BIG MAC: Princeton High baseball player Connor McDowell takes a cut in recent action. Last week, senior McDowell went 3 for 4 with three RBIs to help PHS rally from a 4-0 deficit to edge Lawrenceville 8-7. The Tigers, who fell 13-1 to Notre Dame last Monday to move to 3-4, host Princeton Day School on April 20, WW/P-South on April 21, Ewing on April 23, and Allentown on April 25. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Before the Princeton High baseball team took the field to host Lawrenceville last week, it engaged in some soul-searching.

“We had a talk before the game about resilience and picking it up,” said PHS senior Connor McDowell.

“After that last game (a 2-0 loss to Robbinsville on April 11), we knew we had to perform. It was that or nothing.”

With McDowell picking up the offense by going 3 for 4 with three RBIs, PHS rallied from a 4-0 deficit to pull out an 8-7 walk-off win over the Big Red in the April 12 contest.

In the bottom of the second inning, McDowell helped get the Tigers back in the game, banging out a two-run single that narrowed the Lawrenceville lead to 4-3.

“I knew the pitcher was probably going to throw me a fastball,” said McDowell, recalling that at-bat. “I just needed to stay down and hit a line drive. I didn’t need to hit anything crazy, just hit through the ball and hit a single, that is all I need.”

In the sixth inning, McDowell came through again, driving in another run to help spark a three-run rally as PHS forged ahead 7-6.

“I was thinking hit a ball to the outfield because that will score a run no matter what,” said McDowell. “I just hit it to the outfield and there you go.”

The Big Red responded with a run in the top off the seventh to knot the contrast at 7-7 but the Tigers pulled out the walk-off triumph pushing across the winning run on an Alex Winters bunt after Aiden Castillo started the frame with a double.

“When it was a tie game, I knew we would be able to hit,” said McDowell. “We had been hitting all game, we would be able to do it. After Aiden’s double, I knew we had it under control.”

In the view of McDowell, the win over the Big Red could get the Tigers rolling.

“It is the starting point, it will catapult us forward,” said McDowell. “Like Cap (PHS head coach Dominic Capuano) said, from here we have to ride the momentum and keep going. We have had some tough games early; we have to let this be the start and only go up from there.”

Capuano acknowledged that he was looking to light a fire under his squad with the pregame talk.

“We have got 13 seniors and they needed to step up,” said Capuano. “With the size of that class and the quality of our guys, I felt that in our losses to Robbinsville and Steinert (3-1 on April 1), we just beat ourselves. I told them that your friend (Kenny Schiavone) is pitching his butt off and you guys have to step up a little bit.”

With the Tigers trailing Lawrenceville 4-0 in the second, Capuano was concerned that his players might hang their heads.

“It was early; I wasn’t concerned about the ability or talent to come back,” said Capuano.

“I was concerned about whether we would mentally shut down because that is what has beat us — our mentality and approach in two of the three games so far.”

Capuano liked the mentality displayed by seniors McDowell and Castillo as they stepped up in clutch moments.

“Connor played really well, especially not being here yesterday,” said Capuano.

“He was coming back from a college visit. He came back and stepped right it. Aiden came up with a triple and a double, that is taking advantage of opportunities. You never know, guys are pushing each other all of the time so both of them did well.”

Another senior, Peter Hare, did very well in a relief pitching stint, giving up two runs in four innings of work.

“It was big for him to come in and settle that down,” said Capuano. “It was really big, especially those last two innings when he got tired. He hasn’t pitched a whole lot, he threw one inning against Hightstown but that was his first long, extended outing. He kept us in it.”

The Tigers kept their heads when Lawrenceville tied the game in the seventh.

“That was what we talked about, having the mentality of never giving up and wanting it more,” said Capuano. “You need to want it more. Part of the talk we had is that we are much better 1-19 together than we are individually. That is part of it, sticking together, making sure that everybody is just doing their job.”

Capuano hopes that the rally against Lawrenceville can be a harbinger of things to come.

“It was a group effort and that is how we are going to win,” said Capuano, whose squad fell 13-1 to Notre Dame on Monday to move to 3-4 and hosts Princeton Day School on April 20, WW/P-South on April 21, Ewing on April 23, and Allentown on April 25.

“I hope is not something that we celebrate because it is a walk off. I hope it is the turning point to what we need to do and be.”

McDowell and his fellow seniors are determined to make their final campaign for PHS something to celebrate.

“This is my last shot at baseball; I see my role as being a leader and bringing these kids along with me, keeping them focused and trying to do the best for the team,” said McDowell. “The team success is more important. This is the team that is going to do big things; we have got to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”