Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania baseball team needed just one win Saturday to clinch its first Ivy League Gehrig Division title since 2007, but Columbia had other plans, as the Quakers dropped both ends of the doubleheader, 14-4 and 7-5. This weekend's games conclude conference play and both Columbia and Penn finished in a tie atop the division at 12-8, forcing a one-game playoff at Robertson Field with the winner advancing to the Ivy League Championship Series. Date and time will be announced as soon as it becomes available.

GAME 1
Columbia 14, Penn 4
WP: Harrisen Egly (2-3) LP: Billy Lescher (2-2)

Game 2
Columbia 7, Penn 5
WP: Ian Burns (3-1)  LP: Mike Reitcheck (4-4) SV: Brett Gannaway (4)

BY THE NUMBERS

*1 - Penn and Columbia will square off in a one-game playoff to decide the Ivy League Gehrig Division champion for the third time in the last four seasons. Columbia has won the previous two, 4-2 in 2015 on the road, and 4-0 at Meiklejohn Stadium in 2014. With a win, Quakers would clinch their fourth outright Gehrig Division title in program history, and the first since 2007.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Columbia 14, Penn 4

Columbia arrived to Meiklejohn Stadium Saturday needing to sweep the doubleheader with Penn to keep its postseason hopes alive, and took a step in that direction with two runs in the top of the first on Kyle Bartelman's two-run shot to right to open the scoring. The Quakers answered right back with two of their own in the bottom of the first when Tim Graul and Sean Phelan produced back-to-back home runs to even the score. Graul sent a towering drive over the wall in left on the first pitch he saw for his fourth of the season before Phelan's line-drive shot cleared the wall in right-center.

Penn starter Gabe Kleiman put on one of his best performances on the mound this season, striking out five over the first three innings while allowing just two earned runs in five solid innings of work. Kleiman was in line for the win after the Quakers put up two in the fourth behind consecutive two-out RBI singles to center from Matt Tola and Chris Adams, as Penn took a 4-2 lead with nine outs to get.

Columbia battled back in the fifth with a run on a run-scoring ground out to cut the deficit to one, before Andrew Murnane made the defensive play of the day for Penn. With two in scoring position and one out, Randell Kanemaru lifted one to left-center that appeared to be deep enough for a sacrifice fly, but Murnane made the grab and fired home to Matt O'Neill who applied the tag to cut down the potential tying run at the plate.

Although the Quakers clung to a one-run lead with just six outs left to get, the Columbia bats came to life in a big way against the Penn bullpen, tallying nine runs on seven hits to take a 12-4 lead. Ben Porter's two-out grand slam to left was the big blow of the inning, along with Liam McGill's three-run shot to left.

Adams led the Quakers with three hits in Saturday's opener.

Game 2: Columbia 7, Penn 5

The Quakers took advantage of two Columbia errors in the top of the first to take an early 2-0 lead in the series finale, as Matt McGeagh lined a two-out double to left-center to bring in the second run of the frame.

After Shane Adams' RBI double cut the deficit in half in the top of the second, Daniel Halevy drew a one-out walk followed by a single from Tola to get a runner in scoring position. Adams delievered yet again, this time doubling to left to bring in Halevy before Graul brought in Tola with a sacrifice fly to right-center to give the Quakers a 4-1 lead.

The Lions clawed their way back into the game the very next inning, knotting the game at four with three RBI singles. Mike Reitcheck put together a workman-like six and two-thirds innings in a 111-pitch outing on Senior Day, including a three-inning scoreless stretch to put Penn in position to take a lead. However, Columbia took a 6-4 lead with two in the top of the seventh on a two-run double off the bat of Adams, forcing the Quakers to go to the bullpen.

Tola continued his big day at the plate in the final game at Meiklejohn Stadium this season, launching his first home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the seventh to get the Quakers within one. The Lions added an insurance run in the top of the eighth, and Brett Gannaway shut down the Penn offense the rest of the way for his fourth save of the season and a 7-5 Columbia victory.

WHAT'S NEXT

Penn (22-20, 12-8 Ivy) and Columbia (18-22, 12-8) remain tied atop the Gehrig Division standings through the conclusion of Ivy League regular season play, setting up a one-game playoff at Columbia's Robertson Field with the winner advancing to the Ivy League Championship Series. The date and time for the game will be announced as soon as it becomes available, and updated will be posted on www.pennathletics.com.