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Admiral Yamamoto famously noted in his diary after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, “I fear all we have done is awaken a Sleeping Giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” This sentiment perfectly captures the energy of the Princeton Tigers after their doubleheader loss today, igniting the mighty Sleeping Giant of the Miami Offense. The long-awaited silence shattered with a resounding seven-run explosion in game one, during the third inning. The team cycled through 11 players at bat, with eight straight reaching base safely after the first out. Jake Ogden’s grand slam home run transformed Miami from a struggling unit into an unstoppable hitting force, racking up 10 runs on 10 hits. Griffin Hugus, crowned ACC Pitcher of the Week, recovered well after a rocky first inning where he allowed only one hit—a 2RBI home run—culminating his performance with a stellar nine strikeouts and just two walks, the first occurring in the opening frame. Miami tacked on three more runs in the 6th, highlighted by a critical hit from Max Galvin that extended the lead to 10-1. The bullpen duo of Tate DeRias and Jake Dorn upheld Griffin’s excellence. Despite trailing 11-2 in the 9th, the Tigers managed to score one more run with a one-out triple, followed by a sacrifice fly to left field.
Game one of the twin bill was merely an appetizer. In game two, the silence was obliterated by a remarkable pitching performance from Alex Giroux, who threw a no-hitter through the first five innings. Only one player reached base in the third inning due to a throwing error from short to first, making it just the icing on the cake. Having previously found their rhythm in game one, the offense unleashed their full potential, scoring 15 runs on 14 hits. Every starter, except for Michael Torres and Brandon Degoti, recorded at least one hit. However, Michael did reach first base three times in four appearances, with three walks to his credit. Daniel Cuvet, who entered today’s game with the lowest average on the starting team, made a statement in game two, skyrocketing his average from .143 to an impressive team-high .407. Just a triple shy of completing the cycle, Cuvet went 4-5, hitting his first home run of the season at 389 feet and driving in three RBIs. The team’s hitting was exceptional, posting a season-high .368 average, along with six doubles. They batted around in the third inning, sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs, and then added four more runs in the seventh. The bullpen, which had already performed well in game one, maintained that excellence in game two—Lazaro Collera pitched two innings without giving up a hit or a run, while Rob Evans made a strong seasonal debut, striking out two batters and sealing the series with a decisive 15-1 victory. The Sleeping Giant has awakened, and they are poised to sweep the series with Brian Walters taking the mound with the first pitch at 1:00 PM.
