2001

Box Score

Stillwater, Okla. - In a 12-4 victory, the Princeton Tigers put on an offensive clinic courtesy of the Southeast Missouri State Indians, as the team from the Ivy League blasted 15 hits en route to the win.

The Tigers, who last played in the 2000 NCAA Regionals in May, battered Southeast's pitching, posting runs in the first five innings.

Princeton - the visitor in the contest - opened up with four runs in the first. The first batter of the game was retired via the fly to center, but the next six runners would reach base before the inning ended. Mickey Martin scored the first run off the fielder's choice. Casey Hildreth then doubled to drive in two more runs. Eric Voelker singled and drove in Hildreth to top off the inning, 4-0.

The Tigers added three more runs over the next two innings to make it 7-0 before Southeast jumped on the board. 1B Shane Allen started Southeast off in the bottom of the third with a single. LF Brian Hopkins followed with a walk. 3B Denver Stuckey then scored Allen off his double to right field. SS Zach Borowiak kept it going with a single to right center and drove in his 17th and 18th RBIs of the season. The hit kept Borowiak's hitting streak alive, which now stands at 14 games.

Princeton's offense kept churning in the fourth with two more runs courtesy of a Hildreth single to right. The Tigers chalked three more on in the fifth as the Indians third pitcher of the game entered, Greg Lunski. He allowed just three more runs, one of which he was responsible for, and closed off the Tiger barrage over the next four innings. Reliever Andy Davidson finished the ninth. . The Indians attempted a rally in the bottom of the ninth as Hopkins led off the inning with a walk. 2B Matt Baldwin singled to left and advanced Hopkins to second. Stuckey then reached on a fielder's choice to push Hopkins to third, but Baldwin was tagged out on second. DH Brad Beatty singled to left and scored Hopkins. Tiger Reliever Mike Siano quickly put a plug in Southeast's spurt and struck out Borowiak and forced C Jeff Bourbon to fly-out to end the game.

RHP Jeffrey Hilz, who was on the mound in his first start at Southeast, was touched for six hits and six runs, five of which were earned, in just 1.1 innings of work. He was replaced by RHP Brandon Smith in the second, who also was responsible for five earned run and six hits over 2.2 innings. Hilz was tagged with the loss. He is now 1-1.

Princeton starter Ryan Quillian notched his first win of the season. He tossed six innings and allowed five hits and three earned runs, while walking three and striking out four.

Borowiak was the only Southeast hitter with extra hits. He finished the day 3-for-5 and had 2 RBI. Borowiak closed the three-game Stillwater road trip 5-for-12 with two runs scored and three RBI.

Princeton's Andrew Hanson and Hildreth were near perfect. Hanson, who was a unanimous first team All-Ivy selection a year ago, was 4-for-4 on the day with two RBI and two runs scored. Hildreth, who saw limited playing time last season, went 3-for-4 with a career-high four RBI and two runs scored.