PHILADELPHIA – A strong start, and just what was needed. The University of Pennsylvania baseball team jumped out to a 3-0 lead courtesy of back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back as the Quakers took a crucial 13-1 series-opening victory over Columbia.
 
PENN 13, COLUMBIA 1
WP: Christian Scafidi (6-1)
LP: Jordan Chriss (1-3)
 
NOTES
*For the fifth time this season, Penn tallied at least 20 hits in a single game. The Quakers have extended their program record for hits in a season and now have 518 knocks this year.
 
*The Quakers have reached double digits in scoring for the 14th time this season. Penn's 349 runs are the third most in a single season in program history.

*After a pair of doubles by Tommy Courtney, as well as doubles by Matt McGeagh and Matt O'Neill, Penn has tied the program record for doubles in a season with 108 two-baggers on the year.
 
*For the third time this year, Penn has gone yard three or more times in a single game. Eduardo Malinowski and Sean Phelan hit back to back bombs in the first inning and O'Neill capped off the scoring for the Quakers with a two-run shot in the eighth.
 
*Scafidi came in and pitched seven innings of relief after a short start by Jacob Sadowitz. Scafidi earned his sixth win of the season and is the second pitcher to reach six wins in a season under W. Joseph Blood Head Coach John Yurkow.
 
*Over Scafidi's seven innings pitched today, he allowed one run (unearned) on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks.
 
*Sadowitz had a solid start, pitching two scoreless frames with two hits, two strikeouts, and two walks.
 
*Seven Penn players had multi-hit games today. O'Neill led the charge, going 4-for-6. Courtney (3-for-4) and Phelan (3-for-5) had solid days at the plate while Chris Adams, Malinowski, Peter Matt, and Craig Larsen each had two hits.
 
*Four Penn players had multiple RBI today. O'Neill again led the Quakers, driving in four RBI. Courtney tied his season/career-high with three RBI, while Malinowski and Phelan each had two RBI.
 
*Phelan now has 113 career RBI—fifth-most career RBI by a Penn player.
 
*After today's game, three Penn players have over 60 hits. Phelan leads the Quakers with 65, followed by O'Neill with 63 and Matt with 62.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
When the lineup cards for today's game came in, it became apparent that both team's coaches were engaging in a figurative chess match. Penn's Sadowitz was making his first career start while Columbia's Jordan Chriss made his third start in 12 appearances this season. Yurkow won the initial battle, as Sadowitz retired the Lions in the top of the frame, and the Quakers homered twice to take a 3-0 lead after the first frame.
 
O'Neill started the offense for Penn with a leadoff single, then Malinowski put Penn on the board with a two-run home run over the wall in left field. Phelan homered on the next at-bat, and the back-to-back home runs gave Penn a 3-0 lead.
 
After a leadoff single by Larsen in the second, O'Neill made it 4-0 with an RBI double in the second. After a third straight scoreless inning for the visitors, Penn doubled its lead in the third.
 
Josh Hood smacked a hit down the right field, and the spinning ball tucked itself into the back corner to give the freshman a stand-up triple. Adams brought him home with an RBI single on the following at-bat and Larsen kept things going with a single through the left side.
 
Courtney drove the pair of baserunners in as he pulled a pitch over the head of the Columbia right fielder off the top of the wall for Penn's second triple of the inning. An error by the short stop allowed Courtney to score, giving Penn an 8-0 lead.
 
Scafidi maintained Penn's lead for the remainder of the game, giving the Columbia hitters a tough time at the plate. The Lions were unable to knock more than one hit in an inning until the top of the ninth, when the game was seemingly already out of reach.
 
Penn scored its ninth run of the day courtesy of an RBI single by Phelan in the sixth, plating Malinowski. Columbia broke the shutout bid with an RBI single through the right side, but the Quakers tacked on an additional four runs in the bottom of the frame to give the hosts a 12-run lead.
 
Courtney drove in his third RBI of the day in the ninth with an RBI double down the left field line, then scored his second run of the day as McGeagh brought him home with an RBI double into the gap in left center. O'Neill made it 13-1 with an opposite-field two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Columbia threatened in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with one out. Scafidi stunted the threat, forcing two consecutive outs and ending the game with his sixth strikeout of the day.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Quakers close out the series with a doubleheader tomorrow against Columbia. In order for Penn to keep its postseason hopes alive, the Quakers must win both games against the Lions and hope for a Princeton win against Yale next weekend.