Baseball Earns Sunday Split to Close out Series at Columbia

Sunday, March 26

New York, N.Y.

11:30 a.m.

Brown University

3-13, 0

Columbia

8-10, 0

Brown

Columbia

Baseball Earns Sunday Split to Close out Series at Columbia

3/26/2023 6:56:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Brown baseball team earned a Sunday split at Columbia to round out its three-game series in New York. Fueled by a pair of big innings and gritty performances on the mound, Brown took game one by a score of 14-6, before a late innings rally fell short in a 9-6 defeat in game two. Freshman Mika Petersen went 5-for-11 with two runs and an RBI in the doubleheader. Sophomore Jared Johnson combined to go 4-for-10 with three runs and an RBI. Junior Reece Rappoli tagged his first career home run in game two to help Brown pull within one run late.

GAME 1
Petersen went 4-for-6 with a run and RBI in the opener, Derian Morphew added a pair of hits and three runs, and Jacob Burley added two hits. Ryan Marra picked up five RBIs in the game, including a bases clearing three-run triple.

On the mound, sophomore Santhosh Gottam picked up his first win of the season after firing 5.2 innings while allowing three earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Sophomore Jack Seppings earned the save by finishing off the final 3.1 innings, striking out five.

Columbia struck for two runs on one hit in the bottom of the first inning, one of which was unearned to take a 2-0 lead.

Brown answered right back in the top of the second with a big six-run inning, pounding out four hits and taking advantage of an error to take a 6-2 lead after two. After loading the bases with one out, Sass drove in Burley with a ground ball and reached on an error. Up next, Morphew lined a 2-0 pitch to the opposite field for an RBI single to score Brasher and tie the game. After Rappoli gave Brown the lead with an RBI hit-by-pitch, Marra stepped up and drove a fly ball to deep left field for a three-run triple that cleared the bases.

big Mar clears the bases and your Bears put up a SIX spot #EverTrue | @rmarra93 pic.twitter.com/jv2VnVUm4x
— Brown Baseball (@BrownU_Baseball) March 26, 2023

The Lions got one run back on consecutive two-out hits in the bottom of the second and left the bases loaded in the third.

Brown broke it open by sending 10 batters to the plate as part of a five-run fifth on three hits, three walks and a hit by pitch. Burley led off with a double and scored two batters later on a single by Johnson, who later hustled home on a wild pitch to make it an 8-3 game. After an error and pair of walks loaded the bases, Petersen looped an RBI single to right field and Rappoli drew a walk on the ninth pitch to force in another run. Marra stepped up with two outs and lined a sac fly to right field to score Morphew and make it an 11-3 game after five.

Petersen gets the two-strike knock to plate Dillehay as Brown pushes it to 9-3 in the 5th!

Watch on ESPN+https://t.co/3X1SceAz9F pic.twitter.com/934f2eDRHv
— Brown Baseball (@BrownU_Baseball) March 26, 2023

Brown tacked on another on an RBI fielder's choice by Marra in the seventh, and the Lions came back with single runs in both the seventh and eighth innings. After two quick outs in the top of the ninth, Brown loaded the bases on a bunt single by Petersen and two walks, then scored twice on consecutive hit batsmen to make it a 14-6 ballgame.

GAME 2
After two quick outs, Columbia struck first once again on back-to-back doubles to center field. Brown tied the game in the top of the second on a beautifully executed safety squeeze by Ray Sass to score Johnson from third on a head first slide.

Columbia then added three more in the second, capped by a two-run double off the center field wall by Hayden Scott to hold a 4-1 lead.

A two-run homer (both unearned) in the fourth and a solo shot leading off the fifth extended the Lions lead to 7-1. Brown responded in the seventh with a walk and one-out single brought up Rappoli, who towered his first career home run over the batter's eye in center to cut the deficit to 7-4.

MOONSHOT!! Reece Rappoli over the batters eye in CF for his first career homer! It cuts the deficit in half and pulls Brown within 7-4 in the 7th

Watch on ESPN+https://t.co/WnAy5jmPwZ pic.twitter.com/XwUJncQ1cn
— Brown Baseball (@BrownU_Baseball) March 26, 2023

Johnson led off the eighth with a double off the top of the wall in center, and scored two batters later on a ground ball by Sass. Up next, Morphew doubled into the right field corner to plate DJ Dillehay and make it a one-run game at 7-6.

Columbia got both runs back in the bottom of the eighth after a one-out walk and a two-run homer by Seth Dardar to cushion the lead at 9-6.

Brown will return home on Tuesday, March 26 to host Stonehill in a non-league matchup starting at 3 p.m. on ESPN+.

Gallery: (3-26-2023) Baseball DH at Columbia, 3/26/23

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